Saying Buenos Aires, you say tango, and when you think tango, you picture it in the streets of Buenos Aires… When we think about this combination, we often imagine elegant couples dancing with pure, perfect movements and professional musicians. Still, tango was born in the port’s brothels near la Boca. In these colourful tin houses where loneliness and poverty were regular guests and where sex was the king, immigrants from everywhere came to seek comfort and company, giving birth to a genuine exchange of customs and traditions, which soon began to merge to create “the portent soul.”
Tango is nothing but a sublime mix of popular music, mazurka, polka, pianori (music of the pampa), and candombe (the drum rhythm of African slaves) often played by the customers themselves while waiting for their turn of paying pleasure. An amalgam of sounds and emotions that speaks of loneliness, fate, pain, and frustrated passions. The dance of pain.
Initially, it was an obscene dance due to choreography and song lyrics. A dance that only in 1912, with universal suffrage in Argentina, was introduced into the customs and traditions of the country, ceasing to be “the thing of the outcasts.” In a few years, tango became a worldwide phenomenon, consecrated in Parisian cabarets and by intellectuals who began to compose its music and lyrics, transforming the obscenity in romance and nostalgia … since 2009 is even a UNESCO intangible heritage of humanity.
Tango and milongas in Buenos Aires
I love Buenos Aires and have known it ever since. Still, I had never experienced tango, and so, this year, to honour a broken promise to my grandfather, I wanted to recover, dedicating my week in town to discovering traditions, milongas, and tango passions.
Tango places in the capital have many options that suit all tastes and budgets. They range from touristy places arranging cocktails and/or dinner plus show, the milongas and tanguerías that organize classes in the afternoon, the glorietas in public parks, the historic tango halls with their immutable codes and soft lighting, and then the streets and squares frequented by tourists where during weekends it’s widespread to attend to street performances of couples dancing passionately and engaging with more or fewer success passersby in search of emotion or more often a good travel pic.
No matter which kind of experience you want to try, it is better you know some basics:
- The beautiful and oh-so-sexy tango shoes are to be carried in your handbag until you get to the tango hall, and you can put them on only once you’re ready to dance. If you don’t wear them, no man will invite you!
- It’s the man who invites the ladies! If he knows one, he might approach her; otherwise, he will only ask her through cabeceo from the other side of the hall (this is an almost imperceptible nod accompanied by a knowing look). If the lady agrees, she must get up and approach him. Men don’t expose themselves more than this because, in case of refusal, they could be misjudged by other ladies in the hall… Pure machismo.
- Once the invitation is accepted, the tanda starts a series of four tangos, three milongas, or, more rarely, three waltzes by the same artist; stopping in the middle of this series to sit back down or change partners is something gross and extreme.
- Tango is always danced counterclockwise, and the man has to avoid clashes with other couples.
- A woman with a good sense of rhythm and a good dancer can have fun after the first introductory lesson, but for a man, several lessons and some consistency are needed.
Milonga and tango halls in Buenos Aires
Among all of them, I recommend the following ones:
- Confitería Ideal – at a short walk from Avenida Corrientes, this is a real institution in pure Belle Epoque style. It opens at 8:00 in the morning, and the ground-floor bar is always open. On the first floor, tango orchestras play during afternoons, evenings, and nights until 3:00. *be aware that a petition to prevent the forthcoming closure was active in January. Check if it’s open before you go.
- Café Tortoni – at n°825 of Avenida de Mayo. One of the historic cafes of the town, just like a dip in Paris, no longer exists. Passed the bar area, you will find yourself in a real milonga that organizes classes for beginners and proper shows. Very touristy but worth a quick stop!
- Milonga ParaKultural (Salón Canning) -on Avenida Scalabrini Ortiz 1331. It’s a real milonga portend that comes alive every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday around 10:30 p.m. On the same day, between 7 and 9 p.m., they organize classes for dancers of any level. I fell in love with this place.
- Obelisco Tango – in Barrio San Cristobal, on avenida Entre Ríos 1056. This is a new tango spot, but it is already quite popular. Tango nights are organized on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
- Milonga Malena – every Saturday night from 11:00 in the gym of the Sunderland Club in Lugones 3161. A trendy place frequented by professional dancers of all ages.
- Glorieta de Belgrano is in the heart of Belgrano Square. The neighbourhood dancers gather every night except Tuesday and Thursday. There’s no live orchestra, but simple iPhones connect to the gazebo’s coffers. I loved this place for its spontaneity and authenticity!
For a detailed and up-to-date tango events schedule, check the Hoy Milonga website.
And if you plan a trip in late August, do not miss the Buenos Aires Tango Festival, including the Tango World Cup!
Tango Shoes in Buenos Aires
Who says tango says shoes and clothes and passion but above all shoes!
There are many Tango shoe shops in town, but Alma Buenos Aires is my favourite, and the quality of its shoes is excellent. Situated in the heart of San Telmo (and this adds charm to everything!), on Estados Unidos Avenue 652, this handicraft boutique is a true paradise for shoe lovers.
Oh, they even sell online, and the red pairs are perfect and do suit my clothes perfectly 😉
Tango de Mayo Hotel
For a total tango experience, I recommend the Tango de Mayo Hotel on the homonymous Avenue. Every piece of furniture and equipment tells about tango in this beautiful Art Nouveau building. The information provided at the front desk and in the booklet in the room is valuable and highly detailed!
Also, when you say tango, you also say Carlos Gardel, Aníbal Trailo, Astor Piazzolla, and other great artists, which is why I now leave you with them.
