The dance originated in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires. The music derived from the fusion of various forms of music from European immigrants. Tango consists of a variety of styles that developed in different regions and eras of Argentina and Uruguay. The dance developed in response to many cultural elements, such as the crowding of the venue and even the fashions in clothing. The styles are mostly danced in either open embrace, where lead and follow have space between their bodies, or close embrace, where the lead and follow connect either chest-to-chest (Argentine tango) or in the upper thigh, hip area (American and International tango).
Stylistic origins
1850s-1880s urban Argentina and Uruguay
Cultural origins
originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay
Typical instruments
Bandoneón (acordeon), piano, guitar, violin, double bass, human voice
Mainstream Popularity
Rioplatense (working class urban areas – Río de la plata) until 1910; upper and middle class cosmopolitan urban areas thereafter
Tango (Taken from the articles “Tango (dance)” on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tango_%28dance%29 and “Tango music” on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tango_music ) Reseña Histórica The tango dance originated in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires. The music itself originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay. The word tango seems to have first been used in connection with the dance in the 1890s. Initially, the tango was just one of the many dances but soon became popular throughout society as theatres and street barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of European immigrants. In the early twentieth century, dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, traveled to Europe. The tango craze hit Europe and then the United States. The tango hit its first decline in Argentina in the late twenties, rose again in popularity in the 1940, and lost favor again in the 1950s for governmental and economic reasons together with the increasing popularity of rock and roll music. The dance lived on in smaller venues until its revival in 1983 following the opening in Paris of the show Tango Argentino. By the 1990s, the tango had a great following as dancers sought to recover the traditional tango and people everywhere started taking tango lessons. Instrumentos It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, doublebass, and two bandoneones. Earlier forms of this ensemble sometimes included flute, clarinet and guitar. Tango music may be purely instrumental or may include a vocalist. Tango music is well-known across much of the world, along with the associated tango dance. Baile Tango consists of a variety of styles that developed in different regions and eras of Argentina and Uruguay as well as in other locations around the world. The dance developed in response to many cultural elements, such as the crowding of the venue and even the fashions in clothing. The styles are mostly danced in either open embrace, where lead and follow have space between their bodies, or close embrace, where the lead and follow connect either chest-to-chest (Argentine tango) or in the upper thigh, hip area (American and International tango). There are over a dozen different styles of tango. The "milonguero" style is characterized by a very close embrace, small steps, and syncopated rhythmic footwork. It is based on the petitero or caquero style of the crowded downtown clubs of the '50s. In contrast, the tango that originated in the family clubs of the suburban neighborhoods emphasizes long elegant steps, and complex figures. In this case the embrace may be allowed to open briefly, to permit execution of the complicated footwork. The complex figures of this style became the basis for a theatrical performance style of Tango seen in the touring stage shows. For stage purposes, the embrace is often very open, and the complex footwork is augmented with gymnastic lifts, kicks, and drops. A newer style sometimes called "Tango Nuevo" has been popularized in recent years by a younger generation of dancers. The embrace is often quite open and very elastic, permitting the leader to lead a large variety of very complex figures. This style is often associated with those who enjoy dancing to jazz- and techno-tinged "alternative Tango" music, in addition to traditional Tango compositions.
Baile
Carlos Gardel (11 December 1887 /1890 – 24 June 1935 Medellín, Colombia) was perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. Although his birthplace is in doubt, Argentina was his home from childhood, and he acquired Argentine citizenship in 1923. He died in airplane crash at the height of his career, creating the image of a tragic hero throughout Latin America. For many, Gardel embodies the soul of the tango style that sprang from the barrios of Buenos Aires and Montevideo at the end of the 19th Century. He is commonly referred as "Carlitos", "The King of Tango" and ironically "El Mudo" (The Mute). Gardel's baritone voice made miniature masterpieces of his hundreds of three-minute tango recordings. Together with lyricist and long-time collaborator Alfredo Le Pera, Gardel wrote several classic tangos, notably: Mi Buenos Aires querido, Cuesta abajo, Amores de estudiante, Soledad, Volver, El día que me quieras. Gardel began his singing career in bars and at private parties. Gardel created the tango-canción in 1917. Gardel went on to tour through Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, and also appeared in the cities of Barcelona, Madrid (Spain), París (France) and New York. As his popularity grew, he made a number of films. Gardel died in 1935 on an airplane crash in Medellín (Colombia). Millions of his fans throughout went into mourning. Hordes thronged to pay their respects as his body was taken from Colombia through New York and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Gardel's body was laid to rest in La Chacarita Cementery in Buenos Aires. In the neighborhood of Abasto, Buenos Aires, in the house where Gardel lived with his mother, the Carlos Gardel Museum opened in 2003. Gardel is still revered from Tokyo to Buenos Aires. A popular saying in Latin America, which serves as a testimony to his long-lived popularity, claims that "Gardel sings better every day." http://totango.net/ttindex.html, http://www.gardelweb.com/carlos_gardel_biographical_references.htm
