At least, Tango WAS a four letter word at times; the way some people viewed rock and roll in the 50s. I like moving to Argentine or Uruguayan tango; bodies pressed closely together, like in Buenos Aires when it was reborn in the 40s and 50s. But the roots seem to come out of the pain and suffering of the oppressed and poor of some of the countries in South America; the music and lyrics reflect that pain and desire.
Well now, isn’t that just like THE BLUES…..we’re talkin’ Mississippi Delta stuff here. Poverty seems to generate the kind of music and dance that pretty much hits me in the guts. So isn’t it a natural kind of thing that I’d move easily from Blues and Lindy Hop (originated in Harlem in the early 1900s) to Tango, something that was looked down on by “proper” people. Another great advantage of tango is that it’s not so easy to learn (a natural attraction for me).
Now, after several years, I’m pretty much addicted; love the dirty, gritty sounds of Dock Sud electro tango,
or slightly more traditional Astor Piazzolla, , and lots of others.
So yup, I love the tango of thieves and prostitutes in Buenos Aires of nearly a century ago. It’s just another four letter word; I heartily recommend it, it’ll move you off the dime.
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