The explosion of participation in dance classes in recent years has led to the re-emergence of popular partner dancing, with Latin American styles at the forefront. Chief among these styles is the most sensual and dramatic of dances, the tango. Born in the unlit streets of Buenos Aires, tango was danced to the music of immigrants from Europe who crossed the ocean to Argentina, lured by the promise of a better life. The majority of these newcomers were young men, who found small comfort in the brothels and cabarets of the marginal districts where tango found its voice. They spoke the strange language of the streets, Lunfardo, and told their stories, the stories of prostitutes, petty thieves and disappointed lovers through the music and dance of the tango. Initially shunned as the music of the lower and criminal classes, after Paris went crazy for the tango before World War i it became acceptable for middle-class Argentines to dance this seductive dance. Spreading throughout the world during the twentieth century to the us, Japan, Finland and beyond, today few cities in the world are without tango classes. Although the tango is danced and adored worldwide, in the English-speaking world there is very little understanding of tango's evolution, or the stories told through its lyrics. Tango: Sex and Rhythm of the City sets the history and music, the key figures, and most importantly the dance in its place and time, explores how it developed, and describes the continuing enthusiasm with which each generation has rediscovered it. Telling the sultry, enthralling story of this stylish and dramatic dance, Tango is essential reading for both casual fans and ballroom aficionados alike.
About the Author
Mike Gonzalez is Emeritus Professor of Latin American Studies at Glasgow University and has written and lectured widely on Latin American culture and politics. Marianella Yanes is a Venezuelan writer, journalist and playwright. She wrote soap opera for a number of Latin American television channels and worked in theatre for many years.
Industry Reviews
"Captivating and insightful. . . . The book delivers a beautifully depicted and well-informed history, chronicling the diverse characters and ingredients that have formed tango then and now. Suitable for the uninitiated and tango aficionado alike, Tango: Sex and Rhythm of the City is time deliciously spent."
-- "Dance International"
Authors Mike Gonzalez and Marianella Yates do a masterful job of painting a literary portrait of tango that is both interesting and affecting; appealing equally to the devoted historian of Peronism as it will to the casual fan of the dance. . . . I first picked up my copy of Tango hoping that I would not find yet another dry, seemingly uninspired academic history of one of my favorite art forms. What I found was a book that inspired me to hit the dance floor as much as it did to hit the library in order to delve deeper into tango's complex history. This is a book that will provide the budding fan of tango with all of the necessary background information and inspiration to embark on a love affair with the magnificent dance."
-- "Popmatters"
