In doing so, they solidified the essential musical parameters that began to define tango as a musical genre. These musicians learned from the previous masters and then formed their own ensembles to perform new material, as well as innovative arrangements of tangos by the former generation. Argentines, in turn, sought to reclaim their art form as all classes of society began dancing and listening to tango.ĭuring the 1920s, a new wave of tangueros known as la guardia nueva (the new guard) emerged. Through trade routes and recorded sound in the 1910s, the French caught on to tango’s allure and helped to catapult it around the world. By the early 1900s, amateur musicians formed neighborhood tango ensembles, and these first- generation tangueros, known as la guardia vieja (the old guard), began creating what have become tango standards.Īs the art form grew in popularity, it also moved from the outskirts of the cities toward the center, becoming more accessible through the advent of piano tango scores and phonographs. Tango, in its risqué early stages of the bordellos of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, grew out of a confluence of native and immigrant cultures - namely Argentine, Uruguayan, Afro-Argentine/Uruguayan, European and Jewish - at the end of the 19th century. Today musicians from around the world continue to be inspired by the art form and seek to reinvigorate the genre with new paths as well as to revitalize legacies. In the realm of music, tangueros (tango composers/arrangers/performers) have solidified the genre by establishing distinct musical elements that have aurally come to define tango, such as the dotted habanera rhythm, iconic instrumentation (including the bandoneón), fluid melodic phrasing and harmony rooted in classical and popular music.Īs the art form has progressed, tangueros like Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992) have pushed the boundaries of tango to include elements of jazz and classical music.
Emerging from the Río de la Plata region of Argentina and Uruguay, it has radiated to cities throughout the world as it has developed. Although people are fascinated with tango as an exotic and sensual dance, in truth, tango is a multidimensional popular art form - encompassing dance, music and poetry - that has had a rich heritage spanning over a century.