Web 3.0 and the Argentine Tango: Introduction

We have discussed a number of ideas this year. Of these, the notion of renaissance entrepreneurs – those working at the cusp of technology and the arts and humanities – is one I have a particular passion for. I am of the opinion that Silicon Valley’s next phase will need to tap into these kinds of entrepreneurs.

In this series, I will share thoughts on how the principles of Web 3.0 can be applied to a quintessential performing arts domain: the Argentine tango. It will illustrate how you can, in many cases, apply the formula to other performing and visual arts and to the humanities and, I hope, inspire entrepreneurs to explore working on these ideas

You may be wondering why I chose something as esoteric as the Argentine tango! Well, it is a dance form that I have a serious interest in and knowledge of. It is also a social dance, as opposed to a dance that is strictly for performance, such as ballet. The tango thus has natural synergies with the social media and community attributes that Web 3.0 so powerfully leverages.

First some background on the tango. Needless to say, the dance originated in Argentina. In the mid-nineties, it went through a worldwide revival and today has become an international phenomenon. Whichever city you travel to, chances are you will find a tango community. You can go dance with local dancers – called tangueros – at dances, otherwise known as milongas, till the wee hours of the night. You can take classes from maestros. You can practice with other dancers at informal practicas in different communities. For all practical purposes, it is a subculture and, for its aficionados, an intensely alluring one.

Now, to give you a sense of the ambience, let me introduce you to what the dance looks like. Below is a video excerpt from the BBC documentary, La Confitería Ideal, about the eponymous famous dance hall in Buenos Aires.

And here is the dance form performed by Carlos Gavito, one of the all-time greatest interpreters of the tango at La Viruta, another famous club in Buenos Aires:

Let’s also quickly recap the Web 3.0 terminology:

3C = Content, Commerce, Community |
4th C = Context |
P = Personalization |
VS = Vertical Search

Thus, the formula we will be working with is: Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS).

In the remainder of the series, we’ll explore how we can design a worldwide Web 3.0 portal for the tango à la Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on.

This segment is a part in the series : Web 3.0 and the Argentine Tango