Death is not extinguishing the light
It is putting out the Lamp
Because the Dawn has come.
Rabindranath Tagore
Ricardo had many lives. I would like to say my words of gratitude to the man I knew:
You came suddenly as if a breeze, swirling and smiling,
For which I thank you.
You started your teaching of tango with close embrace,
For which I thank you.
You gave me your heart and a gift of giving,
For which I thank you.
You taught me the sharing of daily moments,
For which I thank you.
You overwhelmed me with your kindness,
For which I thank you.
You showed the appreciation for the lost; and it’s not going to be found,
But the essential: the family and friends.
You were generous in your heart and teaching,
You were filled with joy and gratitude for living,
You were unbearably funny, you even liked what you did not like.
You had wisdom and principles by which you liked to abide.
You showed the strengths and perseverance.
You respected and valued a woman, regardless of her profession.
You were a true gentleman.
You touched many and they reciprocated,
But most of all you danced a feeling and taught it too.
Watching you dance one feels and sees an aura like light around you.
Your feet do not seem to touch the floor.
You always danced for your partner.
“Tango, Percal y Luna” – You are the essence of this phrase.
You were a great dancer and maestro.
You may be gone but your spirit will always be.
And now Ricardo reveal the truth:
Do the angels let you rest between tandas?
I had no choice but loving you,
Te amo siempre.
Ewa
* * * * *
Solange wrote to me: “Amongst my things from before I found this poem that I would like to share with you, and dedicate it to him on the day you do the memorial.”
Where the two distant lines confuse themselves in a point called horizon . . .
Where the cloud breaks away by the gentle flapping of the migratory bird
Where the moon prints its brilliance and spring light of the quiet pine forest
Where the wind plays in the gold of wheat
and the music of clean nature is perceived,
here Amor, Amor of the supreme to the creature,
Amor of the supreme to the man ,
Amor, the image of everything in all,
Amor in the greatness and in the smallness,
Amor is the distance and the nearness,
Amor is life and death,
Amor is to share something, live to give,
Amor is the warmth of calling,
Amor is a tear,
Amor is fight, effort, sacrifice,
Amor is warmth,
Amor is to see and understand,
Amor is to be reticent,
Amor is song, Amor is music
Amor is little or much or what you do for someone
when you simply do it for love,
Amor is give, give and give,
Amor is to sow and sow,
Today a good sower, who opened from day-to-day
his hands to give and his heart to love,
had to leave, for which the only word that could mark a goodbye is
THANK YOU … thousand times thank you Papa for your permanent giving,
for your loving always.
* * * * *
The following are the eulogies of Ricardo’s dance partners and friends.
Dear Ricardo,
It is true you are not amongst us, your body is not with us. I want to tell you because I know you will hear me. I have the memories of you not only as a dancer, but as a person, but as a man of goodness and of simplicity. Always giving and fighting without letting a complaint out of your mouth. This confirms that you were a great man because only those who are of great heart practice humility and simplicity. I know that you are in peace and this consoles your absence for me. You will always be in my memories as the others who knew you. Thank you for the privilege of dancing the last show tango with you. We will always love you.
Vilma Martinez
* * * * *
Every time I saw him dance, I realized that nobody danced nor could ever dance like him. He was unique. I feel that he lived in tango which he loved so much and tried to spread it in the world. I feel privileged to have worked with him, and I will never forget him.
Myriam Pincen
* * * * *
I remember one particular evening in the milonga La Nacional, Pupy Castello, a well-known milonguero, was about to do an exhibition with Susana Gonzalez. Now it’s a fact that Pupy and Ricardo had not been getting along for about forty years. Ricardo was saying: “this is ridiculous, Pupy cannot dance tonight (being very ill) — in fact, he never could dance very well!” When Pupy had finished dancing, Ricardo was the first to stand up, cheering and clapping! You can imagine how dumbfounded I was, and I said to Ricardo: “What are you doing? What kind of hypocrisy is this?” Ricardo turned around and looked at me with his beautiful characteristic smile and replied: “It does not matter that I don’t like him, he is part of the milonga and that makes him one of us. My applause is sincere.”
Oscar Casas
* * * * *
Our friend, most certainly you are touring and teaching tango in some stellar place. We miss your presence, but you are in our hearts and you have left us before departing a beautiful person who is Ewa, so that we never forget you. Never will you leave our side because you are in our hearts, in our feet, in our needs incorporated as if someone who has arrived to stay. Ricardo Vidort, un señor who lived as he wanted, creating himself while living, feeling and dancing tango, taken by this marvelous music of ours. His appearance, his posture, tango in his feet, in his looks, in all of his body, in the exact attitude to bring a woman to fly and dream for a moment. Seeing him dancing was to enjoy while you intended to learn the crossing between the feeling and the technique, all naturally. Irresistibly, historical and always innovative, while transmitting his enormous energy, he was inviting you to feel while dancing and to create your proper style without even making you aware of being a gran maestro – the best before, now and after. Tango, Percal y Luna.
Graciela y Maria
* * * * *
Ricardo – Time and space of eternal friendship, great and generous. A master of tango and a master of a friend. Milonguero who gave pleasure to dance with and to watch him dancing. Who will occupy the hours that we passed, listening to you telling stories of your adventures? Your presence and your imprint dwell in our lives as a testimony to our friendship which time will not erase. You will always be with us.
Patricio y Adriana
* * * * *
“A poem which you will never read … “
Hope
You arrived carrying the hope
where the silent failure dwelt,
dissolving the half flight of the dusk
you gave me restraint with tenderness.
You patiently demolished the walls
that were sheltering the fears,
the impenetrable refuge of credos
that reside in the coffin. . . obscure.
You are the light in the nocturnal darkness,
radiance of the night, my guide.
Loving me, you cured this agony,
that converted me into being taciturn.
You sowed my soul with love,
watering me every day sweetly.
Your seed germinated in my body,
bringing me back the faith and the calmness.
I fell in love with your love,
wrapping myself with your arms,
intoxicated and tied with lassoes,
in my side you have imbeded yourself.
Love that holds us spellbound
the heart swelled, the skin burned,
the lips keep drinking starred kisses
emerging, passionate desires.
Dulce Daniela 2006
RICARDO VIDORT 