Tango, the Music

Of course the dance goes hand in hand with the music. It's sort of a chicken-and-egg scenario - where one didn't necessarily predate the other. But the music is a cultural phenomenon in its own right, and people are as passionate about it as the dance. In its musical form, there are three types of tangos: tango-milonga (rhythmic and quick, usually without words); tango-romanza (a melody without words), and tango-cancion (with words).


The music can be performed with a variety of instruments - guitar, flute, organ, piano - but the quintessential tango instrument is the bandoneon. The bandoneon is to tango what the saxophone is to Jazz. A bandoneon resembles an accordion in that it's a bellows instrument, but uses push buttons in lieu of keys and has a different tone and sound altogether.


There are famous tango artists as well, but none so much as the beloved Carlos Gardel (1890-1935). He was, and remains, an idol. From a fantastic little book I bought titled "The Tango and the Bandoneon":

Carlos Gardel, the Argentine Lark, has been the most famous tango singer ever. He was a composer and a well-known movie star as well. His life is a total enigma and it was precisely this that helped the people of Buenos Aires create the archetype he is and will always be. His real name and place of birth are unknown, what he did in his youth and what his private life was, has remained a mystery, and to cap it all, the [airplane] accident in Medellin, Columbia, where he died at the age of 45 years was impossible to explain.

He knew that "life is a puff," as he used to sing.

But, is it necessary to know more? What we know about him is what really counts; his luminous and indestructible smile, his simplicity, his magnificent appearance, the kindness of his expression, his musicality and his unique voice. It is said about him that "he sings better and better as time goes by."

There will never be another Gardel.

Street performer Bernabé Ferreyra, alias "Gardelito." He's been performing songs from Carlos Gardel on Calle Defensa since 1972.