Small
wonder that milonga convention dictates
that no couple dances more than a handful
of dances together before moving on to
the next experience. Cold showers are
optional!
Tango's movements
and rhythms were born around 1900 in the
brothels along the River Plate as a
male-dominated under-class of European
immigrants vied for the attention and
favours of the best looking women at a
time when women were rare - and often
raw.
The movements were
refined in the 40s and 50s into the tango
we recognise today by a group of young
tangueros determined to involve women
more equally in the dance. Many of the
steps and moves have names and
variations and combinations abound.
The Tango rhythms
were crystallised from the contredanza,
candombe, fandango, habanera, and milonga
by the Orquestas Typicas Creole of
Maglio, Greco, Arolas, Victor (Nino Bien,
El Portenito, Ventarron, Adios Buenos
Aires), Carabelli (Felicia, Mi Refugio,
El Cabure, Cuatro Palabras) , Lomuto, and
Firpo and began to find their way out of
Argentina to Paris and other capital
cities of the world.
The traditional
Tango line was taken into the so-called
Golden Age by the bands of De Caro (El
Monito, Colombina, Derecho Vieja, Boedo),
Fresedo (Tigre Viejo, Poliya, Pimienta,
Arabelero), Aieta, Filiberto, Lomuto, and
Canaro (Viento en Popa, Don Esteban,
Champagne Tango).
The Golden Age
spawned sung Tangos from bands led by
Fresedo, Cobian, Canaro, Tanturi, Demare,
De Caro, Maffia, Di Sarli, De Angelis,
Vardaro, Troilo, Pugliese, and Calo. This
was when Carlos Gardel became the voice
of Tango and a movie star. Even now,
years after his death, portenos still
ensure that the statue on his grave has
an ever-burning cigar or cigarette.
In the 40s a group
of dancers, led by Petroleo, reconfigured
the dance moves to work better with the
new rhythms of d'Arienzo and Biagi and
include the woman as more of an equal;
transforming the former vice-like grip
and finger-pressure leads into the
invitational leads that make up the body
language of modern tango. Mingo Pugliese
is the last surviving teacher from this
group.
Milongas were
driven underground and tango venues went
bankrupt in the mid 50s when assemblies
of more than a few people were banned for
decades by military juntas and, of
course, Rock and Roll took its toll of
Argentina's youth.
Piazzola, Rovira,
Salgan, and Stampone incorporated jazz
themes to develop avant-garde Tango. The
style lacks the strong rhythmic beat of
earlier tango leading some to question
whether or not it really is Tango.
Dancers found that incorporating
contemporary styles of movement and
improving their body control allowed them
to exploit the pauses and rhythm changes.
Some still refuse to accept this style as
tango.
In the late 70s,
political change created the environment
for a revival of Tango led by stage shows
such as Tango Argentino, Forever Tango,
and others focused on dancers such as
Miguel Angel Zotto, Milena Plebs, Osvaldo
Zotto, Gustavo Russo, and Alejandra
Mantinan. These, and the movies
"Naked Tango" and - even more -
"The Tango Lesson" with Pablo
Varon, Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas,
took the Argentine Tango message back
around the world, often finding it alive
and well, if subdued or dormant.
At the beginning
of the 21st century, Tango thrives
world-wide, although a fatal fire in a
Buenos Aires night club in 2004 closed
many of the milongas, some for a while,
many forever.
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