I was walking back from work last Wednesday, 8:45pm, lugging my computer and listening to Vanguardia de la ciencia (a Sapnish radio version of Tomorrow's World) on my mp3 player when I noticed a poster in a nondescript office window. I looked and it was for a film called El Ultimo Bandoneón (The last bandoneón: the bandoneón being the instrument in the picture, an essential part of the sound of the tango). As I looked at the poster someone said "It's a good film." I turned and there was a smart chap standing behind me, I asked him if it was like "Si sos brujo" (a sweet little film we saw a few months ago). Immediately on hearing my accent the man asked if I liked tango, I said I couldn't dance but I liked listening. He said that he knew a great place to listen to tango and said I should go. He opened the door of the office building and invited me inside while he went to find a pen. He was Dr Silva and the office buliding was his surgery. He was very keen for me to go and wrote out the address, saying it was a magical place "un lugar mágico".

So of course we went....

The place is called El Café de la "U" in a barrio called Urquiza, beyond the end of the subway and a bit off the beaten track. We arrived and felt a little aprehensive, the place was empty and it was 9:30pm... but the waiter confirmed that there was a show and we settled down to have some dinner. An hour later the place was full. We were the youngest there by some way. As we ate I noticed Dr Silva, Liz said to go over, he'd probably be pleased to see his recommendation being taken up, so I wandered over and said hello.

Instantly I became the Irish prodigal son... hugs, introductions (Liz was instantly Irish too) and a promise to talk after the show but for now, he said, I was going to hear some proper tango.

The show was introduced (and organized) by "Gogo" Safigueroa, a journalist, film critic and (I think) radio broadcaster with a voice like a double bass. And, the music was pretty damn good. The band included Luis Anibal who appears in the film, and as the evening progressed, more people in the surrounding tables started talking to us and asking what we were doing, where we lived, telling us little bits and pieces about the singers and musicians. Luis Anibal was phenomenal, and one of the singers, Fernando Rodas I think, was introduced to us as one of the best modern tango singers.

We were also introduced to the audience by Gogo, who thanked us for coming all the way from Ireland (and paying attention to the music). After which the 91 year old chap sitting on the next table that he liked the Irish but the English were a bunch of pirates (can't really argue there).

The owner treated us to a coffee (we needed it as at 2am everyone else was still going strong) and insisted that we return and 'if you need anything at all, just ask').

We finally left our new friends at 3:15 or so (we had to be up at 7:30 the next morning) with promises to return and a date to have a coffee with Dr Silva and practice our Spanish.  ¶ 9:00 PM