Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
written at least partially in Lunfardo, the lan-
guage of the lower classes, the early lyrics often
contained an air of nostalgia and melancholy
characteristic of the immigrant experience.
In 1935, Gardel
was tragically
killed in a plane
crash in Colom-
bia.
In the 1930s, the lyrics began to take on a
strong social context, treating societal ills with
poetry and drama. That trend would continue
throughout the 40s and 50s with the lyrics
becoming even more personal and emotional.
However, in the 60s and 70s, the importance of
the lyrics would be overshadowed when the
modern-day composer Aníbal Troilo and his
disciple Astor Piazzolla would raise the tango to
near cult status with their innovative composi-
tions.
Literature
“Buenos Aires es un hombre/Que tiene grandes
las piernas/Grandes los pies y las manos/Y
pequeña la cabeza.”
In these lines from her poem “Buenos Aires” the
Argentine poet
Alfonsina Storni
compares
the immense city to a man with long legs, large
feet and large hands, and an amusingly tiny
head. She is using the metaphor to describe the
way the city grew from a tiny hamlet, spreading
outwards until it lost all sense of proportion.
The tiny head of Buenos Aires exists only in
this fanciful imagery. In actuality, Buenos
Aires has a grand tradition of great minds. In
its relatively short history, Argentina has pro-
duced an enviable body of literature and poetry.
Argentina's (and Buenos Aires') literary history
