The African Origins of Tango
The African Origins of Tango
Summary
The African influence on tango, long erased from Argentina's dominant historical narrative, is finally being recognized. Afroargentines—descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the Río de la Plata—contributed significantly to the cultural foundation of the country, including one of its most emblematic expressions: tango. Although tango is typically associated with European immigrants and figures like Carlos Gardel, its roots lie in Afroporteño music and dance forms such as candombe and milonga.
African Presence in Argentina
Between 1777 and 1812, over 72,000 enslaved Africans were brought to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, making up nearly half of Argentina’s population in 1778. Despite this, their legacy was silenced through a deliberate historical erasure by the so-called "Generation of 1880", whose members, often descendants of slave owners, constructed a national narrative excluding Afroargentine contributions.
Black Roots of Tango
The earliest written record of the word "tango" in Buenos Aires dates to 11 November 1802. Anthropologist Pablo Cirio discovered this document and has spent decades compiling oral histories and testimonies from Afroargentines. He emphasizes that tango was originally Black music, tied to the rhythms and harmonic structures of candombe and urban milonga. Over time, European immigrants enriched the genre, but its foundation remains unmistakably African.
Notable Afroargentine Figures in Tango
- El entrerriano (1897), composed by Anselmo Rosendo, is considered the first formal tango. - Gabino Ezeiza introduced milonga to the payada tradition in 1884. - Guitarists Guillermo Barbieri and José “el Negro” Ricardo were key members of Gardel’s ensemble. - Composer Enrique Maciel and Joaquín Mora left their mark with *La pulpera de Santa Lucía* and *Margarita Gautier*. - Horacio Salgán revolutionized tango style with *A fuego lento* (1955). - Ruperto “el Africano” Thompson pioneered the "cayengue" style, mimicking percussion on the double bass.
Systemic Erasure and Cultural Resistance
Through legal bans on drumming and social ridicule, Afroargentines were forced to hide their cultural practices for over a century. Yet, they preserved traditions indoors and passed them on orally. Scientific racism further silenced their music—Carlos Vega, the “father of Argentine musicology”, denied the existence of Afroargentine music in 1932.
Reclaiming the Narrative
Today, efforts are underway to recover and honor the Afroargentine contribution to tango. Cirio stresses the importance of listening with awareness: "When you hear tango and milonga with an ear open to diversity, you begin to hear Blackness."
Tango and Kikongo
Fittingly, the Kikongo meaning of the word *tango*—"It's time to speak of what is ours"—serves as a powerful reminder of whose voices are still missing in the official story.
Generational Transmission
Despite discrimination, Afroargentines continued to create and share music. Many of today’s Afroargentine musicians carry these traditions forward. In 1972, Norberto Ismael Posadas—grandnephew of Carlos Posadas—was photographed playing the bandoneón “a lo Piazzolla,” as he told Cirio.
See Also
Source
Ministerio de Cultura Argentina – “El origen negro del tango”