This argument will never end. Tango exists. It is world music in the truest sense. It has incorporated or been incorporated into other musical forms around the world. Today, dancers enjoy dancing to tango from Sydney to Paris, from Rome to Tokyo, and everywhere in between.
Tango, itself, is more than 100 years old. The first known tango was composed in 1886, by Angel Villoldu— El Choclo. Everybody knows tango when they see it— beautiful men and women in elegant dress with sensual movements. But, that is just the surface of the tango. There is a deeper tango. that takes you through the sadnesses of life— the River Plate Blues. Tango lyrics often deal withe the problems of life.
The power of tango laliesys in transforming these existential problems into pure energy and joy of life. They are filled with jealous women swearing revenge, men who have been betrayed; abandoned women crying for their lost loves.— love, hate, emotion, madness, fears, sorrow— passion.
As with almost all popular dances, the tango was considered vulgar and not suited for polite society. It was a working class dance that was danced in brothels ond on the street, where the erotism of the dance was usedseductive strategy to increase sales. Honest women would not dance the tango. But, men danced tango with other men, perfecting their skills.
After the advent of radio, recorded music and the Victrola, this all changed. By the twenties, the tango became socially acceptable, not only in Uruguay and Argentina, but in North America, Europe and Asia. It conquered all the dancing halls of the world. By the Golden Decade of the fourties, when tango was no longer regional. It was everywhere.
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