Pepa Palazon, “Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos" — Capturing and Preserving the Meaning of Tango
For many years, tango as a form of dance and music has been taught largely through word-of-mouth.
Structured lessons about the dance itself and its accompanying music can be hard to come by.
Though many in the tango community are aware of tango’s origins, history, and cultural impact, those outside of it may find themselves fumbling in the dark. If one does not belong to the tango community, it is likely that they are unaware of what exactly tango is or who has helped shape it into such a beloved dance and musical form.
Despite its significance, tango has remained largely undocumented. There isn’t one repository of tango knowledge that can be referenced by those who are interested to learn about it.
Similarly, existing articles or documentation about tango often talk about its history and how the dance has generally evolved over time. In some cases, one may find articles about popular tango shows and movies, as well as articles about key personalities such as the legendary Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla. Beyond that, however,
most of the knowledge one can find about tango is either randomly scattered or from the anecdotes of those who have attended milongas, practicas, or classes.
It hasn’t been easy to find material associated with tango that presents the dance and its musical form from the perspective of those who have made innovative strides in these aspects.
That is, until Pepa Palazon came along.
Who Is Pepa Palazon?
If one searches the internet for knowledge about tango — especially tango personalities — it is more than likely that they will encounter Pepa Palazon and her project, “Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos” (“I Have a Question for You”).
Pepa is the creator and host of this ambitious documentary project that seeks to preserve tango history and the meaning of tango through well-structured videos and insightful interviews.
“Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos” began in 2013, and Pepa has since interviewed more than 35 important tango personalities who have made their mark in tango history.
Some examples are Juan Carlos Copes, Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau, Mariano “Chicho” Frumboli, Fabian Salas, Miguel Angel Zotto, and many more. Currently, the project is on Patreon, which is a membership platform that allows subscriptions and gives creators like Pepa economic leeway to continue passion projects like “Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos.”
Citing her reasons for creating this project, Pepa Palazon states in her introductory YouTube video for “Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos”:
“Tengo Una Pregunta’ was created to fill a gap I felt existed in the world of tango.”
“There was no video documentation of any of the older tangueros or tango musicians. There were very few interviews where they explained how they got into tango, their challenges, the lessons passed on from generation to generation that sometimes don't get passed down due to geography or generational reasons.”
According to her LinkedIn profile,
Pepa has 13 years of experience in the audiovisual sector, which she has applied in the creation of her tango interview videos.
What makes Pepa’s interview format stand out is that she clearly has a journalistic approach to her videos — which is unsurprising considering she has a Bachelor of Communication Sciences in Journalism from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She also worked for various media and print companies, such as “La Bomba,” “Heart of the Millennium,” and “Europa Press,” among many others.
Aside from “Tengo Una Pregunta,” Pepa Palazon also hosts the Viva La Pepa! Milonga in Buenos Aires, which is dedicated to the expansion and dissemination of tango.
She hosts several tango-related workshops — primarily in the musicality aspect of tango, as well as a bioenergetic approach to tango.
“Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos”: Preserving the History of Tango
Before launching her Patreon in 2018,
Pepa Palazon’s “Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos” was originally hosted on the now defunct website, preguntaparavos.com.ar.
However, Pepa has since moved her interviews to her very own YouTube channel.
Pepa Palazon’s Youtube channel
Here, viewers can find rare interviews even with older milongueros such as Toto Faraldo, El Chino Perico, Raul Bravo, and Nito and Elba Garcia, to cite a few.
Explaining the importance of “Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos,” Pepa Palazon states on her Patreon page:
“For decades, the only way for the ‘Tango Greats’ to pass on their knowledge has been in person or by word-of-mouth. If you weren’t in Buenos Aires at a given time, you did not have access to them. With the advent of YouTube came the proliferation of videos of these great Masters dancing, but it is still difficult to find video documents of them speaking. It is rare to hear what they think of tango, their feelings about it, their experiences, background, unique outlook, stylistic choices, how they evolved in their knowledge of the dance, their creative process, fears, dreams, their experiences in the past, clubs, neighborhoods, relationships, society, etc. Specifically, THEIR HISTORY within the world of Tango.
“You can watch Gavito or Antonio Todaro dance, for instance, but only those who have had the opportunity to study with them personally are able to know what and how they think.
“That is the OBJECTIVE of ‘Tengo una pregunta para vos.’ TO DOCUMENT AND PROTECT THE LIVING HISTORY OF TANGO as told first hand by its protagonists and make it free and accessible to everyone around the globe, regardless of where they live.”
Patreon account of Pepa
Pepa further explains that the format for the interviews is simple: She will invite a distinguished tango personality to a location — often in Buenos Aires — where people can come in for free and ask questions.
If people do not have questions, Pepa herself will be the one to offer her guest questions that are aimed to enlighten audiences about the tango experiences of that specific guest.
For the most part, Pepa has conducted her interviews with the help of friends, which is why she has recently turned to Patreon. With the subscription option of the platform, she will be able to produce videos of higher quality with professional equipment, which she feels is equally important given the significance of her subjects in tango history.
In itself, “Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos” is an innovative and inspiring idea. It doesn’t just capture and preserve the thoughts and sentiments of tango dancers and musicians; it also captures a certain era through the stories of the subjects being interviewed.
Considering that tango has always been considered a cultural movement, the experience and knowledge of the interviewees shed light on how tango has evolved over the years — not only in terms of the dance and music, but also in how philosophies and mindsets have changed. Indeed, “Tengo Una Pregunta Para Vos” may be an ambitious project, but it’s one that is clearly worth pursuing.
“Juntos por Pepa:” A Second Chance at Life
As a “tango journalist,” Pepa Palazon has always shone the spotlight on others. Thus,
it was a shock to the entire tango community when Pepa broke the news about the brain hemorrhage she suffered on December 15, 2020.
Most of her posts regarding the ruptured aneurysm, which sent her recovering for months in a hospital bed, could be found on her Facebook account.
On March 22, 2021, Pepa posted:
“On December 15th I had a ruptured aneurysm. I had a brain hemorrhage and I lost consciousness. Two days later, my friends got into the house and found me [lying] in bed, unconscious. They call an ambulance. I don't remember anything. What I do know is that if they hadn't found me, I would be dead right now. Thanks to Guille and Angie, who have taken care of me 24 hours a day (and they continue to do so! They are like 2 angels!) I owe my life!! Thanks for being my angels.
And to Teresa and Carlos who gave the warning.
“It's been more than three months since then, most of the time in a hospital bed, and I'm thankful for being alive. I don´t remember a thing and these memory lapses seem to be a normal thing. I'm following up with the medical treatment and I'm getting better, little by little.”
“My brain is evolving positively, but very slowly. I had to do physical therapy to recover ‘normal’ mobility on my right leg. I know I will do it, but what I need right now is time, and patience.”
“That's why they don't see me anywhere. They are evaluating if they [can] operate on my brain again (fingers crossed…!) Today I gave my first class in 3 months and, little by little, I will be adding groups again. My body is the one that guides ... Anyway, if you want to see me or talk to me, here I am: I came back to life ... and I'm very happy about that.
“Thanks!!”
As the news spread, many people came to offer Pepa well wishes, as well as financial support. The Facebook page “Juntos por Pepa” (“Together for Pepa”) was created, which organized a virtual tango event to benefit Pepa’s hospitalization and road to recovery.
On April 25, 2021, numerous tango personalities participated in the two-part virtual live event, offering classes, exhibitions, and conferences.
Some of those who have joined the virtual live event are Milena Plebs, Alejandra Mantiñan, Julio Balmaceda, Chicho Frumboli, and many others.
Similarly, a Facebook fundraiser was created by Lola Diaz and Fabian Salas on March 31, 2021, so those who wish to donate financial aid to Pepa were able to do so.
The fundraiser’s message gives one a clear picture of just how much Pepa Palazon has become a much-loved fixture in the tango community. The message reads:
“The time has come to help someone [who's] always helped us all. Pepa Palazón suffered a brain aneurysm and needs our help. Pepa Palazón is the creator and founder of the milonga ‘Viva la Pepa,’ recognized worldwide. And the interview series ‘Tengo una pregunta para vos,’ an invaluable video library for tango fans. Pepa has more than once helped us all selflessly. Either opening the doors to her milonga some Sunday in Villa Malcom; or brightening our day with one of the many videos that she religiously [posts] every Monday morning, at the end of her milonga. Now it is our turn to help her out, so that she can recover from this difficult situation. We also want to share with you that this fundraiser will be accompanied by a completely free virtual gathering, of which we will give more details in these days. This meeting will be broadcasted through Facebook and will feature classes, exhibitions and conferences, dictated by the most prestigious masters. Because life has to be celebrated. And Pepa deserves a real party. As always, we thank you infinitely for your unconditional support. We love you and miss you all so much, Fabián & Lola”
Since the creation of the fundraiser, 403 people have donated and reached what was roughly $20,000 for its fundraising goal.
Currently, Pepa remains active on social media and has occasionally posted about how she is continuing rehabilitation. Most of her posts regarding her condition and recovery have an overwhelmingly positive note. In fact,
she has returned to attending milongas and giving virtual workshops with the same energetic and dynamic attitude with which she has always conducted herself.
Despite what she has experienced, Pepa appears to be joyful and grateful for life, and it doesn’t look like she will stop doing what she loves doing — combining tango with journalism.
Viva la Pepa!
Pepa Palazon’s valiant effort of preserving tango’s history in video interviews has been invaluable not only to the tango community, but also to those outside of it who want to learn more about the dance and the music from a different perspective.
It is heartwarming to see that not even illness can stop her from pursuing her passions. Hopefully, Pepa will fully recover and continue to make videos to add to the virtual tango library she has been building.