Tango music

Tango is a style of music that started in Uruguay and Argentina in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It grew from the cultures of many people who moved there, especially those from Spain, Italy, and France, as well as local traditions like the Gaucho and influences from African communities.

Traditionally, tango is played using instruments like guitars, violins, a flute, piano, double bass, and a special instrument called a bandoneón. Sometimes, a singer will also join in to add their voice to the music. Whether it is just instruments or includes singing, tango has become loved by people all around the world.

The music is usually in a special rhythm called ²₄ or ⁴₄ time, which helps it match beautifully with the tango dance. This combination of music and movement has made tango a lasting part of culture in many places.

Origins

Tango music began in the late 1800s and early 1900s in Argentina and Uruguay. It grew from the mix of many cultures, including Spanish, Italian, African, and French. At first, tango was played by European immigrants and was popular among people in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

One famous early tango song is "El Choclo" by Ángel Villoldo, first recorded in 1906. Another well-known tango, "La Cumparsita", was written in 1916 by a young man from Uruguay. Tango used instruments like guitar, flute, violin, and later the bandoneón. Over time, tango became loved around the world.

Argentine roots of tango

Tango music began in Argentina and had many local influences, such as Payada, the Milonga from the Argentine and Uruguay pampas, and the Uruguayan candombe. Milonga music came from the countryside and had strong African influences, especially from the candombe style.

The word "tango" was first used to describe this music in Cuba in 1823, but the first Argentine mention appeared in an 1866 newspaper. Early tangos were played with instruments like harp, violin, and flute. Famous early tango musicians included Casimiro Alcorta, who wrote songs like "Entrada Prohibida." Many early tangos had interesting names, such as "El queco" and "Señora casera." The first tango score was recorded in 1889, and the first copyrighted tango was printed in 1898 by Rosendo Mendizabal.

1920s and 1930s, Carlos Gardel

Tango became very popular in Europe, starting in France, thanks to artists like Enrique Saborido and Casimiro Aín. Carlos Gardel helped bring tango to new audiences, especially in the United States, through his performances in film. During the 1920s, tango changed from being linked to lower-class areas to becoming a respected form of music and dance. Bandleaders such as Roberto Firpo and Francisco Canaro changed the instruments used, adding a double bass instead of a flute.

Carlos Gardel played a big role in making tango respected by the middle class. He was one of the most popular tango artists and helped create what is called the "Golden Age of Tango". After his passing, tango split into different styles, with some artists favoring change and others preferring to keep tradition.

Golden Age

The "Golden Age" of tango music and dance lasted from about 1935 to 1952, a time similar to the big band era in the United States. During this period, tango was performed by large bands called orquestas típicas, which often had over a dozen musicians.

Some of the most popular and influential tango bands were led by Mariano Mores, Juan d'Arienzo, Francisco Canaro, and Aníbal Troilo. These bands created many famous tango songs that people still enjoy today. As tango grew in popularity, European bands also began to play it, sometimes adding new instruments and singing in different languages. This helped tango become a worldwide dance and music style.

Tango nuevo

The later age of tango was led by Ástor Piazzolla, whose piece "Adiós nonino" became very important in tango music. During the 1950s, Piazzolla tried to create a new style of tango that was different from the old ways, which surprised many traditional musicians. In the 1970s, Buenos Aires mixed jazz with tango, with artists like Litto Nebbia becoming popular.

After Piazzolla, other musicians such as Dino Saluzzi, Rodolfo Mederos, and others continued to explore new sounds in tango. In the late 1990s, Fernando Otero added even more creative ideas to tango music, making it more complex and exciting.

1990s–2000s tango

In the late 1990s, a fresh wave of tango music began in Buenos Aires, drawing inspiration from traditional orchestra styles instead of modern electronic experiments. This movement continued to grow in the early 2000s, with many new bands creating original tango songs. Leading groups included Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro, started by Julian Peralta, who later formed Astillero and Orquesta Típica Julián Peralta. Other notable bands and singers such as Orquesta Rascacielos, Altertango, Ciudad Baigón, Alfredo "Tape" Rubín, Victoria di Raimondo, Juan Serén, Natalí de Vicenzo, and Pacha González also joined this exciting new era of tango.

Neotango

Tango music kept growing even after tango nuevo. Today, we call the newest kinds of tango neotango. These new styles mix tango with electronic music, sometimes just a little and sometimes a lot.

Groups like Tanghetto and Carlos Libedinsky add soft electronic sounds to keep the classic tango feel. Gotan Project, started in 1999 in Paris by Philippe Cohen Solal, Eduardo Makaroff, and Christoph H. Muller, mixes beats and samples with tango rhythms. Their albums include Vuelvo al Sur/El capitalismo foráneo, La Revancha del Tango, Inspiración Espiración, and Lunático. Some tango dancers love this music, while others feel it changes the traditional style too much.

Another example is Bajofondo Tango Club, which also blends tango with electronic sounds. More music like this can be found on CDs such as Tango?, Hybrid Tango, Tangophobia Vol. 1, Tango Crash, Latin Tango by Rodrigo Favela, NuTango, Tango Fusion Club Vol. 1 from Munich, Felino by Electrocutango, and Electronic Tango. In 2004, a collection called The Rough Guide to Tango Nuevo was released.

Musical impact and classical interpreters

Tango music, originally played by tango specialists, was brought into concert halls by classically trained musicians. Arminda Canteros, an Argentinian pianist, played tangos for her father and later had her own radio program in Rosario, Argentina, in the 1930s and 1940s. She used a masculine pseudonym for her broadcasts because tango was often linked with traditional male attitudes. Canteros later moved to New York City and recorded an album of tangos at the age of 78.

Other classical musicians have also performed and recorded tango music. Cecilia Pillado, another Argentinian pianist, played a full tango recital at the Berliner Philharmonie in 1997. Famous musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Gidon Kremer, Plácido Domingo, and Marcelo Álvarez have all performed tangos. Classical composers such as Isaac Albéniz, Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky, Kurt Weill, John Serry Sr., John Cage, John Harbison, Milton Babbitt, and Thomas Adès have also written pieces inspired by tango. Today, many international radio stations still play tango music regularly.

Main article: classical music