9. Omsk: A Tango Expedition

The train ride to Omsk wasn’t too crowded, allowing me to sleep for about half of the 13-hour journey. When I arrived, Irina and Alina (the vocalist and guitarist of the “Enamorados” tango group) were there to welcome me.

I stayed in a fantastic Airbnb that was incredibly affordable. Although not in the city center, it was perfect for my needs, I didn’t need a taxi once. It was spacious, had fast internet, a washing machine, and a huge supermarket right across the street.

I knew I had to learn new repertoire for the concert, but I assumed I would practice at the bass player’s house, since he had a piano. However, just hours after I checked in, Alina rang my doorbell. To my shock, she was unloading a full 88-key digital piano from a friend’s car! It was unbelievable, I had a great apartment and my own private practice studio.

The weather was a bit gloomy, with three days of rain and temperatures dipping between 9°C and 17°C. Luckily, we caught one sunny break and enjoyed a great open-air festival together.

We squeezed in three rehearsals before the show, polishing works by Piazzolla and Gardel, as well as “Lejos de Buenos Aires”, a tango I composed during my conservatory days in Barcelona.

The concert venue was a lovely restaurant within walking distance of my place, featuring a beautiful white piano on stage. We played a 90-minute set, and the response was amazing! The audience asked for photos and gave us incredible feedback.

Waking up the next day to read the comments on the event page was the best feeling: https://vk.com/topic-169513166_38516624

Now, it’s time to look ahead. Next week is all about my composition project, which I’ll cover in the next post.