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Showing posts from August, 2025

Tangos y milongas

  Historically, the tango (and its close cousin, the milonga) has been considered an example of world cultural property, i.e. something to be nurtured by the likes of UNESCO. It was born in the 1880s in back streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina and across the river in Montevideo, Uruguay. Considered a lewd, low-class form of entertainment, particularly due to its intimate couples dance moves, it, of course, became the favorite of the masses. Many a music producer has learned that lesson: don’t tell the masses what they should listen and dance to. By the early 20 th  century France seemed to have a soft spot for the tango, as well as Hungary, Britain, Germany, and other European centers. Record production, cabaret shows and radio broadcasts from the 1920s onward served to introduce this seductive sound to an ever-wider audience. Why did the tango captivate the public far and wide? One could ask the same about reggae music, Cuban rhythms, rock and roll, and other musical trends em...