Tango: History and Characteristics
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Questions and Answers

What originated in bars and dance halls of Buenos Aires in the 1890s?

Tango: Argentina

What are tango: Argentina's ethnic roots?

Iberian, Italian, and African traditions

What is the tango: Argentina now synonymous with?

Argentine culture

What are the lyrics usually in the tango: Argentina?

<p>Emotional pain =&gt; creative expression</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the early tango ensemble consist of?

<p>Flute, violin, guitar/accordion</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the standard tango ensemble by the early 1900s?

<p>Orquesta tipica criolla; violin, flute, guitar, bandoneon</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a bandoneon?

<p>Small button style accordion</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does tango: Argentina later grow to in terms of ensemble size?

<p>Size of small orchestras; up to 4 bandoneon, piano, cello, string bass, expanded string section</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do couples move in the tango: Argentina?

<p>Couples move in strong broad steps</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the man do in the tango: Argentina?

<p>Leads, holds his partner in abrazo position</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is abrazo?

<p>Embrace</p> Signup and view all the answers

What standard movements is the improvisation of tango based on?

<p>Caminata, salida, giros</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is caminata?

<p>Walking step</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is salida?

<p>Exit or entrance</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are giros?

<p>Turns and rotation</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is tango dance?

<p>Choreographed seduction</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is an Argentine bandoneon player, composer, and bandleader considered the most important tango musician in the 20th century?

<p>Astor Piazzolla</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did Astor Piazzolla learn to play by age 13?

<p>Bandoneon virtuoso</p> Signup and view all the answers

What were Piazzolla's broad musical interests?

<p>Classical, jazz, tango</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did Astor Piazzolla do to tango?

<p>Revolutionized tango sound</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a 16-bar sequence, repeated with changing orchestration?

<p>&quot;Libertango&quot; by Astor Piazzolla from The Tango Lesson (1997)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the female dancer do in "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla from The Tango Lesson (1997)?

<p>Changes partner with each 16-bar section</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is dancing in "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla from The Tango Lesson (1997)?

<p>One woman, three men dance</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is prominent in the musical ensemble of "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla from The Tango Lesson (1997)?

<p>Bandoneon</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the musical pace in "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla from The Tango Lesson (1997)?

<p>Increases (8 bar cycles); more frequent partner changes</p> Signup and view all the answers

What dance has unclear ethnic roots?

<p>Capoeira: Brazil</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does folklore hold about capoeira's roots?

<p>That capoeira's roots go back to Brazilian slavery</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is capoeira dance/sport?

<p>Choreographed combat</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the expression of capoeira?

<p>Of afro-brazilian heritage</p> Signup and view all the answers

What instruments are used in capoeira?

<p>Roda of capoeiristas sing, play percussion instruments, clap, berimbau</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a roda?

<p>Ring</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a berimbau?

<p>One stringed musical bow</p> Signup and view all the answers

What language is capoeira sung in?

<p>Portuguese, call and response format</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a traditional dance style of the Dagbamba ethnic group (Northern Ghana)?

<p>Baammaya: Ghana, West Africa</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the dance moves of Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa?

<p>Hip swivel, similar to the twist</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the roots tied to in Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa?

<p>Mythology</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the moral significance of Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa?

<p>Entire community responsible for actions of individuals</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is associated with funerals, performed before dawn?

<p>Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do the dancers dress in the Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa?

<p>Men dressed as women; belts adorned with beads, yarn pom-pons; short skirts; monkey skin hats; jingles attached to ankles add rhythmic layer</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the instrumental ensemble in Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa?

<p>Drums: luna and gungon; sayalsa; calamboo</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does luna refer to?

<p>Variable pitched</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is gungon?

<p>Single snare</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is sayalsa?

<p>Rattle</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is calamboo?

<p>Wooden flute</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa dance have?

<p>Multiple sections, each of which correspond to part of Baamaya mythology</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do the drums do in Baamaya?

<p>Imitate pitch, inflections of speech; proverbs may be told through drums</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where is individuality and improvisation encouraged?

<p>Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa</p> Signup and view all the answers

What required social skill for men and women during the Renaissance?

<p>European dance in the Renaissance</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where did posture and footwork indicate good health and social manners?

<p>European dance in the Renaissance</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is footwork associated with music notated in dance manuals?

<p>Orchesography by Thoinot Arbeau; European dance in the Renaissance</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is branle?

<p>Simple dance performed in groups; European dance in the Renaissance</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does branle imitate?

<p>&quot;Mimed&quot; branles imitated animals or people at work/play</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a dance performed in a circle where men and women alternate places and clapping hands mimics the sound of washing clothes?

<p>Branles des lavandiers</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the phrase structures in Branles des Lavandiers?

<p>AABBCC</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Arbeau's notation in Branles des Lavandiers?

<p>Unaccompanied melody; melody played by recorder; harmonies meant to be improvised</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Tango: Argentina

  • Originated in the bars and dance halls of Buenos Aires during the 1890s.
  • Ethnic roots include Iberian, Italian, and African traditions.
  • Now synonymous with Argentine culture and emotional expression through music and dance.
  • Lyrics often convey themes of emotional pain and creative expression.

Tango Ensembles

  • Early ensembles featured flute, violin, guitar, and accordion.
  • By the early 1900s, the standard tango ensemble evolved into the orquesta típica criolla, consisting of violin, flute, guitar, and bandoneon.
  • The bandoneon is a small button-style accordion integral to tango music.
  • Later ensembles expanded to small orchestras, incorporating up to four bandoneons, piano, cello, and string bass.

Dance Characteristics

  • Couples move with strong, broad steps.
  • The man leads while holding his partner in an abrazo (embrace) position.
  • Standard movements include caminata (walking step), salida (exit/entrance), and giros (turns/rotation).

Notable Figures

  • Astor Piazzolla was a pivotal Argentine bandoneon player, composer, and bandleader who revolutionized tango music in the 20th century.
  • Piazzolla showcased broad musical interests that included classical, jazz, and tango, mastering the bandoneon by age 13.

Musical Composition

  • Libertango is a notable composition by Piazzolla featuring a 16-bar sequence repeated with varied orchestration.
  • In Libertango, the female dancer alternates partners every 16 bars among one woman and three men.
  • The bandoneon is prominently featured, with the musical pace increasing over 8-bar cycles, resulting in more frequent partner changes.

Capoeira: Brazil

  • Capoeira is a dance with unclear ethnic roots, traditionally linked to Brazilian slavery.
  • It combines elements of choreographed combat and Afro-Brazilian heritage, with participants singing and playing percussion instruments within a roda (ring).
  • Instruments include the berimbau (a one-stringed musical bow) with performances often in Portuguese using a call-and-response format.

Baamaya: Ghana, West Africa

  • Baamaya is a traditional dance style of the Dagbamba ethnic group, characterized by movements mirroring hip swiveling akin to the twist.
  • Roots are tied to mythology, emphasizing community responsibility for individual actions.
  • The dance is typically associated with funerals and is performed at dawn, with men dressing in women’s clothing adorned with beads.

Instrumentation in Baamaya

  • Instrumental ensemble includes drums (luna and gungon), a rattle (sayalsa), and a wooden flute (calamboo).
  • The luna drum varies in pitch while the gungon is a single snare drum.

European Dance in the Renaissance

  • European dance during this era required social skills from both men and women, indicating good health and social manners through posture and footwork.
  • Footwork was documented in dance manuals, notably Orchesography by Thoinot Arbeau.
  • Branle is a simple group dance involving movements that mimic animals or people at work or play.

Specific Dances

  • Branles des lavandiers is a communal dance performed in a circle that features alternating men and women clapping hands, simulating the sound of washing clothes.
  • The phrase structure of Branles des lavandiers is AABBCC, with Arbeau's notation comprised of unaccompanied melodies played by recorders, inviting harmonies to be improvised.

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Description

Explore the rich history and characteristics of Tango music and dance, rooted in the cultural tapestry of Argentina. From its origins in Buenos Aires to the evolution of musical ensembles and dance styles, this quiz uncovers the essence of this passionate art form.

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