Buenos Aires (Argentina) was founded by a Spanish expedition in 1536, then
again in 1580. Immigration brought many French, Spanish and Italians to
Buenos Aires as Buenos Aires went on to become a major city. In 1816 the
Waltz was introduced to Argentina, then came the Polka, Mazurka and
Schottische.
---- Spanish and Cuban rhythms mixed and the Habanera was born. The habanera came from Havana, Cubaand made its way thru Andalusa, Spain to Argentina in the early 19th century. The Habanera, Andalusan and the Polka rhythms merged with a splice of Indian rhythms (3/8, 5/8, 6/8 ,9/8 ) played a part in the Argentine dance known as the "Milonga." The Andalusan Women would originally dance this dance with each other, usually as a solo dance.
----The Milonga originated as a song with a lively tempo.The tempo was quieted down and dance steps were added to it, making the Milonga the first known tango (but not yet named as such) and was very popular by mid 1840s. (Milonga's can be quite fast in tempo and are very popular today.) The name Tango came to be used around 1860 or 1870, (but didn't really gain world wide notice till about 1900.)
---- There have been writings of the African-Argentines adding some movement to the Milonga (Mondonga Tango), however it is reported that they did this dance separately and not couple-up (similar to the Andalusans) while the compaditos who danced with them brought this tango back to town and started adding it to their Milongas and the two dances merged. These African-Argentines called the dance the Tango (most likely, the general public through those magazine/ newspaper writings of the time confused the Habanera with the Tango and with all the bad press of the time linked to these dances, started calling all versions "the tango.")-
---- Nobody really knows what the word "tango" means but some suggest it to mean: a "closed place" or
"reserved ground." Or it may be from the Portuguese word tangere (to touch!) There are also cities in Angola and Mali (Africa) named Tango!. Some say it is just the sound of the drum emitting tan-go! sound ... so wherever the word comes from, the tango was here to stay.
----- The main musical instruments used were the Bandoneon and Guitar. The bandoneon was introduced to Argentina in the late 19th century from Germany and the guitar came from Spain. By the 1920's the tango (Argentine) was the only version left standing in Buenos Aires. -------
---- The Castles are said to have introduced the Tango as a ballroom dance here in the United States, however it was most likely Maurice Mouvet with his "Tango American" or FRANCES DEMAREST AND JOSEPH C. SMITH. Although Charles Durang had written about the Tango as far back as 1857 predating both. The Violent Knee-dipping and strenuous body-twisting that were originally associated with the American Tango were eventually removed. Rudolph Valentino would later confuse the public even more with his Apache version of the dance. (It has been reported, many times that Rudy, never knew the dance, only the Apache.)
--- The dancing public followed Mouvet and the Castles in their invention of dances and innovations, and they made a few, but the Tango was not one of them, THEY ONLY ADDED VARIATIONS TO THE DANCE. Many variations of tangos have come and gone such as the Yale Tango (American), Newman Tango, Bresilien Tango, Castle's Open Tango, Maurice Tango, French Tango, Tango American, La Rumba and many more. These are basically just different styles or moves of the tango done by a performer trying to gain fame in their dansants and Teas as an innovator.
---- When the tango hit Paris (1912) It became all the rage throughout the world!. In Paris, a Parisian dance Instructor named Robert, was said to have standardized the French version. Another offshoot of the tango which had alot of popularity in the early 1900's in France and the U.S. was the Apache dance which many people unmistakably called the Tango! Argentine Tango can still be danced at a few night clubs around town in the States and is still danced heavily in Buenos Aires today.
--- The American and International Style tango (ballroom versions) has some similarities to the original but are very few and are a very subdued OR modified version of the original Argentine Tango!. This probably stems from the Ragtime era and the Apache and One Step (or Castle Walk) merging and bastardizing the dance.
--- Many people confused the One Step dance, AS many dance teachers, trying to cash in on the market, and not knowing the real (Argentine) tango, used the One Step as a base, just like the Castles (probably because of the Gaucho Walk in Tango.) Most of the teachers back then thought of the original tango as a certain way to walk, as most dances back then were basic walking dances. They would describe the real Tango Step as; "the brushing or sweeping of the toe to the floor, which occurs in all figures of the Tango."
--- The ridiculous looking Head Snaps one sees in "Today's ballroom dance versions" is a play on the history of the Gaucho (Cowboy) and his partner (they didn't smell to well), thus portraying getting a whiff and quickly turning the head away!, these Head Snaps were in Durang's description of the tango in 1857. The Ballroom Tango (today) along with East Coast Swing and Jive were bastardized versions of their originals, However, they were sold to the public as the real thing... enmasse!.
Note: in 1925 Mr. Scott Atkinson and Dorothy Cole won the "World Tango Championships."
Historic Basic Step:
From: to Argentine Tango-1914 Book (USA Version) Excerpted from J.S. Hopkins.
(this is not the same Argentine tango done today)
Step One:
(Gentleman walking backwards, commencing with left foot, lady forward, with right.)
Seven steps counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, the eighth step or count being called the Change Weight Step.
Step on right foot, count 8, and change weight and step on left foot.
Counterpart for lady.
During counts 7 and 8 gentleman turns to right of partner and faces forward, retaining original position, this
bringing the arms in rear. At the start of the turn in the Tango.
Step Two:
Both lady and gentleman walk forward, lady with left foot, gentleman with right in the same line of direction.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Change step. Gentleman steps on left, count and change weight and step on right. Count 8.
Counterpart for lady.
During counts 7, 8, the lady changes to opposite side of partner, turning around in front, bringing outstretched
arms in front.
Step Three:
Both point outside foot in front, 1. Transfer weight to foot pointed, 2. Step forward with inside foot, 3. Both
step forward with outside foot, count and close the inside foot to meet outside, 4. Repeat the preceding four
counts, 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Step Four:
Both walk forward with outside foot, 1. Forward inside foot, 2 (leaving outside foot pointed in rear). Make
outward circle and with outside foot bring to front, 3, 4. Do not change weight. Repeat these four steps.
Step Five:
Both lady and gentleman turn in opposite direction and step across the inside foot with the outside foot,
walk three steps, 1, 2, 3. Both point the inside foot to side, and while doing so pull outside foot toward it,
but do not close. At same time turn body to opposite direction, count 4. With outside foot or pointed one
walk across outside one three steps, 1, 2, 3, taking same movement as before, on 4, turning to position,
count 4.
Step Six:
This step is a repetition of Step Five, so it will not be necessary to describe it, only to say that instead of
stepping across with outside foot, you step with inside foot across, just reversing the movement. Both of
these steps take four measures of music to complete. On last counts of 3 and 4, do not turn body in
opposite direction.
Step Seven:
Both walk forward with outside foot in line of direction, 1, 2. Gentleman steps around in front on opposite
side of partner with outside foot, changing from left to right side, count 3. Lady steps forward but does not
turn. Both forward, for count 4. Repeat. Counts 1, 2, on 3 lady turns around partner, back to original position.
Step Eight:
This step is a repetition of Step Seven, which completes dance. In taking turns around partner,
do not disengage hands. You will find this a most effective step. Step Descriptions from Albert Newman's Book in 1913 (paraphrased):
This is perhaps the most difficult Tango, and consists of the thirteen steps described here, the Spanish and French names being given. These steps are executed in the order that pleases the gentleman, repeating each as often as he wishes:
(1) El Paseo (la promenade), (2) El Marcha (la marche), (3) El Media Corte (le demi coupé), (4) El Corte (le coupé), (5) La Media Luna (la demi-une), (6) El Chassé (la chassé), (7) El Cruzado (les croises), (8) El Ocho- Argentino (le huit argentin), (9) El Rueda (la roue), (10) El Frottado (le frotté), (11) El Abanico (léventail), (12) El Molinette (le moulinet), (13) El Vigne.
El Paseo is a slow walk, consisting of one step to each measure.
El Marcha is a walk taking two steps to one measure or a step to each beat. El Paseo and El Marcha are often performed together.
El Media Corte and El Corte are stop steps and closely related. El Corte is described in the Parisienne Tango.
La Media Luna is a combination of the first two beats of Media Corte for the man and the last two beats for the lady.
El Chas is a step forward on inside foot (1), and a Two-Step (2) (x) and a step forward on outside foot (3). The rhythm is rather puzzling, but should not confuse the pupil. This step is repeated.
El Cruzado is the Scissors Step (Las Tijeras or Le Ciseaux); it is similar to a Pas de Bourrée. There is a one-step Cruzado and a three-step.
El Ocho Argentino (the argentine eight) is also called a Cross Step.
El Rueda (the wheel).
El Frottado, literally rubbing or polishing, is so named from the similarity of the step to the action of polishing the floor.
El Abanico (the fan) is very similar to the Ocho Argentino.
El Molinette (the mill).
La Vigne (the grape vine) crossing one foot over the other.
He goes on to state: "Argentine Tango is more intended for professional use and can hardly be found practical for the ballroom"
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3tango1.htm
http://www.surdelsur.com/musica/tango/indexing.htm
Undoubtedly, tango holds a privileged position in the representation of the Argentine abroad. While, basically, it is known as a dance and a music which can be sung, tango also contains a particular language (lunfardo), certain usages and customs, and even a characteristic philosophy identifying tango people.
At an international level, in order to distinguish it from so many other forms that appear in dance halls, it is known as Argentine tango.
It was this which gave rise to all the other forms.
The birth of tango took place towards mid-19th century, with the formation of dwelling conglomerates around the young city of Buenos Aires. Those who lived there, peasants from inland, European immigrants and some disadvantaged porteños (born in Buenos Aires) made up a new social class. Perhaps as a way of identifying themselves as a group and of feeling they belonged in their new home, they began to create cultural expressions derived from this mixture. This was the start of tango, characterized by its extremely closed codes, which were only accessible to the working classes.
Due to this impossibility of understanding by other audiences, the diffusion of tango was difficult and was basically approached through dance, which was earlier than tango itself in its most characteristic musical format (let alone sung tango, which arrived much later). It is clear that tango culture, understood as some particular usages and customs, is earlier than tango as an artistic expression. Salon dances involving a man and a woman embracing were the precedent for tango, which was refined until it became what has long been known as tango. Somebody said: -Tango is something else than a soft wave turned into music, it is the deepest dance in the world -, and he who spoke these words was not Argentine. The truth is that it must be acknowledged that it represents the last step in the universal dance evolution as regards dances of mixed couples.
What started with dance was eventually coming of age in the expert hands of great men, who, inspired in the popular melting pot, captured the richest part of the Buenos Aires culture in their compositions. Themes always refer to the ordinary man and his problems, the city and memories. Thus, tango becomes a portrayal of Buenos Aires and its people. For this reason, undoubtedly, since the best of the Buenos Aires culture is carried in each song, tango gained ground abroad
Taking the risk of making serious omissions, it can be said that among the tangos of widest renown are: La cumparsita, El choclo, El entrerriano,
Quejas de bandoneón, A fuego lento, La yumba, Uno, Milongueando en el '40, Danzarín, Verano porteño, Adiós nonino , etc.
As regards musicians, it is worth mentioning: Armando Pontier, Osvaldo Pugliese, Aníbal Troilo, Julio de Caro, Horacio Salgán, Mariano Mores, Astor Piazzolla and many others.
Among the most outstanding lyricists: Homero Manzi, Alfredo Le Pera, Celedonio Flores, Homero Expósito, Horacio Ferrer, Cátulo Castillo and Pascual Contursi, from a long list.
And, when it comes to singers, it is impossible to omit
the greatest one
of all times:Carlos Gardel,
who became the prototypical figure of the porteño, beyond his voice or his way of performing tango.
Furthermore, among the singers are: Edmundo Rivero, Angel Vargas, Alberto Castillo, Hugo del Carril, Roberto Goyeneche and Alberto Marino, aside from female voices such as Azucena Maizani, Libertad Lamarque, Nelly Omar, Alba Solís and María Graña.
As it was already noted, tango is much more than music and it is thus impossible to leave aside dance. Among the best dancers it is worth including: Benito Bianquet, Casimiro Ain and Tito Lusiardo, as regards the older generations; and among the contemporaries: Juan Carlos Copes and María Nieves, Nélida and Nelson, Gloria and Eduardo, Mayoral and Elsa María, Virulazo and Elvira, María and Carlos Rivarola and the Dinzels. All of them were members of the original cast of Tango argentino, which was a great success in Broadway. Created and directed by Claudio Segobia and Hector Orezzoli, this show was one of the most recent relevant events within the genre, which is nothing more than the evidence that, for the last ten years, tango reached an important position in the international artistic panorama, such as it deserved.
http://totango.net/sergio.html
We have to remember that during the early part of the nineteenth century social dancing was done standing opposite to each other. These types of dances were generically called "Contradanza" . The progression of the dancers was somewhat lineal around the dancing floor. The contact among the partners was limited to touching the hands at certain moments. There were also "Round dances" in which there was a circular movement.
Minue (mee-nueh with accent in the final eh) was a very popular social dance during colonial times in Argentina. The habanera one of Tango's ancestors is also a contradanza.
The word 'Contradanza' might have originated from English Country Dance transformed into the French Contredanse and the Italian Contradanza. Mozart and Beethoven wrote Kontretanze. The Viennese Waltz and the Quadrille drove the contradanza out of the ballrooms.
The Viennese Waltz was the world's first popular dance to use the actual closed hold, the Polka was the second dance in Europe to use this scandalous new hold. European society had an ambivalent feeling about this somewhat immoral way of dancing which was taken with them as they moved to Argentina.
It was, if I remember correctly, that around 1850 when the Opera of Paris going through bad economical times it's director had the audacious idea of including V.Waltz in some of the performances on a trial basis. It was a great success, the curious public filled the theater again. Paris being the center of arts and refinement slowly made this dancing in 'Close hold' acceptable to the rest of the world.
It is then in this historical context that we have to judge the situation of tango at its beginnings and during the period 1880-1910 and the reason men had to dance with each other.
Viennese Waltz was the first social dance that used a "close hold" . This is the way we dance today...we think of it as the most logical hold for a couple to dance... but at the beginning ...during the second part of the 19th.century this proximity of the bodies in public was considered to be scandalous. It took many years for people slowly accepting it.
We arrive now at the period in which tango originated before or around 1880. The periphery of Buenos Aires, bars, gambling houses, brothels... lonely men spend time socializing, drinking, gambling, looking for some 'romance' in the company of women of ill repute, trying the steps of the new dance...the milonga and the tango. We can imagine that in those places, under those circumstances every experimentation as to dancing steps was possible irrelevant of good, bad taste, lewdness or even obscenity.
Remember that at the time just to dance in front of each other the right arm of the man touching the back of the lady was a little too much... now here we have a dance in which there is a close embrace, cheek to cheek, chests together, the legs invading each other's space, in a long conversation of love and passion, with amagues, hooks, flirtatious looks and caresses ...the writing of a prologue to a love story that was soon to follow.
The original lyrics frequently were references to sex and obscenities. As tango became socially acceptable the dance and lyrics were later depurated or totally changed. Some elements of them still are present although they lost the original meaning. The name of a most famous tango, for instance "El Choclo" (corncob) initially was a phallic reference.
Decent families and women of good reputation did not want any part of it the women a the brothels had to be paid...so if a man wanted to practice the new dance his only possibility was.. another man. Groups of men would get together to practice, improvise and innovate, creating new moves and new steps this approach allowed a rapid development of this dance.
To be a good dancer was (still is) a sure way of attracting the ladies' attention... men practiced among themselves so that they could surprise, and attract the admiration of other men and women. ...So, dancing among men had nothing to do with homosexuality.
The next scenario was "el patio de los conventillos" (Boarding house common areas). These conventillos housed thousands of poor immigrants from all over Europe (mostly Italy and Spain) and some from the Argentinean interior. They were long, open areas, bordered at both sides by rooms and kitchens; every so often there was a shared bathroom.
Tango took many years to spread to these boarding houses because their inhabitants were in general, decent people that did not want their families to be exposed to that sinful music and dance. Saturday nights and Sundays were used to celebrate weddings, birthdays, baptisms and other holidays. It was at these occasions that little by little somebody would ask for the musicians to play a tango and later on somebody would dance one, purified of the sinful moves such as "cortes y quebradas" - a simplified variety that was initially tolerated with disgust, but later on, anxiously expected.
It took even longer to get to the houses of the mid- and high-class families. Boys of those families took to the habit of going to the suburbs looking for emotions and adventure. They returned home excited by their lecherous experiences.
They started teaching their sisters, neighbor girls, and other female members of the large Argentinean family, such as cousins and aunts, this most unusual new dance. They were taught the "purified version" as well.
If one considers that Saborido sold about one hundred thousand samples of his tango 'Yo soy la morocha' (I am the brunette) in the few first months of 1906, one could deduce that tango was executed fairly frequently, including by family girls, who inserted its beats between the Blue Danube vals and Fur Elise.
The singer Flora Rodriguez took 'La Morocha' to recordings a little later. To cylinder first, then disk and also to perforated paper rolls for 'pianolas' (pianos that play by themselves, by activating two pedals). The lyrics of 'La morocha' are innocent enough to be readily accepted. This way, tango slowly spread from the periphery to the interior of the Argentinean home.
Nonetheless, tango was still generally a shameful, sinful element to be dealt with in secret. Politicians of both right and left condemned it; for they did not want this new nation to be associated with such a 'prostibularian' dance. How was it then that tango reached Europe? This is another story ...
Tango was born in the periphery of the city, bars, cafes, brothels; from there it moved inside the city to Dancing Houses. The next step was the patios (yards) of conventillos (boarding houses) and finally inside the Middle and High Class Argentinean Home. Tango was still a pariah, the bastard son of pimps and women of ill reputation, dressed like a poor compadrito.
The next stop of this pilgrimage is Europe.
Argentina developed very fast between 1880 and 1930. The whole city of Buenos Aires was rebuilt during this period. The old colonial Spanish city, with one story buildings and narrow streets, was replaced by a metropolis of wide avenues and beautiful parks and buildings of French and Italian architecture
The country became one of the 10 richest nations in the world, a position it maintained until the early 50's; when paralysis and the decline of the economy began ... a situation that was to last for the next 30 years (until 1985 when the Global economy decided that this country was an "an emergent market").
During that period of fast development the very rich had the habit of going to Europe at least once a year. They had big homes in Paris or London. Their parties were regularly attended by the nobility, the famous and the very rich. The French coined the phrase "he is as rich as an Argentinean" to mean extremely rich. The sons of those people remained in Europe to study. It was they that introduced Argentine Tango to the Parisian nobility. Tango became the craze of the time right away.
Everybody started giving parties with Argentinean orchestras, tango lessons and milongas. Women's fashion had to change to adjust to the moves of tango. The very bulky dresses were replaced by lighter, looser ones. A famous fashion designer had a fair amount of material of orange color that he could not sell. He decided to name the material's color "Orange Tango"; he ran out of the cloth right away and had to order more. Tango became the dance of the moment; from Paris, rapidly migrated to the other big capitals, London, Rome, Berlin, and finally New York.
Next tango returns to Buenos Aires, dressed in a tuxedo, where it is received as the most beloved son. What a change!
Etymology Tango
Milonga, according to Jose Gobelo (founder of Academia del lunfardo, considered to be an authority when it comes to Tango subjects), states that it is a word of the African Language "Quimbunda", plural of 'Mulonga'. Mulonga in that language means, "word", Milonga means words, the words of the Payadores. In 1872 when Jose Hernandez published his most famous book "Martin Fierro" (describes in verse the life of a gaucho); the word Milonga had already acquired the meaning of gathering where one can dance. A decade later, 1883, Ventura Lynch wrote: "In the periphery of the city the Milonga is so generalized that is danced in all the gatherings, it can be heard played by guitars, accordions, comb and paper, or played by street musicians with flute, harp and violin". It is also danced in the low-class casinos around the markets of 11 de Septiembre and Constitucion, other dances and funerals".
Today, Milonga has several meanings: a music, a dance, the place or gathering where one dances and also the original meaning (many words, or long story), such as in "no me vengas ahora con esa milonga", (do not start now with all that jazz).
Tango, there is no agreement as to the etymology of this word. When it comes to the pre-history of tango everything is covered by a dense fog.
The word tango appeared much earlier than the dance. It first appeared outside Argentina, in one of the Canary Islands (Isla de Hierro) and in other parts of America with the meaning of "gathering of blacks to dance to drum music, also the name the Africans gave the drum itself". The dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy of Letters, 1899 edition, defines Tango as "Fiesta and dance of Negroes or "gente del pueblo" (those that belong to lower socio-economical class), in America"; also a second meaning: " Music for that dance". Here one has to remember that to the Spanish world, America is the whole continent not just the USA, in this case it refers to the Spanish part of America, excluding USA and Canada.
Here the dictionary gives the doubtful etymology of Latin 'tangir' (to play instruments). Latin ego tango = I play. It is only natural to try to find a Latin origin to the word although this etymological line, obviously is not related to the Argentinean meaning. The 1914 edition gives the etymology tangir or tangere " to play or to touch". Later editions removed that etymological reference.
The music historian Carlos Vega explains that in Mexico, existed a dance called tango in the XVIII century. This dance was done individually or apart, not as a couple. Archives of the Holy Inquisition in Mexico make reference to the "ancient tango" in 1803. A mexican song.
The Dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy, edition 1925 defines Tango as before, but without the latin etymology and added: "Dance of high society imported from America at the beginning of this century". Once more Tango traveled all the way from 'low-class' to high-class'. It includes two more meanings; "music for this dance" and also "Drum of Honduras". It is only in the 1984 edition that tango is defined as an Argentinean dance.
*It seems that the African origin of the word Tango is accepted by they largest number of erudite investigators. Ricardo Rodriguez, reviewed the languages spoken by the slaves brought to Argentina. Tribes from Congo, the Gulf of Guinea and Southern Sudan. Tango means, "closed space", "circle", " any private space to which one must ask permission to enter". The slave traders called Tango the places where black slaves where kept, in Africa as well as in America. The place where slaves where sold also received that name. We could discuss this in more detail but ... I am afraid to bore you with so much detail.
In summary the most probable origin of the word tango is: closed space where negroes gather to dance, later on the dance itself.
Lunfardo
The same way as lawyers, doctors, physicists, chemists, etc. have their peculiar language and terminology, thieves needed a language that was cryptic, secretive enough to speak among themselves and at the same time was unintelligible for the police or the possible victim of their actions. A language to be used in prison that could not be understood by the guards.
This originated terms and expressions that formed a new language, that of thieves and jail inmates. The secret tongue of "lunfardos", term used by thieves to refer to themselves. In this way watch became "bobo" (dumb- stupid) due to two characteristics, it is very easy to steal and it works all day long non-stop. Lunfardo is rich in Italian dialectal terms and also French words.
The first manifestations of this language appeared in Buenos Aires around 1880 ( police and newspapers archives).
This new terminology invaded the familiar language of the conventillos dwellers and very slowly the language of men (it was not used at home or by women), finally became something characteristic of being PorteÒo and Argentine. It was spread by theater in its "Sainetes", a peculiar genre that depicts life in conventillos; it was used by poets; but the greatest means of diffusion was not literature but its use in Tango Lyrics.
GREAT TANGO TRAGEDIES
1. "European musicians invent European or International Tango because they must be hard of hearing and rhythmically challenged so couldn't replicate what fellow Europeans loved about Argentine Tango (1912 -present). Enter Ballroom Tango and surely some stiff necks/sore backs. Good for sales of mirrors and dance teachers with questionable depth of sensual feelings/searching intelligence/conviction and communication skills with people outside their native culture. (No offense intended)! 2. Every Argentine musician wants to be like the startlingly creative and wonderful maestro Astor Piazzolla (post 1950). None are - but they churn out recordings and performance tours we're still trying to recover from. Most of the world doesn't have a clue what Argentine Tango is or like what they think it is. Piazzolla wanna-be musicians must share much of the blame. 3.RCA Records manager (a Columbian), Ricardo Mejía purposely sets fire to it's huge archive of Master recordings from three decades of many musicians, including Troilo, Di Sarli, et.al (1950). Effects of never again being able to access the Masters of hundreds of important recordings and masterpieces will last forever. (Fortunately, the above-named artists left the label right away and we have their next recordings in fine shape). A modern day auditory equivalent to one of the three burnings of the parchments at the great library in Alexandria. All recordings (CD's) from that era originally issued on RCA are copies of copies of copies of scratchy records type-thing. Of course, we love the music for all that. 4. Military coup d'état imposes evening curfew for years and generally takes the fun out of life in Argentina (1955-84). (This is an admitedly simplistic statement). If indeed where there is smoke there is fire, many of the top generals did want to kill Tango after Perón. They made a pretty good job of trying. 5. Juan Perón administration curry's favor with Argentine population by promoting isolationism (long-term negative economic effects. 6. Recording engineers fall in love with too much reverb and processing (1970 - present). This world-wide power-trip by technicians remains a great danger to the music-loving public and musicians' careers. 7. Gifted Argentine Tango show dancers teach and preach their stage-craft way and forget to replicate fun social dancing ... though that's what it's all about for the average person (1955 - 95). Substantial negative effects recently being largely being overcome by wonderful PorteÒo dancers or teachers who are making their mark. 8. Amazing numbers of ill-informed people are not able to "hear" the Bandoneon, let alone pronounce it's name. A reluctance to notice how incredible the music really is follows their knee-jerk response to first impressions, however understandable. 9. Although "knowing" it Takes Two to Tango, many men get caught up in themselves as - whatever - when dancing and take the fun away for women
The cafe 'La Giralda' in Montevideo, Uruguay, occupies a special place in Tango history. It was there in the year 1917 that a young Gerardo Matos Rodriguez gave (anonymously) the music score of a tango he had written to the orchestra of Roberto Firpo to play for the first time.
Gerardo was then an adolescent (17 years old) who was barely making it as a student in the faculty of Architecture in Montevideo. Was it modesty? shyness? fear of ridicule? who knows why he wanted to remain anonymous? Firpo only knew that the name of the young composer was Gerardo. It was only later that the full identity of the author was known. He was young, educated, well mannered and sensible. He was also a bit naive. He sold for 20 pesos his rights of authorship to the Breyer publishing house. After some moderate success the composition was forgotten.
Seven years later, in 1924, Gerardo was living in Paris and he met Francisco Canaro who had just arrived with his orchestra. That's when he found out that La Cumparsita was a major hit. The tango lyricists Enrique Maroni and Pascual Contursi had added words to the tango and renamed it 'Si Supieras'--If you knew. All of Buenos Aires was hearing, dancing, and demanding to buy the score for the tango that was seemingly everywhere in shows, recordings, and broadcasts. Shortly after, La Cumparsita arrived in Paris where, in the full grip of the roaring 20's, people danced charlestons, shimmys, one-steps, bostons, and when the crowd asked for a tango, they danced La Cumparsita.
From Paris La Cumparsita spread to the four corners of the world and has since and forever after become synonymous with Tango.
Gerardo Matos Rodriguez spent the next 20 years in and out of court trying to regain his rights as author of the most famous tango in the world. The first trial was between the composer and the Breyer and Ricordi publishing houses --Breyer had sold the piece to Ricordi. After a long battle, Ricordi agreed to pay royalties to the author. The second lawsuit was against Maroni and Contursi. They had added lyrics to the tune without permission. Gerardo won on the basis that he had surrendered his right to the music while being a minor. A legal loophole, but the law is the law.
In 1942, a third lawsuit was established to discontinue from sale the recording made by Carlos Gardel. This of course engendered a fourth lawsuit - this time by Maroni and Contursi's widows, for damages and seeking their rights as authors of the lyrics. The lawsuits finally came to an end thanks to the arbitrage of the legendary Tango composer and band leader Francisco Canaro who, as president of SADAIC (Argentine Society of Authors and Composers), was asked by the litigants to resolve the argument.
On September 10th, 1948, Canaro issued a legally binding document with 8 points ... the most significant of which were the first three which stated that henceforth, the heirs of both Contursi and Maroni would receive 20% of all royalties due through the execution rights. The second point said that royalties for recordings and movies would be divided according to SADAIC rules except when only the music was played in which case the 20% rule would apply. The third point states that any new printing of the sheet music would include both sets of lyrics and no others. The other points had to do with the trial costs, royalties received up to the start of the lawsuit, that SADAIC would be in charge of collecting royalties, a one time payment of 5,000 pesos to Jose Razzano (of Gardel-Razzano fame) for damages due to the lawsuit, and an stipulation that the 20% royalties would be divided in equal shares amongst the heirs of Contursi and Maroni. And with that, La Cumparsita made it out of the courthouse.
There are quite a few tangos that have different lyrics set to the same music. In some instances it was due to the ribald nature of the original lyrics that necessitated a change once the tango left the bordello. In the case of La Cumparsita, it was its popularity. "La cumparsa/de miserias sin fin/ desfila/en torno de aquel ser/enfermo/que pronto ha de morir/de pena/por eso es que en su lecho/solloza acongojado/recordando el pasado/que lo hace padecer" --the original lyrics written by Gerardo, have nothing to do with the "Si supieras/que aun dentro de mi alma/conservo aquel cari~no/que tuve para ti.../ Quien sabe si supieras/que nunca te he olvidado/volviendo a tu pasado/te acordaras de mi..." of Maroni and Contursi (you can hear the original lyrics in the El Bandoneon CD of Angel D'Agostino and Angel Vargas. Maroni's and Contursi's are everywhere else.) And there are French versions, American versions, and several other languages. Needless to say, to hear "Tantalizing/your mask is only/half disquising/I have no trouble recognizing/your features which I'm idolizing" --The Masked One, lyrics by Olga Paul-- is rather amusing if not down right hilarious.
Given that the author of La Cumparsita (at the time) was just an amateur pianist, the technical merits of the melody have always being questioned.
Gerardo had only composed the first two parts. Moreover, the first part lacks a clear beat. Firpo himself had to add a third part and the harmony to the first. Yet, the composition acquired such a monumental following that those who critize it do so at their own peril. Julio De Caro played it smart. He said of it, "[It's] a flag that transcended frontiers in the whole world, going forth thru its golden door to erect itself as one of the symbols of our music-dance."
Astor Piazzolla was much more candid, "Its the most frighteningly poor thing in this world (speaking of the D-C-A-F rhythm.) Nevertheless, if you add a bass note to enrich it and pour on top of it the melody, you can create a counterpoint that raises the conventional melody. It is like an ugly person that dresses nicely, it improves his looks. That's how La Cumparsita is improved. With good clothes."
One last thing to note is that the most celebrated tango in history was first recorded as a "B" side. One of the most popular orchestras from 1917 was the Alonso-Minotto orchestra which was signed up by the Victor recording house to produce a series of records. Now, the deal called for pairs of tangos, one for each side of the record. As it turns out, they were missing one, so someone suggested La Cumparsita as a "filler." And so, Alberto Alonso at the piano, Minotto Di Cicco, bandoneon, Juan Trocoli and Juan Jose Castellano, violins, recorded themselves into history. Of course, like everything else about tango, there is disagreement on this. There are other sources that contend that Roberto Firpo was the one who first recorded it. Indeed, in the CD "La Cumparsita, veinte veces inmortal" credit is given to Firpo as being the first. In any case Minotto and Firpo seem to have collaborated in the arrangement that eventually was recorded.
---- Spanish and Cuban rhythms mixed and the Habanera was born. The habanera came from Havana, Cubaand made its way thru Andalusa, Spain to Argentina in the early 19th century. The Habanera, Andalusan and the Polka rhythms merged with a splice of Indian rhythms (3/8, 5/8, 6/8 ,9/8 ) played a part in the Argentine dance known as the "Milonga." The Andalusan Women would originally dance this dance with each other, usually as a solo dance.
----The Milonga originated as a song with a lively tempo.The tempo was quieted down and dance steps were added to it, making the Milonga the first known tango (but not yet named as such) and was very popular by mid 1840s. (Milonga's can be quite fast in tempo and are very popular today.) The name Tango came to be used around 1860 or 1870, (but didn't really gain world wide notice till about 1900.)
---- There have been writings of the African-Argentines adding some movement to the Milonga (Mondonga Tango), however it is reported that they did this dance separately and not couple-up (similar to the Andalusans) while the compaditos who danced with them brought this tango back to town and started adding it to their Milongas and the two dances merged. These African-Argentines called the dance the Tango (most likely, the general public through those magazine/ newspaper writings of the time confused the Habanera with the Tango and with all the bad press of the time linked to these dances, started calling all versions "the tango.")-
---- Nobody really knows what the word "tango" means but some suggest it to mean: a "closed place" or
"reserved ground." Or it may be from the Portuguese word tangere (to touch!) There are also cities in Angola and Mali (Africa) named Tango!. Some say it is just the sound of the drum emitting tan-go! sound ... so wherever the word comes from, the tango was here to stay.
----- The main musical instruments used were the Bandoneon and Guitar. The bandoneon was introduced to Argentina in the late 19th century from Germany and the guitar came from Spain. By the 1920's the tango (Argentine) was the only version left standing in Buenos Aires. -------
---- The Castles are said to have introduced the Tango as a ballroom dance here in the United States, however it was most likely Maurice Mouvet with his "Tango American" or FRANCES DEMAREST AND JOSEPH C. SMITH. Although Charles Durang had written about the Tango as far back as 1857 predating both. The Violent Knee-dipping and strenuous body-twisting that were originally associated with the American Tango were eventually removed. Rudolph Valentino would later confuse the public even more with his Apache version of the dance. (It has been reported, many times that Rudy, never knew the dance, only the Apache.)
--- The dancing public followed Mouvet and the Castles in their invention of dances and innovations, and they made a few, but the Tango was not one of them, THEY ONLY ADDED VARIATIONS TO THE DANCE. Many variations of tangos have come and gone such as the Yale Tango (American), Newman Tango, Bresilien Tango, Castle's Open Tango, Maurice Tango, French Tango, Tango American, La Rumba and many more. These are basically just different styles or moves of the tango done by a performer trying to gain fame in their dansants and Teas as an innovator.
---- When the tango hit Paris (1912) It became all the rage throughout the world!. In Paris, a Parisian dance Instructor named Robert, was said to have standardized the French version. Another offshoot of the tango which had alot of popularity in the early 1900's in France and the U.S. was the Apache dance which many people unmistakably called the Tango! Argentine Tango can still be danced at a few night clubs around town in the States and is still danced heavily in Buenos Aires today.
--- The American and International Style tango (ballroom versions) has some similarities to the original but are very few and are a very subdued OR modified version of the original Argentine Tango!. This probably stems from the Ragtime era and the Apache and One Step (or Castle Walk) merging and bastardizing the dance.
--- Many people confused the One Step dance, AS many dance teachers, trying to cash in on the market, and not knowing the real (Argentine) tango, used the One Step as a base, just like the Castles (probably because of the Gaucho Walk in Tango.) Most of the teachers back then thought of the original tango as a certain way to walk, as most dances back then were basic walking dances. They would describe the real Tango Step as; "the brushing or sweeping of the toe to the floor, which occurs in all figures of the Tango."
--- The ridiculous looking Head Snaps one sees in "Today's ballroom dance versions" is a play on the history of the Gaucho (Cowboy) and his partner (they didn't smell to well), thus portraying getting a whiff and quickly turning the head away!, these Head Snaps were in Durang's description of the tango in 1857. The Ballroom Tango (today) along with East Coast Swing and Jive were bastardized versions of their originals, However, they were sold to the public as the real thing... enmasse!.
Note: in 1925 Mr. Scott Atkinson and Dorothy Cole won the "World Tango Championships."
Historic Basic Step:
From: to Argentine Tango-1914 Book (USA Version) Excerpted from J.S. Hopkins.
(this is not the same Argentine tango done today)
Step One:
(Gentleman walking backwards, commencing with left foot, lady forward, with right.)
Seven steps counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, the eighth step or count being called the Change Weight Step.
Step on right foot, count 8, and change weight and step on left foot.
Counterpart for lady.
During counts 7 and 8 gentleman turns to right of partner and faces forward, retaining original position, this
bringing the arms in rear. At the start of the turn in the Tango.
Step Two:
Both lady and gentleman walk forward, lady with left foot, gentleman with right in the same line of direction.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Change step. Gentleman steps on left, count and change weight and step on right. Count 8.
Counterpart for lady.
During counts 7, 8, the lady changes to opposite side of partner, turning around in front, bringing outstretched
arms in front.
Step Three:
Both point outside foot in front, 1. Transfer weight to foot pointed, 2. Step forward with inside foot, 3. Both
step forward with outside foot, count and close the inside foot to meet outside, 4. Repeat the preceding four
counts, 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Step Four:
Both walk forward with outside foot, 1. Forward inside foot, 2 (leaving outside foot pointed in rear). Make
outward circle and with outside foot bring to front, 3, 4. Do not change weight. Repeat these four steps.
Step Five:
Both lady and gentleman turn in opposite direction and step across the inside foot with the outside foot,
walk three steps, 1, 2, 3. Both point the inside foot to side, and while doing so pull outside foot toward it,
but do not close. At same time turn body to opposite direction, count 4. With outside foot or pointed one
walk across outside one three steps, 1, 2, 3, taking same movement as before, on 4, turning to position,
count 4.
Step Six:
This step is a repetition of Step Five, so it will not be necessary to describe it, only to say that instead of
stepping across with outside foot, you step with inside foot across, just reversing the movement. Both of
these steps take four measures of music to complete. On last counts of 3 and 4, do not turn body in
opposite direction.
Step Seven:
Both walk forward with outside foot in line of direction, 1, 2. Gentleman steps around in front on opposite
side of partner with outside foot, changing from left to right side, count 3. Lady steps forward but does not
turn. Both forward, for count 4. Repeat. Counts 1, 2, on 3 lady turns around partner, back to original position.
Step Eight:
This step is a repetition of Step Seven, which completes dance. In taking turns around partner,
do not disengage hands. You will find this a most effective step. Step Descriptions from Albert Newman's Book in 1913 (paraphrased):
This is perhaps the most difficult Tango, and consists of the thirteen steps described here, the Spanish and French names being given. These steps are executed in the order that pleases the gentleman, repeating each as often as he wishes:
(1) El Paseo (la promenade), (2) El Marcha (la marche), (3) El Media Corte (le demi coupé), (4) El Corte (le coupé), (5) La Media Luna (la demi-une), (6) El Chassé (la chassé), (7) El Cruzado (les croises), (8) El Ocho- Argentino (le huit argentin), (9) El Rueda (la roue), (10) El Frottado (le frotté), (11) El Abanico (léventail), (12) El Molinette (le moulinet), (13) El Vigne.
El Paseo is a slow walk, consisting of one step to each measure.
El Marcha is a walk taking two steps to one measure or a step to each beat. El Paseo and El Marcha are often performed together.
El Media Corte and El Corte are stop steps and closely related. El Corte is described in the Parisienne Tango.
La Media Luna is a combination of the first two beats of Media Corte for the man and the last two beats for the lady.
El Chas is a step forward on inside foot (1), and a Two-Step (2) (x) and a step forward on outside foot (3). The rhythm is rather puzzling, but should not confuse the pupil. This step is repeated.
El Cruzado is the Scissors Step (Las Tijeras or Le Ciseaux); it is similar to a Pas de Bourrée. There is a one-step Cruzado and a three-step.
El Ocho Argentino (the argentine eight) is also called a Cross Step.
El Rueda (the wheel).
El Frottado, literally rubbing or polishing, is so named from the similarity of the step to the action of polishing the floor.
El Abanico (the fan) is very similar to the Ocho Argentino.
El Molinette (the mill).
La Vigne (the grape vine) crossing one foot over the other.
He goes on to state: "Argentine Tango is more intended for professional use and can hardly be found practical for the ballroom"
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3tango1.htm
http://www.surdelsur.com/musica/tango/indexing.htm
Undoubtedly, tango holds a privileged position in the representation of the Argentine abroad. While, basically, it is known as a dance and a music which can be sung, tango also contains a particular language (lunfardo), certain usages and customs, and even a characteristic philosophy identifying tango people.
At an international level, in order to distinguish it from so many other forms that appear in dance halls, it is known as Argentine tango.
It was this which gave rise to all the other forms.
The birth of tango took place towards mid-19th century, with the formation of dwelling conglomerates around the young city of Buenos Aires. Those who lived there, peasants from inland, European immigrants and some disadvantaged porteños (born in Buenos Aires) made up a new social class. Perhaps as a way of identifying themselves as a group and of feeling they belonged in their new home, they began to create cultural expressions derived from this mixture. This was the start of tango, characterized by its extremely closed codes, which were only accessible to the working classes.
Due to this impossibility of understanding by other audiences, the diffusion of tango was difficult and was basically approached through dance, which was earlier than tango itself in its most characteristic musical format (let alone sung tango, which arrived much later). It is clear that tango culture, understood as some particular usages and customs, is earlier than tango as an artistic expression. Salon dances involving a man and a woman embracing were the precedent for tango, which was refined until it became what has long been known as tango. Somebody said: -Tango is something else than a soft wave turned into music, it is the deepest dance in the world -, and he who spoke these words was not Argentine. The truth is that it must be acknowledged that it represents the last step in the universal dance evolution as regards dances of mixed couples.
What started with dance was eventually coming of age in the expert hands of great men, who, inspired in the popular melting pot, captured the richest part of the Buenos Aires culture in their compositions. Themes always refer to the ordinary man and his problems, the city and memories. Thus, tango becomes a portrayal of Buenos Aires and its people. For this reason, undoubtedly, since the best of the Buenos Aires culture is carried in each song, tango gained ground abroad
Taking the risk of making serious omissions, it can be said that among the tangos of widest renown are: La cumparsita, El choclo, El entrerriano,
Quejas de bandoneón, A fuego lento, La yumba, Uno, Milongueando en el '40, Danzarín, Verano porteño, Adiós nonino , etc.
As regards musicians, it is worth mentioning: Armando Pontier, Osvaldo Pugliese, Aníbal Troilo, Julio de Caro, Horacio Salgán, Mariano Mores, Astor Piazzolla and many others.
Among the most outstanding lyricists: Homero Manzi, Alfredo Le Pera, Celedonio Flores, Homero Expósito, Horacio Ferrer, Cátulo Castillo and Pascual Contursi, from a long list.
And, when it comes to singers, it is impossible to omit
the greatest one
of all times:Carlos Gardel,
who became the prototypical figure of the porteño, beyond his voice or his way of performing tango.
Furthermore, among the singers are: Edmundo Rivero, Angel Vargas, Alberto Castillo, Hugo del Carril, Roberto Goyeneche and Alberto Marino, aside from female voices such as Azucena Maizani, Libertad Lamarque, Nelly Omar, Alba Solís and María Graña.
As it was already noted, tango is much more than music and it is thus impossible to leave aside dance. Among the best dancers it is worth including: Benito Bianquet, Casimiro Ain and Tito Lusiardo, as regards the older generations; and among the contemporaries: Juan Carlos Copes and María Nieves, Nélida and Nelson, Gloria and Eduardo, Mayoral and Elsa María, Virulazo and Elvira, María and Carlos Rivarola and the Dinzels. All of them were members of the original cast of Tango argentino, which was a great success in Broadway. Created and directed by Claudio Segobia and Hector Orezzoli, this show was one of the most recent relevant events within the genre, which is nothing more than the evidence that, for the last ten years, tango reached an important position in the international artistic panorama, such as it deserved.
http://totango.net/sergio.html
We have to remember that during the early part of the nineteenth century social dancing was done standing opposite to each other. These types of dances were generically called "Contradanza" . The progression of the dancers was somewhat lineal around the dancing floor. The contact among the partners was limited to touching the hands at certain moments. There were also "Round dances" in which there was a circular movement.
Minue (mee-nueh with accent in the final eh) was a very popular social dance during colonial times in Argentina. The habanera one of Tango's ancestors is also a contradanza.
The word 'Contradanza' might have originated from English Country Dance transformed into the French Contredanse and the Italian Contradanza. Mozart and Beethoven wrote Kontretanze. The Viennese Waltz and the Quadrille drove the contradanza out of the ballrooms.
The Viennese Waltz was the world's first popular dance to use the actual closed hold, the Polka was the second dance in Europe to use this scandalous new hold. European society had an ambivalent feeling about this somewhat immoral way of dancing which was taken with them as they moved to Argentina.
It was, if I remember correctly, that around 1850 when the Opera of Paris going through bad economical times it's director had the audacious idea of including V.Waltz in some of the performances on a trial basis. It was a great success, the curious public filled the theater again. Paris being the center of arts and refinement slowly made this dancing in 'Close hold' acceptable to the rest of the world.
It is then in this historical context that we have to judge the situation of tango at its beginnings and during the period 1880-1910 and the reason men had to dance with each other.
Viennese Waltz was the first social dance that used a "close hold" . This is the way we dance today...we think of it as the most logical hold for a couple to dance... but at the beginning ...during the second part of the 19th.century this proximity of the bodies in public was considered to be scandalous. It took many years for people slowly accepting it.
We arrive now at the period in which tango originated before or around 1880. The periphery of Buenos Aires, bars, gambling houses, brothels... lonely men spend time socializing, drinking, gambling, looking for some 'romance' in the company of women of ill repute, trying the steps of the new dance...the milonga and the tango. We can imagine that in those places, under those circumstances every experimentation as to dancing steps was possible irrelevant of good, bad taste, lewdness or even obscenity.
Remember that at the time just to dance in front of each other the right arm of the man touching the back of the lady was a little too much... now here we have a dance in which there is a close embrace, cheek to cheek, chests together, the legs invading each other's space, in a long conversation of love and passion, with amagues, hooks, flirtatious looks and caresses ...the writing of a prologue to a love story that was soon to follow.
The original lyrics frequently were references to sex and obscenities. As tango became socially acceptable the dance and lyrics were later depurated or totally changed. Some elements of them still are present although they lost the original meaning. The name of a most famous tango, for instance "El Choclo" (corncob) initially was a phallic reference.
Decent families and women of good reputation did not want any part of it the women a the brothels had to be paid...so if a man wanted to practice the new dance his only possibility was.. another man. Groups of men would get together to practice, improvise and innovate, creating new moves and new steps this approach allowed a rapid development of this dance.
To be a good dancer was (still is) a sure way of attracting the ladies' attention... men practiced among themselves so that they could surprise, and attract the admiration of other men and women. ...So, dancing among men had nothing to do with homosexuality.
The next scenario was "el patio de los conventillos" (Boarding house common areas). These conventillos housed thousands of poor immigrants from all over Europe (mostly Italy and Spain) and some from the Argentinean interior. They were long, open areas, bordered at both sides by rooms and kitchens; every so often there was a shared bathroom.
Tango took many years to spread to these boarding houses because their inhabitants were in general, decent people that did not want their families to be exposed to that sinful music and dance. Saturday nights and Sundays were used to celebrate weddings, birthdays, baptisms and other holidays. It was at these occasions that little by little somebody would ask for the musicians to play a tango and later on somebody would dance one, purified of the sinful moves such as "cortes y quebradas" - a simplified variety that was initially tolerated with disgust, but later on, anxiously expected.
It took even longer to get to the houses of the mid- and high-class families. Boys of those families took to the habit of going to the suburbs looking for emotions and adventure. They returned home excited by their lecherous experiences.
They started teaching their sisters, neighbor girls, and other female members of the large Argentinean family, such as cousins and aunts, this most unusual new dance. They were taught the "purified version" as well.
If one considers that Saborido sold about one hundred thousand samples of his tango 'Yo soy la morocha' (I am the brunette) in the few first months of 1906, one could deduce that tango was executed fairly frequently, including by family girls, who inserted its beats between the Blue Danube vals and Fur Elise.
The singer Flora Rodriguez took 'La Morocha' to recordings a little later. To cylinder first, then disk and also to perforated paper rolls for 'pianolas' (pianos that play by themselves, by activating two pedals). The lyrics of 'La morocha' are innocent enough to be readily accepted. This way, tango slowly spread from the periphery to the interior of the Argentinean home.
Nonetheless, tango was still generally a shameful, sinful element to be dealt with in secret. Politicians of both right and left condemned it; for they did not want this new nation to be associated with such a 'prostibularian' dance. How was it then that tango reached Europe? This is another story ...
Tango was born in the periphery of the city, bars, cafes, brothels; from there it moved inside the city to Dancing Houses. The next step was the patios (yards) of conventillos (boarding houses) and finally inside the Middle and High Class Argentinean Home. Tango was still a pariah, the bastard son of pimps and women of ill reputation, dressed like a poor compadrito.
The next stop of this pilgrimage is Europe.
Argentina developed very fast between 1880 and 1930. The whole city of Buenos Aires was rebuilt during this period. The old colonial Spanish city, with one story buildings and narrow streets, was replaced by a metropolis of wide avenues and beautiful parks and buildings of French and Italian architecture
The country became one of the 10 richest nations in the world, a position it maintained until the early 50's; when paralysis and the decline of the economy began ... a situation that was to last for the next 30 years (until 1985 when the Global economy decided that this country was an "an emergent market").
During that period of fast development the very rich had the habit of going to Europe at least once a year. They had big homes in Paris or London. Their parties were regularly attended by the nobility, the famous and the very rich. The French coined the phrase "he is as rich as an Argentinean" to mean extremely rich. The sons of those people remained in Europe to study. It was they that introduced Argentine Tango to the Parisian nobility. Tango became the craze of the time right away.
Everybody started giving parties with Argentinean orchestras, tango lessons and milongas. Women's fashion had to change to adjust to the moves of tango. The very bulky dresses were replaced by lighter, looser ones. A famous fashion designer had a fair amount of material of orange color that he could not sell. He decided to name the material's color "Orange Tango"; he ran out of the cloth right away and had to order more. Tango became the dance of the moment; from Paris, rapidly migrated to the other big capitals, London, Rome, Berlin, and finally New York.
Next tango returns to Buenos Aires, dressed in a tuxedo, where it is received as the most beloved son. What a change!
Etymology Tango
Milonga, according to Jose Gobelo (founder of Academia del lunfardo, considered to be an authority when it comes to Tango subjects), states that it is a word of the African Language "Quimbunda", plural of 'Mulonga'. Mulonga in that language means, "word", Milonga means words, the words of the Payadores. In 1872 when Jose Hernandez published his most famous book "Martin Fierro" (describes in verse the life of a gaucho); the word Milonga had already acquired the meaning of gathering where one can dance. A decade later, 1883, Ventura Lynch wrote: "In the periphery of the city the Milonga is so generalized that is danced in all the gatherings, it can be heard played by guitars, accordions, comb and paper, or played by street musicians with flute, harp and violin". It is also danced in the low-class casinos around the markets of 11 de Septiembre and Constitucion, other dances and funerals".
Today, Milonga has several meanings: a music, a dance, the place or gathering where one dances and also the original meaning (many words, or long story), such as in "no me vengas ahora con esa milonga", (do not start now with all that jazz).
Tango, there is no agreement as to the etymology of this word. When it comes to the pre-history of tango everything is covered by a dense fog.
The word tango appeared much earlier than the dance. It first appeared outside Argentina, in one of the Canary Islands (Isla de Hierro) and in other parts of America with the meaning of "gathering of blacks to dance to drum music, also the name the Africans gave the drum itself". The dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy of Letters, 1899 edition, defines Tango as "Fiesta and dance of Negroes or "gente del pueblo" (those that belong to lower socio-economical class), in America"; also a second meaning: " Music for that dance". Here one has to remember that to the Spanish world, America is the whole continent not just the USA, in this case it refers to the Spanish part of America, excluding USA and Canada.
Here the dictionary gives the doubtful etymology of Latin 'tangir' (to play instruments). Latin ego tango = I play. It is only natural to try to find a Latin origin to the word although this etymological line, obviously is not related to the Argentinean meaning. The 1914 edition gives the etymology tangir or tangere " to play or to touch". Later editions removed that etymological reference.
The music historian Carlos Vega explains that in Mexico, existed a dance called tango in the XVIII century. This dance was done individually or apart, not as a couple. Archives of the Holy Inquisition in Mexico make reference to the "ancient tango" in 1803. A mexican song.
The Dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy, edition 1925 defines Tango as before, but without the latin etymology and added: "Dance of high society imported from America at the beginning of this century". Once more Tango traveled all the way from 'low-class' to high-class'. It includes two more meanings; "music for this dance" and also "Drum of Honduras". It is only in the 1984 edition that tango is defined as an Argentinean dance.
*It seems that the African origin of the word Tango is accepted by they largest number of erudite investigators. Ricardo Rodriguez, reviewed the languages spoken by the slaves brought to Argentina. Tribes from Congo, the Gulf of Guinea and Southern Sudan. Tango means, "closed space", "circle", " any private space to which one must ask permission to enter". The slave traders called Tango the places where black slaves where kept, in Africa as well as in America. The place where slaves where sold also received that name. We could discuss this in more detail but ... I am afraid to bore you with so much detail.
In summary the most probable origin of the word tango is: closed space where negroes gather to dance, later on the dance itself.
Lunfardo
The same way as lawyers, doctors, physicists, chemists, etc. have their peculiar language and terminology, thieves needed a language that was cryptic, secretive enough to speak among themselves and at the same time was unintelligible for the police or the possible victim of their actions. A language to be used in prison that could not be understood by the guards.
This originated terms and expressions that formed a new language, that of thieves and jail inmates. The secret tongue of "lunfardos", term used by thieves to refer to themselves. In this way watch became "bobo" (dumb- stupid) due to two characteristics, it is very easy to steal and it works all day long non-stop. Lunfardo is rich in Italian dialectal terms and also French words.
The first manifestations of this language appeared in Buenos Aires around 1880 ( police and newspapers archives).
This new terminology invaded the familiar language of the conventillos dwellers and very slowly the language of men (it was not used at home or by women), finally became something characteristic of being PorteÒo and Argentine. It was spread by theater in its "Sainetes", a peculiar genre that depicts life in conventillos; it was used by poets; but the greatest means of diffusion was not literature but its use in Tango Lyrics.
GREAT TANGO TRAGEDIES
1. "European musicians invent European or International Tango because they must be hard of hearing and rhythmically challenged so couldn't replicate what fellow Europeans loved about Argentine Tango (1912 -present). Enter Ballroom Tango and surely some stiff necks/sore backs. Good for sales of mirrors and dance teachers with questionable depth of sensual feelings/searching intelligence/conviction and communication skills with people outside their native culture. (No offense intended)! 2. Every Argentine musician wants to be like the startlingly creative and wonderful maestro Astor Piazzolla (post 1950). None are - but they churn out recordings and performance tours we're still trying to recover from. Most of the world doesn't have a clue what Argentine Tango is or like what they think it is. Piazzolla wanna-be musicians must share much of the blame. 3.RCA Records manager (a Columbian), Ricardo Mejía purposely sets fire to it's huge archive of Master recordings from three decades of many musicians, including Troilo, Di Sarli, et.al (1950). Effects of never again being able to access the Masters of hundreds of important recordings and masterpieces will last forever. (Fortunately, the above-named artists left the label right away and we have their next recordings in fine shape). A modern day auditory equivalent to one of the three burnings of the parchments at the great library in Alexandria. All recordings (CD's) from that era originally issued on RCA are copies of copies of copies of scratchy records type-thing. Of course, we love the music for all that. 4. Military coup d'état imposes evening curfew for years and generally takes the fun out of life in Argentina (1955-84). (This is an admitedly simplistic statement). If indeed where there is smoke there is fire, many of the top generals did want to kill Tango after Perón. They made a pretty good job of trying. 5. Juan Perón administration curry's favor with Argentine population by promoting isolationism (long-term negative economic effects. 6. Recording engineers fall in love with too much reverb and processing (1970 - present). This world-wide power-trip by technicians remains a great danger to the music-loving public and musicians' careers. 7. Gifted Argentine Tango show dancers teach and preach their stage-craft way and forget to replicate fun social dancing ... though that's what it's all about for the average person (1955 - 95). Substantial negative effects recently being largely being overcome by wonderful PorteÒo dancers or teachers who are making their mark. 8. Amazing numbers of ill-informed people are not able to "hear" the Bandoneon, let alone pronounce it's name. A reluctance to notice how incredible the music really is follows their knee-jerk response to first impressions, however understandable. 9. Although "knowing" it Takes Two to Tango, many men get caught up in themselves as - whatever - when dancing and take the fun away for women
The cafe 'La Giralda' in Montevideo, Uruguay, occupies a special place in Tango history. It was there in the year 1917 that a young Gerardo Matos Rodriguez gave (anonymously) the music score of a tango he had written to the orchestra of Roberto Firpo to play for the first time.
Gerardo was then an adolescent (17 years old) who was barely making it as a student in the faculty of Architecture in Montevideo. Was it modesty? shyness? fear of ridicule? who knows why he wanted to remain anonymous? Firpo only knew that the name of the young composer was Gerardo. It was only later that the full identity of the author was known. He was young, educated, well mannered and sensible. He was also a bit naive. He sold for 20 pesos his rights of authorship to the Breyer publishing house. After some moderate success the composition was forgotten.
Seven years later, in 1924, Gerardo was living in Paris and he met Francisco Canaro who had just arrived with his orchestra. That's when he found out that La Cumparsita was a major hit. The tango lyricists Enrique Maroni and Pascual Contursi had added words to the tango and renamed it 'Si Supieras'--If you knew. All of Buenos Aires was hearing, dancing, and demanding to buy the score for the tango that was seemingly everywhere in shows, recordings, and broadcasts. Shortly after, La Cumparsita arrived in Paris where, in the full grip of the roaring 20's, people danced charlestons, shimmys, one-steps, bostons, and when the crowd asked for a tango, they danced La Cumparsita.
From Paris La Cumparsita spread to the four corners of the world and has since and forever after become synonymous with Tango.
Gerardo Matos Rodriguez spent the next 20 years in and out of court trying to regain his rights as author of the most famous tango in the world. The first trial was between the composer and the Breyer and Ricordi publishing houses --Breyer had sold the piece to Ricordi. After a long battle, Ricordi agreed to pay royalties to the author. The second lawsuit was against Maroni and Contursi. They had added lyrics to the tune without permission. Gerardo won on the basis that he had surrendered his right to the music while being a minor. A legal loophole, but the law is the law.
In 1942, a third lawsuit was established to discontinue from sale the recording made by Carlos Gardel. This of course engendered a fourth lawsuit - this time by Maroni and Contursi's widows, for damages and seeking their rights as authors of the lyrics. The lawsuits finally came to an end thanks to the arbitrage of the legendary Tango composer and band leader Francisco Canaro who, as president of SADAIC (Argentine Society of Authors and Composers), was asked by the litigants to resolve the argument.
On September 10th, 1948, Canaro issued a legally binding document with 8 points ... the most significant of which were the first three which stated that henceforth, the heirs of both Contursi and Maroni would receive 20% of all royalties due through the execution rights. The second point said that royalties for recordings and movies would be divided according to SADAIC rules except when only the music was played in which case the 20% rule would apply. The third point states that any new printing of the sheet music would include both sets of lyrics and no others. The other points had to do with the trial costs, royalties received up to the start of the lawsuit, that SADAIC would be in charge of collecting royalties, a one time payment of 5,000 pesos to Jose Razzano (of Gardel-Razzano fame) for damages due to the lawsuit, and an stipulation that the 20% royalties would be divided in equal shares amongst the heirs of Contursi and Maroni. And with that, La Cumparsita made it out of the courthouse.
There are quite a few tangos that have different lyrics set to the same music. In some instances it was due to the ribald nature of the original lyrics that necessitated a change once the tango left the bordello. In the case of La Cumparsita, it was its popularity. "La cumparsa/de miserias sin fin/ desfila/en torno de aquel ser/enfermo/que pronto ha de morir/de pena/por eso es que en su lecho/solloza acongojado/recordando el pasado/que lo hace padecer" --the original lyrics written by Gerardo, have nothing to do with the "Si supieras/que aun dentro de mi alma/conservo aquel cari~no/que tuve para ti.../ Quien sabe si supieras/que nunca te he olvidado/volviendo a tu pasado/te acordaras de mi..." of Maroni and Contursi (you can hear the original lyrics in the El Bandoneon CD of Angel D'Agostino and Angel Vargas. Maroni's and Contursi's are everywhere else.) And there are French versions, American versions, and several other languages. Needless to say, to hear "Tantalizing/your mask is only/half disquising/I have no trouble recognizing/your features which I'm idolizing" --The Masked One, lyrics by Olga Paul-- is rather amusing if not down right hilarious.
Given that the author of La Cumparsita (at the time) was just an amateur pianist, the technical merits of the melody have always being questioned.
Gerardo had only composed the first two parts. Moreover, the first part lacks a clear beat. Firpo himself had to add a third part and the harmony to the first. Yet, the composition acquired such a monumental following that those who critize it do so at their own peril. Julio De Caro played it smart. He said of it, "[It's] a flag that transcended frontiers in the whole world, going forth thru its golden door to erect itself as one of the symbols of our music-dance."
Astor Piazzolla was much more candid, "Its the most frighteningly poor thing in this world (speaking of the D-C-A-F rhythm.) Nevertheless, if you add a bass note to enrich it and pour on top of it the melody, you can create a counterpoint that raises the conventional melody. It is like an ugly person that dresses nicely, it improves his looks. That's how La Cumparsita is improved. With good clothes."
One last thing to note is that the most celebrated tango in history was first recorded as a "B" side. One of the most popular orchestras from 1917 was the Alonso-Minotto orchestra which was signed up by the Victor recording house to produce a series of records. Now, the deal called for pairs of tangos, one for each side of the record. As it turns out, they were missing one, so someone suggested La Cumparsita as a "filler." And so, Alberto Alonso at the piano, Minotto Di Cicco, bandoneon, Juan Trocoli and Juan Jose Castellano, violins, recorded themselves into history. Of course, like everything else about tango, there is disagreement on this. There are other sources that contend that Roberto Firpo was the one who first recorded it. Indeed, in the CD "La Cumparsita, veinte veces inmortal" credit is given to Firpo as being the first. In any case Minotto and Firpo seem to have collaborated in the arrangement that eventually was recorded.