31/07/2024
Written by Tracey Acosta with the personal experiences of Leonardo ‘Fandango’ Acosta
There are many labels within the world of Argentine Tango and probably some of the most contentious appear when describing the various musical categories and genres of Tango.
Typically, Argentine Tango music has been broken down into labels of ‘Traditional’, ‘Nuevo’, ‘Alternate’ etc. I believe that these labels have had a damaging effect on the idea of Argentine Tango. Many people hear the word ‘traditional’ and think “boring, old, dull” etc. I’ve heard some types of Argentine Tango music described as “plinky, plonky”, or dancers described as “plodding around the floor”. All this produces a negative feeling around the perception of ‘Traditional’ music. However, speaking to Leonardo ‘Fandango’ Acosta - founder of Tango Fandango, and who comes from a Milonguero family in Buenos Aires, the word ‘traditional’ is incorrect and a misconception.
Leo says:
“According to my father, the word ‘traditional’ was frowned upon. He and his friends, would use the words, ‘Old Guard’. These words would describe the music that is now popularly described as ‘Traditional’. The word ‘Traditional’ was never used by the Tangueros. Tradition was something that was associated with the ‘high society’ in Argentina and the Tango was a revolutionary movement where the most important idea was ‘the freedom’ not the tradition”.
It could be argued that the words ‘Golden Age’, are now also being used inappropriately. Every society has a Golden age. That small period of time when everything comes together so that in hindsight it is seen as ‘Golden’. However, the Argentine Tango has always been a revolution, it has evolved relentlessly across the eras, despite sometimes having opposition from existing dancers. For example, when Piazzolla started recording music with an electric bandoneon, the Milongueros of the time thought he had gone too far. From the perspective of our own era, how many of us now view Piazzolla as being part of the ‘Traditional’ era of Tango when the reality is that he was an important part of the ‘Nuevo’?
The musical labels surrounding Argentine Tango should be defined to avoid divisions in the community. It’s also important because if groups describe their milongas incorrectly for example, then it can lead to disappointment for dancers that attend events with one expectation, only to be confronted with the reality of another.
So, let’s try to clarify the information we have.
What we now, in 2024, define as ‘traditional’ and which we use to describe music originating from the 1920s to 1950s is really ‘Old Guard’.
In the 1960s, Tango evolved musically rather than through the dancing. That period is interesting because of the dictatorship and the way that it affected the Tango. During that period, everything that was considered to be worse to the government or hinted at a socialist structure, was considered dangerous. Therefore the Tango was frowned upon. The Tango evolved but was restricted. The composers of that time such as Piazzolla, Troilo and Pugliese focused on the music to express theirs and the publics frustration with the government. The milongas were mainly closed down, only a few existed underground. The Tango existed mainly in concert and theatre halls, it was a period of transition with no clear label.
Then came the 1980s. It is important to make the distinction that the word ‘Nuevo’ does not describe the music, it describes the Tango movement itself which was kickstarted again in the 1980s. At this time, the old knowledge came back and the styles of the Canyengue, Milonguero, Tango Salon and Stage were defined.
The dancers danced to a variety of music which could include tracks from the ‘Old Guard’ too. Nuevo was more about the development of the dance itself after it so nearly disappeared when it was effectively banned. This ‘Nuevo’ style, embodied freedom and again a revolution in a movement whilst keeping true to the integral roots of the cultural movement of Tango. The Nuevo movement continues to this day.
The Nuevo movement of Argentine Tango should not be confused with what has generally been coined as ‘Neo Tango’. This is generally music that has not been written specifically for the Argentine Tango but has a similar structure so that dancers can adapt the movements of Tango to it. It exists because whilst Tango music is not universally liked by some people, they do actually love the movements associated with the dance of Argentine Tango.
The last main labels currently used are ‘Alternate Tango or ‘Expressive/Blues/Fusion’. Dancers dance to a wide range of music that may have a similar musical structure but has not been written for Tango. Movements of Tango are borrowed and slotted in alongside other genres of dancing, so it could be fair to say it is more movement based, a multitude of dance styles being danced within a track with no specific musical genre. Some people may argue that this is in fact true to the roots of Argentine Tango.
“Modern society teaches us to be competitive, effective, competent. Tango is adventure, uncertainty, spontaneity. Tango breaks everyday life and confronts us with the unexpected of the present”.
The unusual thing about the Argentine Tango is that it appears that many other dance styles want to take some element of it and incorporate it within their own dance style.
This happens because the way of Argentine Tango is freedom and there are no restrictions.
Ballroom Tango evolved from the Argentine Tango as did the slow Foxtrot which evolved from the Tango Foxtrot. The Blues/Modern Jive communities take movements from the Tango and dance them within their styles and to their taste of music. Kizomba is another dance style that also tries to blend the styles, there’s even an Argentine Tango line dance!
However, just because you can dance the movements to other styles of music, does it really make it Argentine Tango? Surely the reason the Tango is so loved is because it’s about more than just movements, it’s a feeling and connection between 2 people that is an adventure. If we lose that element of surprise and improvisation then the Tango potentially loses its soul too.
Let’s not forget that the words ‘Tango’, and ‘Milonga’, come from Angola, and Tango was heavily influenced by the slave communities. The spirit of Tango is to revolt against societies and the structures who discriminate against them. Tradition was imposed upon someone. The Tango movement was and is a cultural movement.
The worst thing we could do is to let the term ‘traditional’ carry on defining Tango because we are missing the point and allowing the Argentine Tango to be perceived by the community as a dance that has a past that is irrelevant whereas nothing could be further from the truth.
The art of Argentine Tango is alive and can be found in any track created in the last 120 years, but only if the heart and soul of the musician had the magic of the Tango in their mind when they wrote the track. The Tango will never be ‘traditional’, it is a rebel spirit that is free to evolve.
I’ll leave the last word to Leo who says:
“Tango: created by an artistic and social movement. It established in the world, an expressive, sensory and liberating science without precedent., Although these days it is a global movement, not all representatives understand its idiosyncrasy. The word ‘Tango’ in the beginnings of Argentina, can perfectly interpret the soul of this movement, since it was used firstly to name the slave markets, then to describe the religious meetings of that same social sector and then to combine groups from different marginal strata of our society. A society in search of freedom and company, Tango is a movement of open arms, of integration where the different is welcome (not discriminated against), where the common values of a people have their principles of civilisation in the common good - it is an artistic demonstration. Tango is from a country that can represent all countries that seek solace, happiness and containment. In a competitive, enslaving and destructive world, the Tango breaks chains in an embrace of affection”.
Leo ‘Fandango’ Acosta is a Milonguero who has lived in the UK since he established his School, ‘Tango Fandango’, in London in 2001. He comes from a Tango family in Buenos Aires and is a professional Teacher, dancer and poet of Argentine Tango having danced for over 55 years.
