My Tango Connection

I was uncomfortable with Tango rhythms until I heard a syncopated style of Tango music that reminded me of my own Afro-Caribbean music. Something clicked and I began to flow. I felt there must be an African origin of this Uruguayan/ Argentinian dance, the way Jazz and Tap originated in the USA. I asked Argentinians who replied that there was no African influence. So, I did deep research and I found that there was a very huge African influence, best explained by Professor Robert Farris Thompson, Smithsonian lecture on " The Afro-Argentine Legacy of Tango" with demonstrations by African-Argentinian Tango Grand-Master, Facundo Posada. Tango, an African word, linked to spiritual traditions from the Congo and later West Africa. The African influences resonate with me even as I study the updated, official, European influenced form of the dance. Tango still continues to evolve with different types of tango music and dance styles but the basics are generally the same. You can tailor it to suit your musical and dance tastes such that you can enjoy this highly addictive dance with all its rich elegance, romance, passion, and complexity.