Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tango
Passionate, intense, and soulful, nothing quite sums up vibrant Buenos Aires
as beautifully as the dance form that developed here - the tango. Most
historians place its genesis in the 1880s at La Boca's Riachuelo riverbank,
where Mediterranean, West African, and Eastern European immigrants would
— among other things — dance, sing, and play guitar in the neighborhood's
bordellos
. But it wasn't long before tango captivated the salon culture of
Buenos Aires and, later, the capitals of Europe, incorporating instruments like
the piano and
bandoneón,
and florid, intricate dance steps. Today, tango is
regarded as a wholly
porteño
invention. Experience the lore and heritage of
tango as it has evolved in the city for over 120 years.
Top 10 Features
1 Confitería Ideal
2 La Nacional
3 Café Tortoni
4 Zival's
5 Botica del Angel
6 Chiquín
7 Piazzolla Tango
8 Mansión Dandi Royal
9 Cementerio la Chacarita
0 Comme il Faut
Tango musicians
• Confitería Ideal: Map
Q6; Calle Suipacha 380;
5265-8069
• Café Tortoni: Map Q6;
Avda. de Mayo 825;
4342-4328
• La Nacional: Map D2;
Calle Adolfo Alsina 1465
• Zival's: Map N6; Avda.
Callao 395; 5128-7500
• Botica del Angel: Map
D2; Calle Luis Saénz
Peña 541; 4384-9396
• Chiquín: Map Q6;
Calle Perón 920; 4394-
5004
• Piazzolla Tango: Map
Q6; Calle Florida 165;
4344-8200
• Mansión Dandi Royal:
Map E3; Calle Piedras
922; 4307-7623
• Cementerio la
Chacarita: Calle Guzmán
630; 4553-9338
• Comme il Faut: Map
P5; Calle Arenales 1239;
4815-5690
!
Confitería Ideal
Suffering from a touch
of neglect, yet all the more
evocative and romantic for
it, the century-old Confitería
Ideal
remains
among the city's most
vibrant grand salons, with
tango lessons on offer
upstairs, excellent musician
bookings, and great coffee.
(below)
£
Café Tortoni
Tortoni name-checking
is a tango lyricist's tradi-
tion. The café
was
the “office” for composers
and performers of tango's
1920s heyday. It continues
to be a spot to dance and
hear groups play live.
(center)
La Nacional
The popular Wednesday
night
@
or tango
night, at this renovated old
Italian social club in
Montserrat
milonga,
has
successfully managed to
put the neighborly,
communal aspects of
tango back into play.
(right)
26
Call the venues for opening times
