PORTLAND, Ore. — People all over the world came together this weekend to connect and enjoy music played by a Portland-area musician.
With the strum of his guitar, Dante Zapata gets people moving to his music.
"I sing anything from soul music to country music to R&B, jazz, blues," he said.
Zapata is accustomed to playing live music for small gatherings at wineries and events with dancers of all different genres. Then COVID-19 hit.
"I think life has changed for everybody, but for musicians especially," he said.
Remaining socially distant means no more in-person shows, but this weekend he had the opportunity to play for hundreds of people all over the world.
"This is the first time I've actually done something online like this," he said.
He took part in an event called "Earth Virtual Milonga." Yelizaveta Nersesova is the organizer. She's a tango dancer and instructor in Los Angeles. She also used to dance in Portland some years back.
"A milonga is basically a name for an event where people get together to dance tango," Nersesova said.
This weekend was the second Earth Virtual Milonga event she's thrown. Nersesova said over the course of the nearly five-hour event, 662 people from all over joined in on the Zoom chat.
In addition to Zapata, the event also included DJs from different countries. Dancers logged in from Paris, Montreal, Tokyo and many more cities.
"The whole idea was like OK, we might be isolated right now but we're not alone. We're here, we're together, we're around the world, choosing to be together," Nersesova said.
Some people had dance partners, others had stuffed animals, still others danced alone.
"My first hope is that people feel better, that they get a dose of joy in their life," Nersesova said.
She said she's just trying to make lemons into lemonade, and it's working. The event is bringing joy to hundreds of people everywhere.
"I hope there's a little encouragement there that they're not alone. Ultimately that we are in this together," Nersesova said.
The next earth virtual milonga event is in a couple weeks on Sunday, May 3 from noon-3:30 p.m. Visit Nersesova's website for information on how to access the event.
There's a $10 recommended donation to help pay for the DJs and performers, but payment is not a requirement.
Nersesova said even people who don’t dance are welcome to join and watch as well.
