3234 Etymology of tango
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 14:36:40 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Etymology of tango
Etymology of words:
The word "Tango" could have several possible origins.
Latin Tangere - I touch - in reference to touch (play) the drums not your
partner, although you may do so. :))
As already explained by Alberto there was a "Spanish Tango or Tanguillo"
that was a song or a way of singing sevillanas (music of southern Spain in
Andalucia) rather than a dance.
Also an onomatopoetic sound of the drums being played : Tan-Go - Tan-Go.
Finally most likely the word originated from an African language Kimbunda
spoken by the slaves in Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Tango was a gathering
of people, was also a closed space where people gathered . The blacks that
danced Candombe would say "Let's go to the tango" in reference to the place
of the dance - finally the word referred also to the dance itself that from
Candombe, milonga, habanera and tanguillo lyrics became our Tango Argentino.
The same process acted to originated milonga, so milonga is the dance but
also the place where it is danced.
Un abrazo, Sergio.
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 08:36:35 -0800
From: Derik Rawson <rawsonweb@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Etymology of tango
Dear Sergio, Wonderful explanation of the meaning of
the word tango. I usually tell people that it means
the place where black people dance. The irony is that
now there are almost no black people left in Buenos
Aires. Do you know what happened to them? Derik
--- TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
<sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
> Etymology of words:
>
> The word "Tango" could have several possible
origins.
>
> Latin Tangere - I touch - in reference to touch
(play) the drums not your
> partner, although you may do so. :))
>
> As already explained by Alberto there was a "Spanish
Tango or Tanguillo"
> that was a song or a way of singing sevillanas
(music of southern Spain in
> Andalucia) rather than a dance.
>
> Also an onomatopoetic sound of the drums being
played : Tan-Go - Tan-Go.
>
> Finally most likely the word originated from an
African language Kimbunda
> spoken by the slaves in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Tango was a gathering
> of people, was also a closed space where people
gathered . The blacks that
> danced Candombe would say "Let's go to the tango" in
reference to the place
> of the dance - finally the word referred also to the
dance itself that from
> Candombe, milonga, habanera and tanguillo lyrics
became our Tango Argentino.
>
> The same process acted to originated milonga, so
milonga is the dance but
> also the place where it is danced.
>
> Un abrazo, Sergio.
>
>
Download today - it's FREE!
>
>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 19:28:05 -0500
From: WHITE 95 R <white95r@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Etymology of tango
----Original Message Follows----
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 18:06:12 -0800
From: Derik Rawson <rawsonweb@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Etymology of tango
Dear Manuel, How ironic that the people that named the
dance are all gone. In the US 8 to 9 million Indians
are gone from the same period and few exist. The
blacks survived in large numbers. Derik
--- white95r@hotmail.com <white95r@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: Derik Rawson <rawsonweb@YAHOO.COM>
>
> Dear Sergio, Wonderful explanation of the meaning of
> the word tango. I usually tell people that it means
> the place where black people dance. The irony is
that
> now there are almost no black people left in Buenos
> Aires. Do you know what happened to them? Derik
>
>
> Derik,
>
> I've heard from several people from Argentina and
Uruguay that most of the
> black people (and indegenous people too) were killed
off in the indian wars.
> The white people in the government sent the blacks
to fight the indians who
> were fighting the europeans (Spaniards). This is one
of those sad and
> shameful chapters in the history of Argentina and
the Americas (and the
> world at large). People of color have been
dispossesed, displaced, enslave
> and killed throughout history.......
>
> Manuel
>
>
>
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:38:37 -0500
From: Hector Pablo Pereyra <hpereyra@NYC.RR.COM>
Subject: Re: Etymology of tango
We kill them all during the war against Paraguay.
After that, when they were free, realizing what kind of prejudice and racist
people we are they left the country. Some of them relocated in Uruguay
(Uruguayans have been always nicer), that's why there is a lot more of black
people there.
The pulpo
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 06:25:22 -0800
From: Derik Rawson <rawsonweb@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Etymology of tango
Dear Hector:
This sounds more like the old United States.
Fortunatley, now this country is finally learning that
there is economic strenghth in its ethnic diversity.
For instance, where are the Chinese businessmen going
to find the black Chinese salesmen to sell Chinese
products in Africa, or the Hispanic Chinese salesmen
to sell products into Latin America...etc. etc.?
Derik
--- Hector Pablo Pereyra <hpereyra@NYC.RR.COM> wrote:
> We kill them all during the war against Paraguay.
> After that, when they were free, realizing what kind
> of prejudice and racist
> people we are they left the country. Some of them
> relocated in Uruguay
> (Uruguayans have been always nicer), that's why
> there is a lot more of black
> people there.
>
> The pulpo
>
>
> should be sent to
> send the
> LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU.
>
>
>
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2005 14:51:10 -0700
From: romerob <romerob@TELUSPLANET.NET>
Subject: Etymology of Tangos
On fate of blacks in Buenos Aires:
>We kill them all during the war against Paraguay.
After that, when they were free, realizing what kind of prejudice and racist
people we are they left the country. Some of them relocated in Uruguay
(Uruguayans have been always nicer), that's why there is a lot more of black
people there.<
Another account as to what may have happened to blacks in Buenos Aires:
After the defeat of the battle of Caseros, the governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
went to exile to Southampton, England. The coming of a new governor, Justo
J. de Urquiza, meant a terrible blow for blacks in Buenos Aires, especially
for male blacks in condition to serve the military since they were recruited
and taken to Entre Rios (Province of Buenos Aires). There, blacks were
almost entirely sold to Brasil as slaves despite explicit laws prohibiting
slavery. This explains in part why Buenos Aires or Argentina lacks a black
or black descendents population in significant numbers.
The few blacks who remained concentrated in the neighborhoods of San Telmo
and Monserrat. These blacks lived in poor houses with very basic conditions
of comfort and hygiene, which were equivalent to the houses shared by people
from rural areas, peons, cattle workers, and fruit vendors. The
neighborhoods where blacks lived were called "barrios del candombe" because
it was the music heard in parties and gatherings. Also, these places were
called "barrios del tambor" since the drum was the instrument most often
played. Finally, these neighborhoods were also called "barrio del Mondongo"
since beef tripe was massively consumed by blacks as well other non blacks
who lived in these places.
Blacks in their dance reunions were open to have other people attend their
gatherings. The non-blacks in attendance neither danced nor played music,
but just watched the dances.
The remaining blacks in need of income to live, and after 1855 funneled the
growth of dance academies "Academias de Baile". A city ordinance of 1885 put
restrictions on how these academies should operate prohibiting alcohol
consumption, admission to drunks and minors, and offensive dancing.
Note: The information above was taken from the book "Tango Testigo Social"
by Andres M. Carretero, pages 21, 22, 23.
Best regards,
Bruno
