[Tango-L] The Time before Tango

[RonTango]

----- Original Message ----
> From: Jack Dylan <jackdylan007 at yahoo.com>
> To: Tango-L <Tango-L at mit.edu>
> Sent: Thu, June 3, 2010 11:46:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [Tango-L] The Time before Tango

> > From: RonTango 

>> In Buenos Aires, 
>> the birthplace of tango, near the end of the 19th 
>> century, there was milonga and 
>> there was the vals brought from Europe 
>> by immigrants, but there was no tango. 
 

> There appear to be 
> different historical versions of this. My understanding is that
> milonga music 
> predates tango - but only as music and song, without dance.
> And that milonga, 
> as a dance, came after tango.


According to Simon Collier (1995) - "The Tango is Born: 1880s - 1920s", who cites originally published sources in Argentina, milonga was a popular dance in the outskirts of Buenos Aires around 1880. There was a 'tango' danced by African-Argentines at that time, but it was danced apart. The compadritos incorporated elements of the African-Argentine candombe (also danced apart) into milonga. There was no 'tango' danced with contact between partners at this time.

> Also, as I understand it, tango was well 
> established by the end of the 19th century
> so I don't understand your 
> statement that there was "no tango" near the end of the 
> 19th century.


Considering the information provided by Collier and by Robert Farris Thompson (2005)- Tango: The Art History of Love, tango in the form of canyengue came into existence around the last decade of the 19th century (1890s). 

Most tango historians confirm that the exact time of birth of tango is somewhat difficult to establish, but it is generally agreed that there was a dance called 'milonga' prior to tango. The was also 'vals', but this was the version brought by immigrants from Europe. This was not the 'tango vals', which came later, my guess is some time after tango was already established as a unique dance. I don't have information on when this occurred.

Ron