Argentine tango originated in Buenos Aires from the blending of African, Spanish, Italian, and other European musical influences. The tango was first a dance of the lower classes that expressed the alienation of urban life. Though initially considered low class and found in dance academies and bars, the tango grew in popularity with upper classes due to its passion and intensity that transcended class boundaries.

1. ARGENTINE TANGO
By Jennifer Perkins

2. HISTORY
 Possible meanings of “tango”
• May have African roots – “closed place”
• Or could be derived from tanguere – “to touch”
• Simply based on sound of drums – “tan-go”

3. HISTORY
 Buenos Aires was a combination of:
• African, Spanish, Italian, British, Polish, Russian, and Natives
Of COURSE the music and dance would blend too!
 Music became a mixture of:
• Milonga
• Habanera

4. HISTORY
 The tango was first considered to be a dance of the lower class.
“Tango lyrics expressed the alienation of urban life”
-Nouzeilles & Montaldo p. 196
 It could be found in:
• academias – dance academies
• Perigundines – bars/cáfes where waitresses could be hired

5. INSTRUMENTS
Bandoneon

6. ESCUCHA
Listen to El Choclo here. Lyrics included!

7. VE
No sound but older footage of the dance
Sound & Dance – Enjoy!

8. PREGUTA
 Watch this short clip - A Brief History of the Tango
Why do you think the history of this music (the poor, the
brothels, etc.) did not prevent it from catching on with the
upper society and flourishing?

9. REFERENCES
Nouzeilles, Gabriela, and Graciela R. Montaldo. The Argentina Reader:
History, Culture, and Society. Durham: Duke UP, 2002. Print.
 http://www.argentina-tango.com/history.htm
 http://www.edinburghtango.org.uk/tango/Historyoftango.php
 http://www.tejastango.com/tango_history.html
 http://www.tangoconcepts.com/history.html

10. IMAGE CREDITS
 http://tangoinprogress113.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/tango-axis.jpg
 http://www.cb-pr.com/Images/REAFevent/ChristyCoteTangoArgentine.jpeg
 http://www.todotango.com/spanish/las_obras/partitura.aspx?id=24
 http://m5.paperblog.com/i/54/543471/tango-culture-in-buenos-aires-L-23dwFT.jpeg
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Bandoneon-curved.jpg
 http://www.todotango.com/spanish/creadores/images/gEsposito_org.jpg
 http://www.todotango.com/spanish/creadores/images/gEsposito_org.jpg
 http://wilmingtonrestore.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Piano2.22.12.jpg
 http://www.corilon.com/shop_userdata/1/items/thumb3/603_1_1.jpg