Argentine Tango Music: Origins, Evolution, and Emotions

Tango as a musical genre originated in the late 19th century in Buenos Aires, when the city thrived as it welcomed ships full of European immigrants. They brought with them to the shores of the Rio de la Plata the rhythm of the habanera (Cuban music).

At that time in Argentina, polka, mazurka, and rural milonga were popular, while descendants of African slaves danced the candombe. Meanwhile, a street orchestra formed, playing flute, violin, and guitar. These instruments were later replaced by piano, violin, double bass, and bandoneón — the main instruments of tango. Gradually, the two rhythms of habanera and milonga merged. That was the first music of tango.

Tango became a popular urban art form in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Uruguay. It had its own language—the language of the crowd. Deep meaning was infused into both the music and the dance: romantic disappointments, longing and crying over lost love, nostalgia, and harsh reality. Tango was a sad thought that could be danced. This genre, like no other, conveys emotions of sadness, passion, and grace.

At first, only men danced tango. They danced on the streets, in ordinary homes, in very poor houses. That's where immigrants gathered, and they invented the dance at the same time the music was created. Then they went to dance in brothels with prostitutes from Italy, Spain, France... Because of this, tango initially had a very bad reputation: it was the music and dance of poor neighborhoods and crooks.

From 1917, a new chapter began in the history of tango. At that time, the style of performance changed, and tango gained popularity among the wealthy classes. While earlier tango songs were limericks and Spanish couplets, now songs acquired a lyrical focus. Carlos Gardel was the first singer to bring popularity to tango by singing lyrical songs. No one had performed tango that way before. One of the popular songs he performed was "Mi noche triste" by Pascual Contursi. And in 1920, composer Julio de Caro added brass and percussion timbres to the music. The lyricism and melancholy of the songs and music gradually refined tango. It gained popularity, and tango dancers were considered dancers with good taste. Today, there are approximately 2,000 tango lyrics.

If you have ever heard tango music, it can be difficult to understand and accept it after listening to modern music from radio and television. But for a dancer, the main thing is to feel the music, let it flow through you, listen to it several times, and dance to it. And if you merge with the music and surrender to its flow, you can see how your body moves on its own, adjusting to the tango rhythm.

The evolution of tango occurred through the interpenetration of dance and music. Tango is music, dance, and feelings. That is why it is so important to feel the energy of the music, tune into the silence, and tune into your partner. Tango is a communication between two people without words. It is the lyrical, sad, melancholic music of tango that, like no other, suits this dance.

It has been inseparable since the very beginning of the dance. A woman cannot exist without a man in Argentine tango, just as tango music cannot exist without the dance. Music and dance are closely intertwined. In Argentina, as well as around the world, the classic version of tango music remains unchanged, evoking nostalgia and preserving the historical significance of the tradition.