Transcript The history of tango - culturespanishamerica

Artistic and Literature in Spanish
America
The history of tango
Dra. Patricia Nigro
Stylistic origins
Candombe, Vals criollo,
European styles,
including polka, milonga,
habanera, flamenco,
mazurka, contradanse
Cultural origins
Late 19th century, in
Buenos Aires and
Montevideo
Typical instruments
Violin, piano, guitar, flute
and bandoneon
Mainstream popularity
Major, became a craze
in Europe and North
America in 1930s and
40s
The history of
tango
The history of tango
Subgenres
Neotango – Tango-canción
Fusion genres
Tango-rock
Regional scenes
Dodompa (Japanese tango) –
Easter Island
The history of tango
• It is traditionally played by a sextet, known
as the orquesta típica, which includes two
violins, piano, doublebass, and two
bandoneons. Earlier forms of this ensemble
sometimes included flute, clarinet and
guitar. Tango music may be purely
instrumental or may include a vocalist.
The history of tango
• It was developed in Argentina and
Uruguay from the mid 19th
century.
• The first Tango ever recorded was
made by Angel Villoldo and played
by the French national guard in
Paris. Villoldo had to record in Paris
because in Argentina at the time
there was no recording studio.
The history of tango
–
Early tango was played by immigrants in Buenos
Aires. The first generation of tango players was
called "Guardia Vieja" (the Old Guard). By the
end of the 19th century, this blend of salon,
European and African music was heard
throughout metropolitan Buenos Aires. It took
time to move into wider circles: in the early
20th century it was the favorite music of thugs
and gangsters who visited the brothels, in a city
with 100,000 more men than women (in 1914).
The history of tango
– The tango was associated with the underclass,
and the better-off Argentines tried to restrict
its influence. In spite of the scorn, some, like
writer Ricardo Güiraldes, were fans.
– Güiraldes played a part in the international
popularization of the tango, which had
conquered the world by the end of World
War I, and wrote a poem ("Tango") which
describes the music as the "all-absorbing love
of a tyrant, jealously guarding his dominion,
over women who have surrendered
submissively, like obedient beasts".
The history of tango
The history of tango
• One song that would become
the most widely known of all
tango melodies also dates from
this time. The first two sections
of “La Cumparsita” were
composed as a march
instrumental in 1917 by then
17-year-old Gerardo Matos
Rodríguez of Uruguay.
The history of tango
• 1920s and 1930s, Carlos Gardel, perpetual symbol of the
tango.
• Tango soon began to gain popularity in Europe, beginning in
France. Superstar Carlos Gardel soon became a sex symbol
who brought the tango to new audiences, especially in the
United States, due to his sensual depictions of the dance on
film.
• Carlos Gardel became especially associated with the transition
from a lower-class "gangster" music to a respectable middleclass dance. He helped develop tango-canción in the 1920s
and became one of the most popular tango artists of all time. He
was also one of the precursors of the Golden Age of tango.
The history of tango
• Gardel's death was followed
by a division into
movements within tango.
Evolutionists like Aníbal
Troilo and Carlos di Sarli
were opposed to
traditionalists like Rodolfo
Biagi and Juan D'Arienzo.
The history of tango
• The "Golden Age" of tango music and dance is generally agreed to
have been the period from about 1935 to 1952, roughly
contemporaneous with the big band era in the United States.
• Some of the many popular and influential orchestras included the
orchestras of Juan D'Arienzo, Francisco Canaro, and Aníbal Troilo.
• D'Arienzo was called the "Rey del compás" or "King of the beat" for
the insistent, driving rhythm which can be heard on many of his
recordings. "El flete" is an excellent example of D'Arienzo's approach.
• Canaro's early milongas are generally the slowest and easiest to dance
to; and for that reason, they are the most frequently played at tango
dances (milongas); "Milonga Sentimental" is a classic example.
The history of tango
The history of tango
• Afterwards, the orchestras of
Osvaldo Pugliese and Carlos di
Sarli made many recordings.
• Di Sarli had a lush, grandiose
sound, and emphasized strings
and piano over the bandoneon,
which is heard in "A la gran
muñeca" and "Bahía Blanca"
(the name of his home town).
The history of tango
• Pugliese's first recordings were not too
different from those of other dance
orchestras, but he developed a complex,
rich, and sometimes discordant sound,
which is heard in his signature pieces,
"Gallo ciego“ and "La yumba".
• Pugliese's later music was played for an
audience and not intended for dancing,
although it is often used for stage
choreography for its dramatic potential.
The history of tango
• The later age of tango has been dominated by Ástor Piazzolla,
whose “Adiós nonino!” became the most influential work of
tango since Carlos Gardel’s “El día que me quieras” was
released.
• During the 1950s, Piazzolla consciously tried to create a more
academic form with new sounds breaking the classic forms of
tango, earning the derision of purists and old-time performers.
• The 1970s saw Buenos Aires developing a fusion of jazz and
tango.
The history of tango
The history of tango
• The recent trends can be
described as "electro
tango" or "tango
fusion", where the
electronic influences are
available in multiple
ranges: from very subtle
to rather dominant.
The history of tango
• Tango is danced in an embrace that
can vary from very open, in which
leader and follower connect at arms
length, to very closed, in which the
connection is chest-to-chest, or
anywhere in between.
• Dancers generally keep their feet
close to the floor as they walk, the
ankles and knees brushing as one leg
passes the other.
• The government of Argentina does
host an annual competition of
tango in Buenos Aires, attracting
competitors from around the world.
The history of tango
The history of tango