The first 300 years after the arrival of the first illegal aliens in South America was slow. The Milonga of the Incas went to Chile and over the Andes mountains to Argentina. It became the preferred music and dance among the newly arrived which were mostly men. The center of Buenos Aires in the 1800s, was of course where most families lived but mostly the upper and middle classes. As higher classes came in they gravitated to the center and pushed out the lowers farther away from the center. When it got too big it began going up to two, three and even four stories. But the poor were pushed out ever farther. So the biggest houses and the commercial districts developed in the center and the waterfront became a less desired district.
After the independence of most of the Latin Countries in the 1820s and 30s, the entire section in the lower parts of South America became inundated with people from Europe. The people on "the edge" (La Orilla, pronounced Oh-ree-ya) were the poorest and lived among dirty industry such as the stock yards and butchering of animals for meat and the tanning of skins. And most were men and newcomers from Europe with easy to reach brothels and drinking places. The most common music and dance was the Milonga which had belonged to the Indians and Mestizos for centuries. However it was promptly picked up by the poor, uncouth and remained at the bottom of the pile.
This music and dance became a common language that united the lower class people from many different cultures. It was here in the surrounding neighborhoods, that other music and dance styles blended together much of it as fads that came and went. It was still an easy walking dance with an even rhythm and accepted by the poorer immigrants from the different countries and by the lower class people already in Argentina. But slowly because of the brothels, a newer partner Milonga emerged with a Quick, Quick, Slow.
"Social dancers know that the beginning and the end of the tango is the walk."
After the independence of most of the Latin Countries in the 1820s and 30s, the entire section in the lower parts of South America became inundated with people from Europe. The people on "the edge" (La Orilla, pronounced Oh-ree-ya) were the poorest and lived among dirty industry such as the stock yards and butchering of animals for meat and the tanning of skins. And most were men and newcomers from Europe with easy to reach brothels and drinking places. The most common music and dance was the Milonga which had belonged to the Indians and Mestizos for centuries. However it was promptly picked up by the poor, uncouth and remained at the bottom of the pile.
"El Dia Que Me Quieras" por Carlos Gardel
Over 100 years old and still one of the worlds most beautiful classics.
Over 100 years old and still one of the worlds most beautiful classics.
This music and dance became a common language that united the lower class people from many different cultures. It was here in the surrounding neighborhoods, that other music and dance styles blended together much of it as fads that came and went. It was still an easy walking dance with an even rhythm and accepted by the poorer immigrants from the different countries and by the lower class people already in Argentina. But slowly because of the brothels, a newer partner Milonga emerged with a Quick, Quick, Slow.
"Social dancers do have problems. It takes two to Tango so they look for signs -
something to help them to find their perfect partners."
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