the music of the río de la plata

7/27/2019 The Music of the Ro de la Plata

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The Music of the

Ro de la Plata:

Argentina andUruguay


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Historical Background

1502 Amerigo Vespucci was the first European to arrive in the region 1536 first settlement in the region of present day BAdestroyed by

the natives by 1541 1580Juan de Garay established another settlement which became

part of the Viceroyalty of Peru 1776present day Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and certain parts of

Bolivia forms the Viceroyalty of the Ro de la Plata raising the statusof the region by the Spanish: BA and Montevideo become flourishing

ports 1810 Spanish authority is weakened due to the war in the peninsula

which leads to a series of attempts to get independent. BA: Mayrevolution in 1810; Montevideo: 1811

1813 break between BA and Montevideo


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Demography : TheMestizos

Amerinidans were pushed aside and absorbed. Heritage ofmestizo culture: the image of gaucho, in the rural areas ofArgentina and Uruguay, esp in Las Pampas. They form part of

a romanticised aspect of Argentine identity: horse-riding,wandering existence, independence, the macho, the cowboysof the Pampas.

Musical heritage: lospayadores (singers singing payadas,spontaneous verses)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPMEQAs9lyM Main genres: cifra (accompanied with a guitar) and milonga

(expresses the gaucho sentiment of loneliness andabandonment)


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Demography: Africans

Africansintroduction of slaves in the area from the endof 17th cenmid 18th century

Their musical heritage: Candombe ( candombl)performed by a group of drummers (cuerda)

Drums: tamboril (barrel shaped), chico (small), repique(medium), piano (large), bajo/ bombo (largest)

Assosicated with the Carnaval Parade Las Llamadas inUruguay

Still a live tradition in Montevideo but less in Argentina


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Europeans

From 1880 onwards till the beginning of 19th cen.: Mass immigrationfrom Europe (mainly Italy and Spain) to the region of Ro de la Plata.

Argentina: 85% of the population is of European descent. Uruguay:93,9% (2011)

Article 25 of the 1853 Constitution of Argentina reads:The Federal Government will encourage European immigration, and it

will not restrict, limit or burden with any taxes the entrance into Argentineterritory of foreigners who come with the goal of working the land,improving the industries and teach the sciences and the arts.

Given the risks of immigration, men immigrating to the region of the Rode la Plata outnumbered women. Women had little opportunity to workand were underpaid. These two factors together led to prostitution and arise in the number of brothels in the outskirts of Buenos Aires andMontevideo. (favelas, arrabelas) Tango, the national symbol of Argentinaemerged from this scene.


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The origins: The Reptile fromthe Brothel (L. Lugonos)

There is a lot of debate around the origin of tango. The word is supposedly of African/ Congolese origin meaning

circle in Congolese dialect presumably for dancing or aritual Antecedents: 1. milonga: song and dance from the late 19th

cen originally sung by gauchos. It is found in Argentina,Uruguay and southern parts of Brazil. 1. Cuban habanera: itutilizes a 5-beat rhythm. Cuban Black musicians added a

syncopation to earlier dances such as the contradanza whichcame to be known as the ritmo del tango. This syncopationspread to other forms such as the habanera. The genre became

popular in many areas, esp in port cities (New Orleans,Veracruz, Mexico, Montevideo, BA) La Paloma


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Development of tango: laguardia vieja

Ca.1880-1917: La guardia viejatango is essentially danced inbordellos; its birthplace according to the tradition: Corrales Viejos.

However it is more likely that it appeared in various arrabalessimultaneously. A dance of 2/4 time, played roughly half as fast asthe habanera. A popular improvisation, a spontaneous fusion of rawelements into a genuinely new creation. The language of the songsis the lunfardo a mixture of the languages of the inmigrantsassociated with the semi-criminal outskirts of BA, the language of

the porteos; Its quintessential instrument is the bandoneon whichwas invented in Germany in the 1830s and appeared in Argentinabetween 1850-1875; Prominent figure: ngel Villoldo (La Boca)extends the spectrum of tango through the pianolas (player pianos) ofRinaldi-Roncallo - considered to be the father of tango;


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Development of tango: laguardia nueva

1917-1930: La guardia nuevael tango triste is born (Julio de Caro): theoriginally happy and satirical tone/character of tango is taken over by

melancholic themes: the irredeemable loss and solitude of the inmigrantexistence; A change in tango rhythm to 4/4; the genre moves from brothels tocabarets but not yet losing its negative associations (Venue: La Boca); formationof the orquesta tpica: 2 violins, two bandoneones, piano, a string bass; most

prominent musicians: Julio de Caro, Osvaldo Fresedo; most prolific writers:Pascual Contursi, Celedonio Flores;

1935- ca.1950: Golden agetango gains acceptance in high society as atangomania reaches its peak in Europe, especially in Paris in the 1910s; tango is

popularised by Carlos Gardel: Mi noche triste (Pascual Contursi) a real hit:thousands of copies sold; Enrique Delfino (Delfy)gave the tango song itsdefinitve structure: 2 sections generally of 16 bars eachauthor of LaMilonguita

(1950s lost its poularity, became associated with intellectual circles)


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The lyrics of tango

mystical language of gendered emotions: contrasts the

traditional masculine values (compadritoassociatedwith bravery and physical strength, bacnrich manseducing women offering material gains, man of

reproduction) with the image of the suffering romanticlover


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Piazzolla and the Tangonuevo

1955 onwards: Tango vanguardthe emergence of tango nuevo through Astor Piazzolla;instruments: 2 bandoneones, 2 violins, piano, electric guitar; new venues: Gotn 676, La

Nochefrequented mainly be upper-middle class porteos and international tourists Astor Piazzolla: breaks with the traditional orquesta tpica. Studies Bartk and Stravinsky.

After almost abandoning tango completely, encouraged by his teacher Nadia Boulanger, hedecides to keep his bandoneon: Astor, your classical pieces are well written, but the truePiazzolla is here, never leave it behind . Upon returning to BA (1955), he forms the groupOcteto Buenos Aires with a makeup of two bandoneones, two violins, double bass, cello,

piano, and an electric guitar, he produces innovative works and interpretations which breakaway from classic tango, he breaks away from the original mold of an orquesta tpica andcreates chamber music instead, music without a singer or any dancers.

http://www.piazzolla.org/biography/biography-english.html One of his most famous piece: Libertango He can be considered the father of todays tango nuevo music. Most well-known

contemporary tango nuevo bands: Gotn Project, Otros Aires, Bajofondo /Piazzolla interview: 00:52, 07:53, 27:10, 33:03, milonga sentimental)
http://www.piazzolla.org/biography/biography-english.htmlhttp://www.piazzolla.org/biography/biography-english.htmlhttp://www.piazzolla.org/biography/biography-english.htmlhttp://www.piazzolla.org/biography/biography-english.htmlhttp://www.piazzolla.org/biography/biography-english.html


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The tango is as old as mankind, it was born with the first grief of the soul.

the music of the río de la plata

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