Carpe Diem #115, Tango (Argentina)

Dear haijin, visitors and travelers,


We are continuing our little musical trip around the world with a short visit to the homeland of our Crown Princess Maxima, Argentina. This long stretched land we find in South America and it's said that the Tango was born there. Today we are sharing haiku on Tango.

Tango dance originated in Río de la Plata, and spread to the rest of the world soon after.

Early tango was known as tango criollo. Today, there are different types of tango dance such as Argentine tango or Uruguayan. Popularly and among tango dancing circles, the authentic tango is considered to be the one which is closest to that originally danced in Argentina and Uruguay.

Tango is a dance that has influences from European and African culture. 

 

Credits: Candombe

Dances from the candombe ceremonies of former slave peoples helped shape the modern day Tango. The dance originated in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The music derived from the fusion of various forms of music from Europe. The word "tango" seems to have first been used in connection with the dance in the 1890s. Initially it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, primarily Italians, Spanish and French.

In the early years of the 20th century, dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires travelled to Europe, and the first European tango craze took place in Paris, soon followed by London, Berlin, and other capitals. Towards the end of 1913 it hit New York in the USA, and Finland. In the USA around 1911 the word "tango" was often applied to dances in a 2/4 or 4/4 rhythm such as the one-step. The term was fashionable and did not indicate that tango steps would be used in the dance, although they might be. Tango music was sometimes played, but at a rather fast tempo. Instructors of the period would sometimes refer to this as a "North American tango", versus the so-called "Argentine Tango". By 1914 more authentic tango stylings were soon developed, along with some variations like Albert Newman's "Minuet" tango.

When I met my wife, she was a dancer who was dancing in the highest levels of amateur dancing with her dancing partner. She is a wonderful dancer ... I am not ... I am more of a writer and poet (smiles).

Well ... enough about Tango, let's go compose a haiku (or few).

dance of deep love
she, my lovely wife, sways
dancing the Tango

dancing the Tango
passionate couple of youngsters -
dance of deep love

Not a very strong set, but I enjoyed it very much to write these. I am looking forward to your haiku on Tango. Have fun, be inspired and passionated and share your 'Tango-haiku' with Carpe Diem. Our next stop in our little musical world trip will be Portugal, land of Fado.

This prompt will stay on 'till February 8th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode around 10.00 PM (CET) today.