According to an alternative theory, tango is derived from the Spanish word for "drum", tambor. This word was then mispronounced by Buenos Aires' lower-class inhabitants to become tambo, ultimately resulting in the common tango.
The Origins of the Tango
Tango was first used as a term to describe music and dancing in the late 18th century in Buenos Aires. Tango was the name for the music of the slaves at the time in Argentina, more specifically the name of large gatherings in which slaves danced to evocative music.
A milonguero is a person who spends time dancing social tango. The word comes from the term milonga referring to a tango dance event.
The Argentine tango lyrics often tell nostalgic, sad tales of lost or unrequited love, and are laments for what cannot be. Modern versions of the dance have extended beyond this of course, but the original meaning was one of despair.
The word tango is of Latin American Spanish origin, probably from an African root word.
The Tango came from the brothels and low cafes of Buenos Aires at the turn of the century. However, at it's very beginning, it was a ballet-like dance between two men, which, just a little later, became the obscene dance of the brothels where both men and women had the opportunity to rub their bodies together.
tango (n.)
syncopated ballroom dance, 1913 (the year it became a rage in Britain and America), from Argentine Spanish tango, originally the name of an African-South American drum dance, probably from a Niger-Congo language (compare Ibibio tamgu "to dance").
When tango first emerged, the church banned it because it was the music of the “immoral” factions of society. It was no longer banned when the coup of 1930 occurred, but there was censorship of lyrics that supported populist ideas and used lunfardo, the slang of the working classes in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
The queer tango movement which revives the origins of tango as a same-sex couple dance is relatively recent. It was founded in Hamburg, Germany where in 2001 the first gay-lesbian milonga was organized. In the same year the First International Queer Tango Argentina Festival was brought to life.
The devil's tango is a humorous and old-fashioned euphemism for sexual intercourse. It reflects some interesting facts about American and British culture, especially before the 1960s.
Tango is about life, about relationships and about love. It is not necessarily the romantic love that we all refer to. It is the love in an embrace, in the moment and the music that you shared and expressed with your dance partner.
Carlos Gardel, otherwise known as the King of Tango, is by far the most notable figure in the early days of Tango.
They are like loving feelings. They can have sexual feelings mixed in, but that's a different issue. Romantic feelings connect with tango lyrics in that tango lyrics are often about a certain subset of romantic feelings, including feelings such as nostalgia, heart break, longing, and loss.
tango uniform (not comparable) (military, slang) Broken and unable to be fixed; dead. I can never fly my fighter again. It is tango uniform.
Tango. (US) NATO phonetic alphabet for the letter "T" and for "Target" (or enemy).
The tango was controversial because of its perceived sexual overtones and, by the end of 1913, the dance teachers who had introduced the dance to Paris were banished from the city. By 1914, more authentic tango stylings were soon developed, along with some variations like Albert Newman's "Minuet" tango.
First historical record of the word “tango” can be found in the government proclamation in Argentina dated to 1789, in which authorities place a ban on “tango” musical gatherings that were frequented by slaves, lower classes of free people living in the port areas of Buenos Aires.
Proper Buenos Aires society considers tango an indecent entertainment associated with violence, illicit sex, and the lower classes. Clubs where the tango is danced are raided and closed by police. They deplore the dance's popularity and its progression from the brothels to downtown cafes and dance halls.
However, for some Tango addicts, their dependency stems from the pursuit of the "perfect dance" — the sensation that a Tango dancer experiences when he and his partner are completely in sync with each other and with the music, even though it is the first time that they have met.
In the NATO phonetic alphabet, established by the 1930s, the letter T is tango and became slang for target, or “enemy.” To down a target is “to shoot” them, especially when grounding an aircraft, but also “to neutralize” or “kill” them.
The tango classes tend to be more casual than the dances. In either case, you will want to wear a blouse/shirt that allows you to easily raise your arms into an embrace. Wear skirts/dresses/pants that allow you to move freely and take large steps if necessary. For men, slacks and a button down shirt always work well.
The Argentine Tango originated in the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, in the late 19th century.
Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential interpreters of world popular music in the first half of the 20th century.
Origin. The Tango derives from the Cuban habanera, the Argentine milonga and Uruguayan candombe, and is said to contain elements from the African community in Buenos Aires, influenced both by ancient African rhythms and the music from Europe.