Passionate Argentina

The Land of the Gauchos



My sister Adriana in Argentine dance costume
 

Argentina is in the southern tip of South America, bordered by Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, and Chile. It is the eighth largest country in the world and encompasses a diversity of culture. Argentina’s culture is greatly influenced by its prominent immigrant population. From these assorted traditions emerged many unique and widely celebrated folkloric and popular Argentine dance forms.

Tango

The tango developed in the 1880’s in the destitute city neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, and became the characteristic expression of the lower classes, many of who were recent immigrants from Europe. Tango is a dance of passion, elegance, grace, speed and intricate steps. Starting in the local cafes, it finally made its way inside the middle and upper class Argentinean homes. The embrace is central to this dance form as partners dance very close to each other. An entire range of human emotions is expressed in tango.

During fast development in 1880-1930, the very rich often traveled to Europe at least once a year. It was they who introduced Argentine tango to the Parisian nobility. Tango became the craze of the time right away – from Paris, the dance and music rapidly migrated to other big capitals.

Tango evolved as it moved both through the societal levels within Argentina and as it mixed with other world dance cultures. The historic Argentine tango was influenced by the tango Habanera which evolved from the milonga and the tango flamenco. The milonga was danced and played by rural populations in Argentina and combined indigenous rhythms with the music of early Spanish colonists. Aspects of the Argentine tango are also attributed to a dance called Candombe, which was danced by Africans and their descendents living in Buenos Aires. The male Candombe dancers danced with their knees flexed in order to demonstrate their dance skills.

The tango is now considered an integral component of Argentine culture, both in its social and theatrical forms. Internationally, it is equally popular amongst Hispanic and crossover audiences.

Malambo

The dances from the town of Santiago del Estero come mainly from Europe and the culture of the gaucho, or South American "cowboy". The term "gaucho" refers to the men of indigenous roots mixed with African and/ or European ancestry, who took up the work of tending cattle. Fiercely independent, they lived in a very difficult world of work and solitude. Gauchos still exist and work on ranches and in rural areas.

The style of dance that gauchos typically enjoyed was called malambos. Incorporating zapateo, the art of percussive footwork, rooted in Spanish Flamenco, malambos were traditionally performed by men. This dance form was often used as a form of competition between two or more men. The music features guitar and the bombo, or the drum.

The boleadoras were originally a weapon used by the indigenous people and adopted by the gauchos, to entrap fleeing animals. It is said that in the early 1950's, Santiago Ayala began incorporating footwork (zapateo) with weapons, establishing the malambos with, eventually, the famous boleadoras. The dancer uses two wooden balls as boleadoras, making rhythms against the floor, and whirling them in a rotational motion. Increasing the complexity of movements increased the rhythmic possibilities, becoming an exciting dance both physically and musically.