Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Argentinian Tango
Tango has its roots in the bars and bordellos that sprung up
around Buenos Aires at the turn of the 20th century. From
the cultural melting pot of European immigrants and
Africans, a vibrant music and dance form evolved. While
early tango was played on flute, violin, and guitar, musicians
soon adopted the
bandoneón
(button accordion) for its
rhythmic energy and melancholic strains. Tango boomed in
Argentina and in Europe in the early 1900s, but declined
during the Perón years. Since the 1980s a revival has taken
place, and a new tango music scene has emerged, inspired
mainly by tango shows.
Final of the Tango Metropolitan
Championship in Buenos Aires
Tango on the Streets
The age-old tradition of practicing tango on the streets is
kept up by professional street performers who don retro
gear and show off their flicks and kicks to locals and
tourists in Calle Florida, San Telmo, and La Boca.
The crowd
is usually
encouraged to join in
and try a few steps
with the dancers.
The upper body
is usually stiff, locked
in a close embrace
in traditional
Argentinian tango.
Footwork
involves
complicated move-
ments and is flexible,
quick, and exquisitely
choreographed.
Tango postures
often reflect machismo culture
and traditional societal roles, with the man as the
stiff central focus and the woman by turns haughty
and provocative, then languid and responsive.
La milonga
is both a fast-paced dance style
and, informally, the term for a gathering
where people listen and dance to tango
music. Locals and tourists flock to
milongas
throughout the capital to dance with favored
partners or to meet a new one.
Fantasia or show tango
is full of clever twirls,
exaggerated kicks, and aerial flights of fancy. This is
in contrast to the
milonga
style, in which the feet
cling to the floor. Fantasia gained popularity
during the tango revival in the 1980s.
