Tango Show (22 secs)

The exact origins of tango are lost in myth but the generally accepted theory is that in the mid-1800s, African slaves were brought to Argentina and began to influence the local culture. The word tango was the place where African slaves and free blacks gathered to dance.

Argentina was undergoing a massive immigration during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The intermixing of African, Spanish, Italian, British, Polish, Russian and native-born Argentines resulted in a melting pot of cultures and each borrowed dance and music from one another.

Most immigrants were single men hoping to earn their fortunes in this newly expanding country. They were typically poor and desperate, hoping to make enough money to return to Europe or bring their families to Argentina. The evolution of tango reflects their profound sense of loss and longing for the people and places they left behind.