1336  Tango, milongas, fados and the guitar

Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 00:41:59 -0700
From: Sergio <Cachafaz@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: Tango, milongas, fados and the guitar

Summary: brief history of the guitar, its use in tango, the origin of the word milonga.

The origin of the guitar is not very clear, many similar instruments were used in antiquity. Wall carvings with its representation were =
discovered in Assyrian and Hittite ruins dating 1000 years before Christ.
The name seems to come from an instrument without handle (diapason) "kettarah". This makes us suppose that it originated from Greek and =
Roman citars (Cythara) to which a handle was added at the beginning of our era.

There are two different types of guitars starting in the XI or XII centuries: the Arab which has an oval shape (related to the laud and =
mandolin) and the Latin with a flat bottom like the modern Spanish guitar. The first one seems to have an Oriental origin, Assyria, Persia =
and Arabia. The Arabs brought it into Spain as they ruled the Iberian Peninsula from the VIII to the XV centuries. The second one has a =
Greco-Roman origin. It probably entered Iberia with the Roman conquest. Both types are described by King Alfonso X "the wise" in 1270.

The Spaniards introduced the Guitar in the American colonies .

Gauchos (cow-boys) adopted it as their companion in their nomadic life on the Pampas. They used it as accompaniment to their songs and also =
during the "Payadas". Payadas were improvised philosophical discussions in form of a song with guitar accompaniment . These payadas were real =
competitions where two gauchos exhibited their knowledge and wit to associate ideas in an ingenious way. The usual subjects of discussion =
were, God, Life, the Universe, fate, adversity, family, women, etc.

The African slaves only understood that there were "many words" and guitar music at the payadas; "many words" is "mulonga" in their Eastern =
- African language .
They called the payadas 'mulonga' this word took and transformed into milonga.

The payadas or milongas were followed by dancing on occasions. Dancing done to the guitar music.
Singing to guitar music was eventually added. We have now Guitar music, singeing, dancing and philosophical discussions.
This was called a Milonga.

The original African meaning of the word milonga is still in use in Argentina (slang - lunfardo) for useless wording.
Ex. :"No me vengas con esa milonga" Do not come now with all those useless words.

According to the Lunfardo dictionary by Jose Gobello:

Milonga means: Payada, Place where the payada is held, Dance executed to the guitar music at the payada, Place where one can dance, Party where =
one can dance, great confusion, by extension tango.

Milonguero means: payador, person that goes frequently to dance .

Milonguera: woman hired to dance in dancing halls, by regression changed to milonga and also Milonguita: woman of bad life.

Milonguear: Bailar.

We know that nowadays milonguera is a woman that goes frequently to the milongas.

The guitar was part of tango from the very beginnings, it was standard in the trios : Guitar, flute and violin.
It followed the development of the tango singer as the usual accompaniment. The singer was accompanied by one or two guitars.

The guitar had replaced the harp and it was replaced by the piano, starting in 1913.

When the big orchestras of the 40ies, and 50ies. started to disappear due to economical reasons, the guitar reappeared in small musical groups =
and it is still alive with its initial characteristics in many groups such as Cuarteto Cedron where we can listen to songs like the ones =
Carlos Gardel used to sing.

The guitar is frequently present in any party for entertainment and accompaniment to improvised singers.

Beautiful classical music was written for Guitar in Spain, Portugal and in South America. Its importance was replaced by that of the piano, =
but it is still extremely important in Flamenco singing and dancing. It is interesting to notice that the Portuguese guitar follows a different =
development to that of the Spanish guitar to adjust better to the Portuguese folk music.
The Spanish guitar has 6 strings the Portuguese one has 12 metallic ones. This type of guitar is used to accompany the Fado, a beautiful, =
melancholic music that is said to be the expression of the Portuguese soul.

I think that those that like tango will probably like the Fado very much. I like the singer Amalia Rodriguez.
If you wish to hear Fado try the following extension and press - Sound- in the following page.

www.fe.up.pt/~fado/eng/credits_init.html