The Tango grew out of the crowded and diverse lower class streets of Buenos Aires in the late 19th century. It was influenced by the African rhythms of the milonga and candombe, and Italian, Spanish, and French immigrants. This mixed parentage made the tango a melting pot that everyone could enjoy. Soon it had even leapt class barriers, showing up in El Teatro Opera as well as immigrant haunts.
It was the Parisians, the perpetual trend-setters, that made the Tango internationally popular in the early nineteen hundreds. Today we have the American Tango, the Ballroom Tango, even the Finnish Tango. But there is something especially special about the original -- the Argentine Tango.
There is something about the emotion and control of this dance that make it particularly arresting. I would love to learn how to tango, but until I do, there is always youtube.
It is also interesting to know more about its origins and the history it carries. The choreography was accented by the melancholy drone of the bandoneon, a German instrument very similar to the accordion. In the early 1900s, a less vulgar form of tango was exported to France, where it was further refined and quickly gained popularity with the Parisian high society. Adding classy clothes, ballrooms, lyrics, and an orchestra, the Tango was revolutionized for the rich and became popular all over Europe, the USA, and was even embraced by the upper class of Argentina, the same people who once shunned its odious beginnings. I´m living in Argentina, renting one of those furnished apartments in buenos aires and the only reason I came here was to learn Tango. I love it!
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That's amazing, Nicole! Sounds like you'll soon be an expert on the steps of the tango as well as its culture!
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