3440  Brothels and Tango I

Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 18:30:11 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Brothels and Tango I

Laurie says: "There is some evidence that in its early days Tango was
associated with
brothels (as well as with other places). What is still not clear to me is
why
this was so. After all, the men, who were in the majority, could have
visited
the places without dancing a step. Why then do Tango?

Today, I'm pretty confident that the link no longer exists, except perhaps
in the minds of some non-dancers. However, what I was looking for was any
indication that someone had studied the phenomenon and produced some
reasonably
firm historical data one way or the other."

**There is plenty of documentation with respect of the association of tango
and brothels.

A booklet that was recently mentioned by Bruno, " Tango testigo social"
(Tango social witness) by Andres H. Carretero is one of them. This author
has written many articles and booklets in reference to life and
prostitution in Buenos Aires such as " Prostitucion in Buenos Aires" and
"Vida cotidiana en Buenos Aires". (Daily life in B.A.).

I read some of those books many years ago and I do not have them with me (as
I am now in North America and I left them in my house in Buenos Aires) but I
remember that Carretero presents lots of material from different sources
such as City Hall ordinances or from the Federal Police archives that
definitely associate tango and brothels.

The outskirts of the cities of Buenos Aires was a place of collision of
different cultures as all sort of immigrants, saylors, gauchos, compadritos
and city boys of "good class" mixed together looking for fun in multiple
bars, academias y pirigundines. There you would find women, gambling,
drinking, music, dancing and sex. Some sort of "Saloon" of the North
American Far West.

These were places where you went to sit down, play cards, listen to music,
dance, meet ladies and eventually have sex with them. The ladies and the
men did not associate randomly as it is done today just for sex. There was
more than that. You had to impress a lady with your machismo, your savoir
fair and you dancing skills for her to pay attention to you. When finally
she had sex with you the payment could be presents such as jewelry or other
things rather than just money. Many men fell in love with those women and
tried to live normal lives with them. Tango Lyrics are full of such stories.

How was tango born in such a place? ...this will be the theme of another
note as this one is already long enough.

Best regards to you all.