Tango in Argentina

The tango was born with humble beginnings along Rio de la Plata towards the end of the 1800's. The tango was at first known as the dance of the poor: the porteños, residents of Buenos Aires, immigrants from Europe, and campesinos from the pampas merged their cultures in the poorer barrios of the city. Looked down upon by the wealthy and aristocratic residents of Buenos Aires, the tango gradually danced its way into the upper classes, who took it to Europe where it became the rage in Paris in the early 1920's. From there, it returned with joy and glory to Argentina, where in the 1940's and 1950's it enjoyed great popularity, and a number of tango singers, such as Carlos Gardel, Anibal Troilo and Astor Piazzolla surged to great fame.