Oh, the tango... that dance full of stories of love and longing. Today, to speak of tango is to think of elegance and sophistication, but it was not always like that... Its origins are much simpler and have to do with cultural diversity.

Today we’ll dive into the vibrant and exciting world of tango. That rhythm that makes us dance with our feet as well as our hearts. But what is behind this seductive dance?

Welcome to Further Records, the podcast where you can stay One Step Ahead with your English practice. I’m your host, Forest.

Let’s go back to the end of the 19th century. Imagine the city of Buenos Aires in those years, full of immigrants from Europe and people from different corners of Argentina, all mingling in the beloved 'conventillos', where many families were housed. It is precisely there where tango began to come to life.

The Argentine and Uruguayan tradition of tango, now known worldwide, was born in the Rio de la Plata basin, among the working classes of the cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Afro-American, Creole and European influences, mainly Italian and Spanish, merged to give rise to a unique rhythm and style. Little by little its music and dance began to become part of everyday life.

Being born in informal and often small spaces, such as conventillos and neighborhood bars, these places influenced the close dance style, with short and precise steps, fast movements and unexpected changes of direction. 

In its early years, tango was frowned upon by the Argentine upper class, who considered it a vulgar and dangerous genre. However, over time tango gained popularity and began to be performed in more prestigious venues. 

As it became more popular, it reached the halls of the upper class and became more sophisticated. Dancers adjusted their steps and tango was transformed into an elegant and refined dance, which is how we went from humble milongas to glamorous ballrooms! 

The true height of popularity for tango came only in the 1930's and 40's, by the hand of great artists, such as the undisputed Carlos Gardel. French, Uruguayan or Argentine? That is a doubt that never ends up being solved; but what is certain is that “Carlitos” lived his childhood in Buenos Aires and in 1923 he became an Argentine citizen. 

Gardel's influence took his beloved tango to almost unthinkable corners, and managed to give it its characteristic stamp. “Mi Buenos Aires Querido” was, among others, one of his greatest hits distributed throughout the world. 

Radio and cinema were in charge of spreading it in those years. The sale of records grew and dances with live orchestras became increasingly popular. 

But tango did not remain in the past. Over the years, it has evolved and adapted to new styles and rhythms. Astor Piazzolla, for example, revolutionized tango by introducing elements of jazz and classical music, creating the “new tango”. The genre continues to reinvent itself to this day!

Today, tango remains an exciting part of global culture. From milongas in Buenos Aires to stages around the world, tango continues to fascinate new generations.

You know the best part? in 2009 UNESCO included it in its list of intangible world heritage. There is even a World Tango Dance Championship held every year in Buenos Aires!

I kind of want to go out to dance now!

You’ve been listening to Further Records, a podcast by Further Corporate.

In this episode, we used certain phrases associated with today’s topic! Have you heard of these before?

• Longing: The feeling of wanting something or someone very much
• Creole: When speaking about a language: it means a type of language that developed from a mixture of a European and a local laguage. When describing people in South America, creole refers to descendants of European settlers
• Venue: A place that has been selected for an event. 
• Upper class: a social group consisting of the people who have the highest social rank and who are usually rich.
• Heritage: traditions or expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants
• Merge: To combine several things

To keep boosting your English journey, you can listen to more of our episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also review the vocabulary on our YouTube channel, Further Corporate.

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See you next time!

Sources:

https://buenosaires.gob.ar/cultura/patrimonio-de-la-ciudad/tango/origenes-del-tango#:~:text=El%20tango%20es%20una%20manifestaci%C3%B3n,de%20Buenos%20Aires%20y%20Montevideo

https://www.cultura.gob.ar/dia-nacional-del-tango-9897/

https://www.cultura.gob.ar/84-anos-sin-carlos-gardel_7810/

https://billiken.lat/interesante/conventillos-la-historia-detras-de-la-construccion-mas-emblematica-de-buenos-aires/

https://www.cambalacherestaurantes.com/historia-tango/

MUSIC AND SFX:

TaishoRoman_Theme2 by PeriTune (https://peritune.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Music: Savour The Moment by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com