Today is a special day for the milonguera community. Established in July 1993 by Oscar Héctor, this date commemorates the birth of "Petróleo" Carlos Estévez, creator of a new aesthetic in the Tango of the 40s.
They say it was like this:
One day Oscar Héctor came and told me: "I want to make the milonguero's day". As there is the day of the dancer because of the death of Cachafaz.
Then I ask him: "Do I want to know why you decided to put the milonguero's day today? He says: "Look, it's a very personal question of mine". Then I told him: Let's put "the milonguero's day", but for it to make sense, the milonguero's day has to be the day Juan Carlos Estévez, Petróleo, was born, September 29, 1910.
I speak with propriety because I even saw his enlistment book and I am almost sure that fat Potenza still has it.
G: Who is fat Potenza?
L: He is the person who had him living with him for more or less ten or twelve years, Petróleo had Parkison's disease and the fat man had a parrot more or less like this one, which is still there. If you want to meet him, let's go. Look, I have a lot of confidence with him, a lot of friendship with him.
He is on Lugones Street one thousand and nine...
Going back to the subject of the Milonguero's day, I tell him: "Look, Oscar, I am the oldest milonguero, not the most handsome, nor the most preppy, nor anything else, but people cannot get confused, dancer is one thing, dancer is the one on stage and milonguero is us who grew up in the patios, in the dances, which are two totally different dances.
So I want September 29 to be the day of the milonguero. He grabbed me, shook my hand and told me: "Lampazo, we will do it on the 29th".
I have the film, when I give a statuette to Petróleo, as if decorating him.
In other words, the milonguero's day was made during his lifetime, not after his death.
He died after being the honoree.
It occurred to me because it was the greatest thing I have ever seen.
Published in THE TANGO ACCORDING TO LAMPAZO
SOURCE: nataliaygabriel.com