This has nothing to do with nothing, but since the talk is of tango and realizing that electronica is not everyone’s cup of tea. Neither is the melding of styles… Been listening to the Gotan Project a lot lately. There’s just something really catchy about the tango hooks that hits me in the places where one likes to be hit. One of these I’ll actually try to learn how to dance it.

http://www.gotanproject.com/

As to the rest of the goings on the forum still much I want to comment on. One of these days. :)

Andrejs, Scourge without private secret language

I see what you mean Andrej about this music—making you want to leap out of your seat!  But, there being a lot more to it than just getting up and out there, boogeying, shaking it around every which way.  Looks like fun and I’m for that!

Don’t overdue, the work load, that is, and as always looking forward to seeing you here, even if briefly.

Irena

Bruno the Lett - 14 February 2008 11:47 AM

AugustaDels et al.,

“P.Leschenko had lived in Riga and was married the Latvian girl.

He was executed by Soviet secret service SMERSH for “collaboration” in Romania (as “he sang songs for the nazi “), despite of he was the favourite singer of all Soviet generals (and their wives). “.

The Latvian girl, Zinaida, was my mothers sister.  I did not know that he was executed by Soviet secret service.

Visu labu,

Bruno,

I guess, I need your help.

Recently I met Vera Leschenko in the internet.

Here is her site   http://petrleschenco.ucoz.ru/

I translated some fragments from P. Leschenko’ bio from this site ( there is the protocol of soviet secret police’ interrogation ).

Vera Leschenko is interested in any possible information about the relatives of Zane Zakit, including you.

If you dispose time, desire and some additional information about Zane Zakit, please, write to Vera (her site), or to me.

In same queue I am ready to carry any English- Russian text translation out.

In February 1926 Leschenko accidentally met a friend Jacob Voronovsky in Bucharest .  He was going to Sweden and offered some job (as a dancer) to Leschenko at the restaurant «Normandy». 

Here Peter Leschenko meets Latvian actress Zane Zakit.

Polish musicians, previously working in a restaurant of Chernivtsi, had a contract with the Turkish theater of the city of Adana. They invited Peter Leschenko and Zakit to make some tour. 

May 1926 until August 1928 the family toured the duo made a trip to Europe and the Middle East: Constantinople, Adan, Smirna (here Leschenko in july 1926 designed marriage with Zakit), Beirut, Damascus, Alepa, Athens, Thessaloniki, Constantinople again.

Until December 1930 he worked in cafe «AT» at Riga.

In January 1931 a son was born - Igor (Ikki) Leshchenko.

On March, 26th 1951 Peter Leshchenko has been arrested by security service of Romania in an interval after the first branch of his concert.

After this in July 1952 the arrest of his wife Very Belousova has followed.

On August, 5th 1952 Belousova has been sentenced to the death penalty with which have changed for 25 years of imprisonment, in 1953 she is released as unguilty.

Leschenko has died in the Romanian prison hospital on July, 16th, 1954.

Regards,

Juris

AugustaDels,

I sent you an e-mail about Zane

Visu labu,

Bruno, Juris,

Yesterday evening Vera Belousova Leschenko (Lescenco) died. I received this sad news from her assistent Olga Petuchova.

In 2007 I was asked by Dutch film director Jan Bosdriesz to do local research in Bucharest (Romania) on Piotr Leschenko. I was amazed to discover that ‘contemporary’ Romanians didn’t know about this wonderful artist, who had lived the bigger part of his life in Bucharest. I found, however, quite a lot of elderly people who had vivid and dear memories about Leschenko. I grew more and more attached to the story of Leschenko, his first wive Zinaida Zakid and his second wive Vera Belousova. After shooting the film in July 2007, unfortunately I had to abandon my research as I didn’t find the time anymore. Coming summer I hope to resume my investigations of the life of Leschenko in Bucharest.

I am in contact with Igor’s (Igor is the son of Piotr Leschenko who was ballet danser in Bucharest) first wive who loved Zina very much. I am very much intrested in any background information on Zina.

Regards,

Rob Rosinga

Rob Rosinga - 19 December 2009 08:48 AM

Bruno, Juris,

Yesterday evening Vera Belousova Leschenko (Lescenco) died. I received this sad news from her assistent Olga Petuchova.

In 2007 I was asked by Dutch film director Jan Bosdriesz to do local research in Bucharest (Romania) on Piotr Leschenko. I was amazed to discover that ‘contemporary’ Romanians didn’t know about this wonderful artist, who had lived the bigger part of his life in Bucharest. I found, however, quite a lot of elderly people who had vivid and dear memories about Leschenko. I grew more and more attached to the story of Leschenko, his first wive Zinaida Zakid and his second wive Vera Belousova. After shooting the film in July 2007, unfortunately I had to abandon my research as I didn’t find the time anymore. Coming summer I hope to resume my investigations of the life of Leschenko in Bucharest.

I am in contact with Igor’s (Igor is the son of Piotr Leschenko who was ballet danser in Bucharest) first wive who loved Zina very much. I am very much intrested in any background information on Zina.

Regards,

Rob Rosinga

Царство ей Небесное.

What a sad news!

Thanks, Rob.

Her courage always impresses me, Vera had survived Stalin’s camps (she was in the camp Ivdel),

And she won.

What a bright and beautiful life!

Her webpage http://www.petrleschenco.ucoz.ru/

Condolences,

Juris

“All that was” ( ‘Все, что было...”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g06DTcWQdT0

How odd, but after all this time, after thinking that I never heard of him, wasn’t familiar with his works, to find an old LP recording in my mother’s record collection entitled, “Russian Tangos” by Peter Leshtchenko and his orchestra of Moscow(Bruno HI-FI records) with a green sticker reading, “Released Due to Public Demand”.  It has selections, such as Serdtse Mamy (Mother’s heart), Nie Pokidai (Don’t leave me—not to be confused with Pink’s pop hit), Tchornye Glaza (Dark Eyes), etc. etc.  And now it’s all finally coming back to me and I can still play this, after all these years because it’s a monophonic record with excellent results on any stereophonic equipment!

And not that THIS has anything to do with nothing—but my congratulations to you, Absolut Amber, for surpassing me with the number of your posts, which has now reached the 1167 mark, last I checked surpassing mine and all in a much shorter time span…You are now the official reigning Queen of LOL!!

Irena

Andrejs, if you like Gotan Project you will also love Bajofondo (Tango Club).  They tour occasionally in the US and are fab live.

This conversation is interesting to me considering that one of my favorite tango musical performances was Maria de Buenos Aires (a Piazolla tango-opera) that was premiered in Riga while we were there.  Fantastic.  I would recommend that recording as well.

Irena:

...surpassing me with the number of your posts, which has now reached the 1167 mark, last I checked surpassing mine and all in a much shorter time span…You are now the official reigning Queen of LOL!!

Hmmm, I am reminded of the time I strolled into a bookstore that enticed customers to grab a magazine off a sale rack; who then were only expected to “page” thru the issue while sipping some not-for-free latte. (Not that there is anything wrong with it… And the “reader” was not even expected to return “their” magazine to its proper display/sell resting place!)
The time when nearly every “news” magazine had a front-cover picture of Obama. Was I jealous? No. Was I very suspicious? Yes. (As Presidential candidate Obama was expected to visit the city of this bookstore along with many other cities.)

But suspicious of Ambersun because of her large number of posts? No!
By the way, my post-count merely numbers about one-sixth of yours (Irene)—-as measured during our like long time span of posting. (Okay, okay, LOL did reset dates of “original” memberships, once or twice.) Does that make me a wimp though?
And if I had somehow surpassed your post-count (like PC has—- almost doubling?), would I had as well been labeled “prolific“?
No Irene, it is very obvious that post-counts should not be the focus—- nor be the crude excuse to “complain“. (Hmmm, in the early days of LOL, it was instead that hateful “you are so predictable”.—- but then many post-counts were so close back then. ... or had these “complainers” simply not learned/noticed numbers/counting yet?)

Mikus E.

P.S. At least Irena remains consistent, by an earlier statement of hers:

if you (PC) and Aleks didn’t have your sparring partner!

BINGO! (And no, unlike by your “intentions”, I would not mentally ever make the caller say “C-34” instead of the drawn “E-10“!)

P.P.S. Was there ever once a first “Queen of LOL“? Yes, but is there one among us, that should be ever labeled as the first “King”?

McTalzeme - 28 December 2009 11:30 AM

Andrejs, if you like Gotan Project you will also love Bajofondo (Tango Club).  They tour occasionally in the US and are fab live.

This conversation is interesting to me considering that one of my favorite tango musical performances was Maria de Buenos Aires (a Piazolla tango-opera) that was premiered in Riga while we were there.  Fantastic.  I would recommend that recording as well.

Piazolla tango is great!

The correlations of Latvians and tango are very interesting by themselves (taking into account the Latvian diaspora in South America).

Recently I had the opportunity to see this again, after visiting the reception of the LR’ Embassy at Moscow Nov, 18.

The orchestra (it was Riga’s band) played Piazolla tango.

I told to one Argentinian man (he is living in Spain now) at the party, he expressed the opinion that the Latvians’ mentality is very similar to Argentinians’ one.

Although such vision may contribute to the beer “Piebalgas”, of course.

Regards,

Juris

I cannot resist this tango thread.  Did not know about Leschenko nor Stroks, but again LOL is here to enlighten me.  I want to thank AK for inviting me back to participate on LOL. It is now one of my New Year’s resolutions.  Irena and I obviously have the same passion for tangos and listening to the heartthrobs of old and seeing their photos on the video clips brings another tango great to mind.  Carlos Gardel.  When music came on tapes, a friend of mine in Miami recorded his tango hits for me and I loved his raspy (sexy) voice.  Actually, I wore out the old tape.  Then I discovered Julio Iglesias “Tango” CD.
Something about that music just brings back my youth and like Irena mentioned, the Latvian balites. Thanks for the memories.

Thanks McT and welcome back! Gave Bajofondo a quick listen on ITunes last night. Good stuff.

Andrejs

All this tango talk transported me from the frigid NE to a sunny summer day in December in the early nineties down in Buenos Aires.  I broke away from my clients for a few hours and wandered down to the La Boca barrio, known as the tango center of B.A. (and a gaudy, colorful tourist strip:  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9121984465057377663#  ). 

Getting away from all that, I found myself, as I often do, in a really seedy section of the barrio, the streets almost totally deserted on that weekday afternoon.  But seemingly from every other open window of the crumbling tenements the sounds of tango could be heard.  At some point I realized I was lost in the maze of old streets and began looking for some one to ask for directions. 

As I followed the sounds of tango music emanating from somewhere at street level, I found myself in an inner courtyard and saw an older couple dancing.  They were alone, dancing to their boombox only for themselves, oblivious to me standing in the dank passageway.  After a minute or so I began to feel like an intruder into their private world and wandered back out until I saw a glimpse of the river and used that to regain my bearings. 

When I recounted my activities to my hosts, they were appalled.  I did not know that anything off the main strip was considered a high-crime area, with daylight knifepoint muggings commonplace. I got lucky, I guess.  And those sights and sounds are still so clear in my mind after all these years.  As are the Lestchenko 78’s of my childhood.  Tango will do that to one.  Thanks to all for these postings and links.

ak

Looking back to the beginning of this thread, it seems so long ago, now; I didn’t even remember some of what I wrote.  And I must really be careful about not posting too much, or I’ll surpass Ambersun and end up back where I was and it’s burdensome, wearing that crown of thorns!  I also recall something similar to what you said, Mikus, about LOL, resetting dates of “original memberships…”  And it seems to me there were far more people here on the forum with far more posts and how I ended up being the lone female with so many, I’ll never know.  Guess I’m more of a ‘plapa’ than I had imagined!  But of course, you are correct, Mikus—about quality being far more important than quantity.  Though I can’t be sure, from what you wrote, I get this impression that you think of me as being one of those people whose motto should be…”you don’t worship me enough”.  Be that as it may, I don’t begrudge Amber at all!  I wish her no ill will and hope all is well with her; I simply like to do a little playful teasing at times.

Now back to tangos—Arija, I don’t know what it is about Latvians and tangos and I was almost waiting for AK to say that that couple he came upon inadvertently, were two Latvians (thanks, BTW, AK for a very entertaining story)!  The Finns REALLY seem hooked!  I saw a video once where these elderly couples in Finland were just dancing up a storm, one tango after another the whole night through!  Must have something to do with these cold climates, longing for sunshine, warmth, passion, romance…’Bailamos…te quiero amour mio te quiero…”!  Thanks for the intro to Carlos Gardel and didn’t know that his tango was danced by Al Pacino (forgot his partner’s name) in the movie, “Scent of a Woman.”

 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dStp5hq294&feature=fvw