Trad 104: Issues in Latin American Society & Popular Culture

Introduction to the History of Argentine Tango Guest Lecturer: Derrick Del Pilar 10/29/07

I. Pre-History A. Inmigrantes i. Slave population & candombes in Monserrat ii. Lonely immigrants making music and brothels and with organitos in the street iii. Porteño elite is ashamed of this “brothel dance” iv. Men practice amongst themselves

B. Ritmos Negros i. Slave population & candombes in Monserrat ii. Extermination of the ex-slaves/marginalization of that history (nationalist myths of Argentina as a “European country”)

C. From BsAs to Paris and Back i. Tango is exported to Paris, “approved” in the center of culture, and so is adopted by upper & middle classes in Argentina. ii. Husband of President Julio A. Roca’s daughter organizes a competition on Corrientes Street iii. Once the upper class embraces the tango, the middle & working class follows.

II. Época de oro/Golden Age (c.1935-1955) A. A Tango Explosion i. World War II—music was no longer imported on records from Europe ii. Live music (i.e. tango orchestras) in every club and on the radio iii. Universal spread of tango music and dance in Buenos Aires iv. No longer a brothel dance, now a family dance in certain neighborhoods

B. The Great Tango Poets i. Lunfardo vs. “castellano puro” or ii. Songs about tango, arrabal, nostalgia, gambling, drinking, and Buenos Aires iii. Songs about love and betrayal

C. Mythology of Tango i. Carlos Gardel—Idolization/fetishization/personality cult ii. Dancers: Carmencita & El Cachafaz iii. Arrabal and the fetishization of nostalgia iv. Tango archetypes a. Male: El compadrito, el dandy, el reo, el picaflor, el pituco b. Female: La madrecita, la noviecita, la percanta, Malena, milonguita v. Visual cues in performances a. Clothing b. Body language

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Trad 104: Issues in Latin American Society & Popular Culture

III. Tango from the 1980s–Present A. Decline and Revival i. Decline during dictatorship—losing ground to Rock & Roll ii. Resurgence in the 1980s with Tango Argentino iii. Worldwide tango renaissance continues to present day

B. “Argentine” Tango: What Does it Mean? i. Change in binary: Buenos Aires is now the center. ii. Cultural imperialism & so-called “Nuevo Tango” a. “But we are not in Buenos Aires, we can dance however we want!” (said in a post-colonial, post-global world) b. Cultural appropriation as a form of imperialism c. Strategic anti-essentialism d. Reflection: Are North Americans attempting to execute gymnastic steps to French music really dancing “tango?” e. Tropicalism in “Hollywood tango”…will be covered by Profa Fitch on her return!

Want To Know More? I.

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Todo Tango http://www.todotango.com As the name implies, contains a wealth of valuable articles in both English & Spanish on all aspects of tango culture, plus a searchable database of lyrics. Tango and Chaos http://www.tangoandchaos.org A labor of love compiled by Tucson’s own Rick McGarrey (with the aid of his wife, porteña Alejandra Todaro), this site is a precious record of the surviving milongueros of Buenos Aires and their way of life in the early 21st century. Contains an excellent section with analyses of tango lyrics, and rare footage of the best social dancing. I owe them a lot, not just for information but also inspiration.

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Buenos Aires Tango http://www.buenosairestango.com.ar Hosted by Lídia Ferrari, amateur tango scholar, psychoanalyst, and my dance teacher in Buenos Aires. Contains wonderful reflective essays on various topics in tango. Sencillo y Compadre http://bailarincompadrito.blogspot.com Derrick’s personal tango blog, containing his ruminations on tango. Not a lot of content currently, but more coming soon! All the above sites and more are linked in the sidebar of the blog. Tango Arizona http://www.tangoarizona.com A calendar of all the tango-related events in the state of Arizona.

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Trad 104: Issues in Latin American Society & Popular Culture Adios, arrabal (1930) letra de Juan Bauer

Goodbye, arrabal2 translated by Derrick Del Pilar

Mañanita arrabalera, sin taitas por las veredas ni pibas en el balcón. Tus faroles apagados y los guapos retobados en tu viejo callejón. Yo te canto envenena’o engrupido y amarga’o— hoy me separo de vos.1 ¡Adiós, arrabal porteño! Yo fui tu esclavo y tu dueño y te doy mi último adiós.

Sweet arrabal morning, with no tough guys on the sidewalks and no chicks on the balconies. Your streetlamps all put out and the pretty boys all passed out in your old alleyways. I sing to you venomously, boastful and bitter— today I’m leaving you. Goodbye, arrabal of Buenos Aires! I was your slave and your master and I give you my last goodbye.

Madrecita, yo fui un reo y en tus brazos hoy me veo lleno de felicidad. Decí mi buena viejita ¿dónde está mi noviecita que no la puedo olvidar? Hoy ya vuelvo arrepentido hecho más hombre y más bueno a la vida del hogar. Perdoname, que tu hijo tiene un pensamiento fijo y nadie lo hará cambiar.

Sweet mother, I was a rouge and in your arms today I see myself filled with happiness. Tell me my dear old lady, where is my sweet girlfriend the one that I never can forget? Today I return repentant made a better man to the simple life at home. Forgive me, it’s just that your son is set in his thoughts and no one will make him change.

(recitado) El baile Rodríguez Peña el Mocho y el Cachafaz de la milonga porteña que nunca más volverá, carnavales de mi vida, noches bravas y al final los espiantes de las pibas en aquel viejo arrabal.

(recited) The dance at Rodríguez Peña, el Mocho and el Cachafaz3 of the milongas of Buenos Aires that never will return, my life’s great parties, awesome nights and in the end the blow-offs from all those chicks in that old arrabal.

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In Argentina, the pronoun vos replaces tú in everyday speech, regardless of the speaker’s race, class, gender, or level of education. The use of this word and several lunfardismos indicates that this song uses everyday speech, not poetic diction.

Arrabal is a word with no exact translation, inextricably linked to the mythology of tango. Generally speaking, in the world of tango, an arrabal is a workingclass neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires— neither a slum nor a suburb, but a bastion of the “normal” Argentine. 3 Famous tango dancers, known by their nicknames.

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Trad 104: Issues in Latin American Society & Popular Culture selección de Sencillo y compadre (1941) Carlos Bahr

from Simple and Badass translated by Derrick Del Pilar

A mi me gusta el tango, pero el tango que, pese a que era huraño y era guapo, sabía con acento sensiblero entrar al corazón de las parejas de ayer… Tango como ese del tiempo de antes, agua florida, luz de puñales, tango que añoran los arrabales; tango de un tiempo que dio que hablar...

I like the tango, but the tango that, because it was meek and handsome, knew, with its sentimental accent how to enter the hearts of yesterady’s couples… Tango like that of times gone by, fancy perfumes, flashing daggers, tango that the arrabales want back; tango from a time that made you wanna talk…

A mi me gusta el tango, pero el tango que me hable de arrabal y de fandango, y apriete en la cintura de las mozas la mano del varón, como un reclamo de amor.

I like the tango, but the tango that speaks to me of arrabals and fandango, and encircles the waists of the girls with the man’s hand, like a declaration of love.

selección de Lejos de Buenos Aires (1942) letra de Oscar Rubens

from Far from Buenos Aires translated by Derrick Del Pilar

Lejos de la gran ciudad que me ha visto florecer, en las calles más extrañas siento el alma oscurecer… Y andando sin destino de pronto reaccioné al escuchar de un disco el tango aquel: “¡Mozo! Traiga otra copa,” que lo cantaba Carlos Gardel. Y al escucharlo recordé todo el pasado, los años mozos tan felices que pasé, mi viejecita, la barra amiga, la noviecita que abandoné, Tango, ¡que trae recuerdos! Mi Buenos Aires, ¡quiero llorar!

Far from the big city that has seen me flourish, in the strangest streets I feel my soul begin to darken… And wandering directionless suddenly I was moved when I heard a recording of that tango: “Waiter! Bring another drink,” that was sung by Carlos Gardel. And upon hearing it I remembered my past, the young happy years of my childhood… my old lady, that reliable friend, the sweet girlfriend that I abandoned. Tango, what memories it brings! My Buenos Aires, I want to cry!

selección de La copa del olvido (1921) letra de Alberto Vaccarezza

from The Cup of Forgetting translated by Derrick Del Pilar

¡Mozo! Traiga otra copa y sírvase de algo el que quiera tomar, que ando muy solo y estoy muy triste desde que supe la cruel verdad. ¡Mozo! Traiga otra copa que anoche, juntos, los vi a los dos... Quise vengarme, matarla quise, pero un impulso me serenó.

Waiter! Bring another cup and serve all those that want to drink, ‘cause I am lonely and very sad since I found out the cruel truth. Waiter! Bring another cup I saw the two of them together last night… I wanted to get revenge, I wanted to kill her, but an impulse calmed me down.

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Trad 104: Issues in Latin American Society & Popular Culture selección de Mi Buenos Aires querido (1934) letra de Alfredo Le Pera

from My Beloved Buenos Aires translated by Derrick Del Pilar

El farolito de la calle en que nací fue el centinela de mis promesas de amor. Bajo su quieta lucecita yo la vi a mi pebeta, luminosa como un sol. Hoy que la suerte quiere que te vuelva a ver, ciudad porteña de mi único querer, y oigo la queja de un bandoneón, dentro del pecho pide rienda el corazón.

The lantern on the street where I was born was witness to my promises of love. Under its quiet sweet light I saw her my baby, luminous as a sun. Today I’m lucky enough to see you again, port city of my only love, and I hear the warbling of a bandoneón, inside my chest my heart begs for release.

Mi Buenos Aires, tierra florida donde mi vida terminaré. Bajo tu amparo no hay desengaños, vuelan los años, se olvida el dolor. En caravana los recuerdos pasan, con una estela dulce de emoción. Quiero que sepas que al evocarte, se van las penas del corazón.

My Buenos Aires, blossom-filled land, where I will pass my last days. With your shelter there is no disillusionment, the years fly by, pain is forgotten. Caravanas of memories pass by trailing sweet emotions in their wake. I want you to know that when I evoke you the pains of my heart go away.

La ventanita de mi calle de arrabal donde sonríe una muchachita en flor— quiero de nuevo yo volver a contemplar aquellos ojos que acarician al mirar. En la cortada más maleva una canción dice su ruego de coraje y de pasión, una promesa y un suspirar— borró una lágrima de pena aquel cantar.

The little window of my arrabal street where a girl in the prime of life is smiling— I want to return to lose myself again in those eyes that caress with their look. In the most dangerous backstreets a song says its passionate, courageous plea, a promise and a whisper— that singing wiped away a tear of pain.

selección de Tres Esquinas (1941) letra de Enrique Cadícamo

from Three Corners translated by Derrick Del Pilar

Yo soy del barrio de Tres Esquinas, viejo baluarte de un arrabal, donde florecen como glicinas las lindas pibas de delantal, donde en la noche tibia y serena su antiguo aroma vuelca el malvón y bajo un cielo de luna llena duermen las chatas del corralón.

I am from the Three Corners neighborhood, old bastion of an arrabal, where flowering like wisteria are the young girls in their aprons. where in the cool, serene night the geraniums waft the same old fragrance and beneath a sky with a full moon sleep the shanty houses in the yard.

Soy de ese barrio de humilde rango yo soy el tango sentimental. Soy de ese barrio que toma mate bajo la sombra que da el parral. En sus ochavas compadrié de mozo, tiré la daga por un loco amor, quemé en los ojos de una maleva la ardiente ceba de mi pasión.

I am from this neighborhood of humble rank I’m the sentimental tango. I’m from this neighborhood that drinks mate beneath the shade of the vines. On its corners I strutted in my boyhood, I drew my dagger for a crazy love, I burned in the eyes of no-good girl the fiery sip of my passion.

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Trad 104: Issues in Latin American Society & Popular Culture selección de Silueta Porteña (1946) letra de Ernesto Nolli / Orlando D'Aniello

from Buenos Aires Silhouette translated by Derrick Del Pilar

Cuando tú4 pasas caminando por las tardes, repiqueteando tu taquito en la vereda, marcas compases de cadencias melodiosas de una milonga compadrona y callejera. Y en tus vaivenes pareciera la bailaras, así te miren y te miren los que quieran, porque tú llevas en tu cuerpo la arrogancia y el majestuoso ondular de las porteñas.

When you go walking in the afternoon, tapping your little heel on the sidewalk, you’re marking bars of melodious rhythms of a tough and streetwise milonga. In your swaying it seems that you dance it, so those that want to watch and watch you, because you carry in your body the arrogance and majestic undulations of women from Buenos Aires.

selección de Vuelvo al Sur (1988) letra de Fernando “Pino” Solanas

from I Return to the South translated by Derrick Del Pilar

Vuelvo al Sur, como se vuelve siempre al amor. Vuelvo a vos, con mi deseo, con mi temor. Llevo el Sur, como un destino del corazón. Soy del Sur, como los aires del bandoneón. Sueño el Sur, inmensa luna, cielo al reves. Busco el Sur, el tiempo abierto, y su después. Quiero al Sur, su buena gente, su dignidad. Siento el Sur, como tu cuerpo en la intimidad.

I return to the South, as one always returns to love. I return to you, with my desire, with my fear. I carry the South, like a destiny of my heart. I am from the South, like the warbling of the bandoneón. I dream of the South, immense moon, backwards sky. I search for the South, open time, and what comes after. I love the South, its good people, its dignity. I feel the South, like your body in the intimacy.

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The use of tú here elevates these lyrics to a semi-poetic diction; see note 1.

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