History and Musicality of Argentine Tango

1. History and Musicality of Argentine Tango A sad thought that can be danced Bob Barnes, Mandragora Tango Orchestra http://www.mandragoratango.com

2. Goals • Think about musical forms like a musician • Hear musical “points of inflection” where the mood or rhythm changes • Think of how the music tells a story, even if you don’t speak Spanish • Have a bunch of “A-ha!!!” moments • As Socrates more or less kinda said, you probably already know this on some level.

3. Agenda • A brief introduction to tango • An exceedingly incomplete history of Tango Music • An unnecessarily terse exposition of musical forms for non-musicians, with some help from our friend, Malena • Some thoughts on the structure of the dance, from “micro-tango” to “macro-tango” • I’ll give you some resources for further study

4. On with dance, let joy be unconfined, is my motto; whether there's any dance to dance or any joy to unconfine. Mark Twain

5. What Is Tango • No Argentine will give you a straight answer • Anything written by an Argentine • Predominantly in minor key • Continuation of 19th Century Romanticism • Classical music you can dance to • A sad thought that can be danced • A vertical expression of a horizontal desire • A city in Japan

6. Tango is from Argentina

7. Argentine Melting Pot • Much like the US, but Spanish speaking • Founded by Spanish in 1500s • Country of immigrants. • Most Argentines have Italian names • Most Argentines claim to have one cousin in New York and one in Italy (it’s a joke!) • 3rd biggest Jewish population on earth • Aboriginal Genocide: few natives • Slavery was not a major economic factor, so very few Africans (but those that were there had a big role in tango, as we will see)

8. The Origins of Tango • Cuban “Habanera” • Italian Opera & Neapolitan Songs • Eastern European Polka • Spanish Guitar • African Rhythms

9. Buenos Aires had twice as many men as women in the 1890s Bars and Brothels were social spots for working class men Men would dance with each other while waiting for women Needless to say, tango was looked down upon by polite society Tangos first appeared in Brothels

10. La Guardia Vieja (Old Guard) • Quartets of Flute, Guitar, Bando & Violin • Pianos and basses added much later • A-B-A-Trio form, just like a march or ragtime • Here is “Sabado Ingles” (English Saturday) • Juan “Pacho” Maglio, 1917

13. Tango goes to Paris • Right after WW1, Tango takes Europe by Storm • Huge fad that remains to this day • All of a sudden, Tango becomes “respectable” in Buenos Aires

14. Warning: In 1917, Pope Benedict XV Condemned the Tango, calling it immoral and lascivious. My guess is that Benedict XVI feels pretty much the same way in 2008.

15. Garlos Gardel • Born 1887 • Either in France or Uruguay • Do not mention France to an Uruguyan. The French don’t really care, though. • One of the first Latin mega-recording stars • First Latin matinee idol • Killed in a plane crash in Medellln, Columbia in 1935

16. Gardel’s grave is always tended and he always has a lit cigarette in his hand • Here is “Mi Buenos Aires querido” • Listen for the arabic/flamenco trill in the first phrase

17. Epoca de Oro (Golden Age) • 1930-1950 (Roughly) • When someone says they dance “Argentine Tango”, this is what they mean • Orquesta Tipica: 4 Bandos, 4 Violins, Bass, Piano and a Singer. • 3-4 minutes. • Singer starts half way though. • Chan-chan at the end

18. Transitional Period • After WW2, Argentina was very rich from selling food (mostly beef) to Europe • Political instability • Juan and Eva (Evita) Peron • Tango became more complex and more for listening • Osvaldo Pugliese • Anibal Troilo

19. Anibal Trolio and “Sur” • About the southern part of BsAs • Edmundo Rivero Sings.

20. San Juan y Boedo antigua y todo el cielo, Pompeya y, mas alla, la inundacion,  tu melena de novia en el recuerdo,  y tu nombre flotando en el adios...  La esquina del herrero barro y pampa,  tu casa, tu vereda y el zanjon y un perfume de yuyos y de alfalfa que me llena de nuevo el corazon. Sur... paredon y despues...  Sur... una luz de almacen...  Ya nunca me veras como me vieras,  recostado en la vidriera y esperandote,  ya nunca alumbrare con las estrellas nuestra marcha sin querellas por las noches de Pompeya.  Las calles y las lunas suburbanas y mi amor en tu ventana todo ha muerto, ya lo se. Ancient San Juan and Boedo streetcorner, the whole sky Pompeya and farther down, the floods Your loose hair of a bride in my memory and your name floating in the farewell The blacksmith’s corner, mud and pampa, our house, your sidewalk, and the ditch and a scent of weeds and alfalfa that fills the heart all over again. South, a large wall and then... South, a light from a general store... You’ll never see me again, like you saw me, reclined on the glass window and waiting for you. I’ll never illuminate with the stars  our walk without quarrels on the evenings of Pompeya... The streets and the suburban moons, and my love on your window, all is dead, I know it...

26. La Yumba • Signature Sound of Osvaldo Pugliese • Onomatopoeic Bass Sound • Extremely Percussive

29. Near Death Experience of Tango • Went out of fashion • Urban vs. Rural tension w/ Juntas • Rock and Folklorico • In BsAs, there are many more places to dance Salsa than Tango • Tango became a listening genre • Dramatic singers and big orchestras • “Tango for Export”

30. Rebirth of Tango • End of military Juntas in 1982 • Luis Bravo’s “Forever Tango” in 1985 popularized it in Europe and N. America • Popularity of Piazzolla • Collapse of Argentine economy • Tourism • Danced all over the planet. Extremely popular in France, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Turkey, Italy, etc… • About 300 tango dancers in Mpls. • Check out mntango.com to learn more

31. Talking about music is like dancing about architecture Laurie Anderson

32. Let’s meet my friend, Malena Music by Lucio Demare Words by Homero Manzi It has all the classic elements of tango lyrics: • Sadness • Poverty • Cold, unattainable women • Nostalgia/Homesickness • Alcohol

33. Malena canta el tango como ninguna y en cada verso pone su corazon. A yuyo del suburbio su voz perfuma, Malena tiene pena de bandoneon. Tal vez, alla en la infancia, su voz de alondra tomo ese tono oscuro del callejon, o acaso aquel romance que solo nombra cuando se pone triste con el alcohol. Malena canta el tango con voz de sombra Malena tiene pena de bandoneón. Tu cancion tiene el frio del ultimo encuentro, Tu cancion se hace amarga en la sal del recuerdo. Yo no se si tu voz es la flor de una pena, Solo se que al rumor de tus tangos, Malena,te siento mas buena, mas buena que yo. Malena sings tango like no one else And she puts her heart into every verse Her voice is perfumed with a kind of weed that grows in the slums Malena has the sorrow of the Bandoneon Perhaps, back in her childhood, her lark’s voice Acquired that dark sound of an alley, Or maybe it is the romance she only names When she gets sad with alchohol Malena sings the tango with a voice of shadow Malena has the sadness of the bandoneon. Your song has the coldness of our last encounter Your song has become bitter with the salt (tears) of remembrance I don’t know if your voice is a flower of sadness All I know is that in the sound of your tangos, Malena, I believe you are much kinder, much kinder than I

36. A bar (compas) is 4 equal steps 1 2 3 4 4 quarter notes in a bar is called 4/4 time.

37. Whole Note Half Note Quarter Note Eighth Note 16th. Note 32nd Note 64th. Note How musicians notate a bar Most tangos are a mix of quarter eighth notes (This statement is unbelievably oversimplified!)

38. “Nothing Swings like 4/4 Time”

39. A band will put different weights on different beats. This is “En 4” 1 3 2 4

40. This is “En 2”. Note how there is just the slightest hint of 2 & 4 1 3 2 4

41. In reality, 1 & 3 are like a metronome and 2 & 4 will be delayed ever so slightly. This is what gives tango a “swing” (often called “Canyengue”) 1 1 1 3 3 3 2 2 2 4 4 4 The different degrees of delay and different stresses define the styles of different orchestras.

42. & & 1 1 3 3 2 2 4 4 An “arrastre” (drag) is sometimes used to accent the first beat of a bar (but not in every bar!)It can sound like a growl This is usually done by the bass and the left hands of the piano and bandoneon. This is used to accent a phrase and is a good “point of inflection” to look for.

43. & & 3 3 1 1 & & Playing in 2 and 4 over and over again will get boring sooner or later. Let’s mix it up with a “sincopa” (syncopation). Notice that there is no “4” (This is a great way to go from parallel to cross-step)

44. 3 3 1 1 & & & & & & When you mix an arrastre with a sincopa, you get one of my favorite figures: the “sincopa adelante” Orquesta tipicas use this to great effect to change the beat of a tango

46. Phrasing • Basic building blocks of musical form • Traditionally, a phrase is how much a person can sing on one breath. • Usually 4 bars • Phrases can leave you in the air (Antecedent) • Phrases can ground you (Consequent) • In Tango a “Chan-chan” ends each Consequent phrase

47. Antecedent and Consequent Phrases Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound! Antecedent That saved a wretch like me Antecedent I once was lost, but now I’m found Antecedent Stop Was blind, but now I see Consequent

48. Windows are the spaces between phrases. • Some windows pause time. At the end of an antecedant. A good place for a showy figure or a dramatic pause • Some windows mark time: the end of a consequent phrase. A good place to collect your feet and relax for a split second. • Windows are a place where a solo instrument can fill in or the orchestra can leave a space for the dancer’s imagination • As an exercise, listen for windows in the tango music you hear this weekend

49. Antecedent Antecedent Antecedent Consequent Tango Form • Several phrases together make a section • A section has a “Chan-chan” at the end. • Each section will have a different affect • Sections are usually called “A” and “B” • Guardia Vieja tangos have 3 sections: A, B and Trio. This is exactly like a March, Polka or Ragtime

50. Tops and Tails • In BsAs, no one dances at the start of a song. • Folks stand around for 30 seconds • The band can play an intro (top) that is out of rhythm • The coda (tail) usually restates a main theme • The coda will try to “telegraph” the ending. • Good dancers will hear the endings coming and will react to them.