CCOHK ENEWSLETTER Issue No.43

Did you know that a predominantly male population bred TANGO in Buenos Aires in the 1900s?

In the early years of the 1900, two million immigrants arrived in Buenos Aires from Europe, with approximately a half from Italy and a third from Spain. The majority were single men, hoping to earn enough to return to Europe and get married. A poor, desperate and predominately male population bred crime, brothels, gangsters, and the tango! Men learned to dance the tango together from a young age as there were few women, and certainly none to practice with. Tango inevitably moved to where they could be found - in the brothels, and dubious legend has it that the women could chose their clients by their dancing skill. The man had three dances to prove himself! The first tangos were in a quick 2/4 time and identified by the markedly active male and seemingly passive female. Gradually both the dance and its music became so popular that it extended beyond the ghettos and into upper class salons and theatres. It then became fashionable throughout Europe. Only after this internationalization did Buenos Aires see the appearance of grandiose tango halls, and the tango’s eventual rise to a nationalistic symbol of the Argentine character.

Don’t miss the chance to see Pilar Alvarez and Claudio Hoffmann dance the evolution of the tango in the CCOHK's upcoming Tango Passion concert!