Tango is one of the most famous and influential dances in the world˳ Originating in Buenos Aires in the 18th century, tango brought together working class European immigrants, indigenous Argentinians and former slaves˳ As a result, tango has shaped Argentinian culture and society˳ The dance’s popularity meant that it quickly expanded out of Argentina, with several different styles developing in Europe and North America˳ With its rich history, tango is a fascinating tradition in dance which reveals a wealth of information about Argentina traditions˳
Argentina traditions: The origin of tango
The word “tango” or “tambo” appears around the turn of the 19th century to describe music and dance events organized by slaves˳ The first official use of the word appears in a statute from 1789, where Argentine authorities banned “tango” gatherings to oppress the working class˳ It wasn’t until one hundred years later that the word became commonplace˳
The original tango dance was a blend of styles produced by the mix of cultures in the lively port of Buenos Aires˳ In the 19th century, thousands of young people arrived from Europe in search of a better life˳ In the Argentine capital, they lived side-by-side with former slaves and indigenous peoples˳ As a result, their traditions in dance and music began to mesh˳
The development of Argentine tango
Argentine tango developed from the potent crucible of cultures in Buenos Aires in the mid-1800s˳ People from Spain, Italy, England, Poland and African nations lived alongside native Argentinians to create new Argentina traditions˳ It was this meeting of cultures that created the Argentine tango˳ Influenced by flamenco, polka, and numerous traditional African dances, tango became a byword for “the music of immigrants˳”
By the later 1800s, tango had become popular with Argentinians of all social classes˳ Tango became the traditional dance during conventillos parties˳ These gatherings took place in large houses inhabited by several families that included large open spaces for dancing˳ Accompanied by solo guitar, the dance became an Argentine household staple˳ Alternatively, couples would dance to orquesta típica˳ These small bands would include violins, piano, flute, a double bass, and the bandoneon or “tango accordion”˳
Tango goes global
Today, its commonly believed that the first professional composer of tango music was Juan Pérez, who penned songs like Dame la Lata (Give Me My Pay)˳ However, this is a controversial topic, as its likely that there were other less well-documented composers before him˳ For instance, other popular early tango compositions include Andate a la Recoleta and El Tero˳
By the end of the 19th century, tango was so popular it began to spread across the world˳ People everywhere enjoyed the energetic dancing style and soon tango records were being sold all over North America and Europe˳ By the 1900s, over one thousand tango gramophone records were produced, alongside countless new tango musical scores˳
Now, tango is a dance that is synonymous with Argentina traditions˳ Continuing to capture the imaginations of dance enthusiasts and music lovers across the world, tango continues to develop and grow˳ Enduringly popular across Buenos Aires, there are still many places where you can experience this magical dance on your Argentine adventure˳
