31st Annual Student Research Conference
Historical and Musical Analysis of Tango
Meranda N. Dooley
Dr. Victor Marquez-Barrios, Faculty Mentor
Despite being exclusively linked to Argentina, tango has always been an international culture. Tango originated in the fringe communities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, but, like many rapidly industrialized cities in the early nineteenth century, the population had exploded with immigrants of African, Creole, Italian, Spanish, and Eastern European descent. These immigrants and the indigenous people lived and worked together and their cultures blended to create a new art form: tango. After first gaining exposure in Europe, people from all over the world have been drawn to tango. Tango’s strength as a genre of music derives from its ability to evolve as it travels from nation to nation and from generation to generation. Through discussion of the history of tango and musical analysis of its repertory, tango includes many distinct styles that are united by common musical elements, including the use of certain rhythmic patterns, lyric themes, and instrumentation.
Keywords: Music, Argentina, Tango , Lyrics, Popular Music, Latin America
Topic(s):Music
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 214-2
Location: OP 2210
Time: 9:45