October 1, 2010

ARTS

Afro Roots in Tango Society

What is the Afro Roots in Tango Society (ARTS)? ARTS began in San Francisco in October 2009 from the inspiration of our patron Facundo Posadas, a black Argentine master of tango who has been dancing this art for more than 56 years. There are very few masters of tango living today like Facundo Posadas. He shares with us threads of his own family’s legacy from song writers like Carlos Posadas. He guides us through the intricate evolution of Argentina’s musical genius recalling live seasoned bands he danced to in the early fifties like DiSarli, Troilo, Pugliese, D’Arienzo. He travels the world teaching thousands the fluid and graceful movements of tango, milonga and candombe. When you walk into his classroom you are truly in his room, in his space, in that place where style and motion have innovation, creativity, cause and effect. You can feel that all the practice, trial and error, discovery and enjoyment of his 56 years of dancing are with you in that classroom.

It’s not just the music and the dancing that makes Argentine tango so culturally unique. There are many social elements to this evolving cultural phenomenon. Many of the social codes in tango that we take for granted, like the line of dance or the etiquette of engagement that we call the cabeceo, were still developing traditions when Facundo was a young man.

What makes each of these social elements of tango important to the dance is that collectively they define the dance as truly Argentine. In that definition, they create a cultural phenomenon that allows art to transcend societies and at its zenith all the various societies of that culture.

What societies created this culture? At the cultural preparation of this dance, African

Congolese and Yoruba slaves, freed slaves and free Africans, were a large percentage of the population of Buenos Aires. Music and dance was a cultural expression for the Africans to soothe the anguish of harsh labor. They retained their identity through the pain in their expression. Soon there were payadors that roamed the countryside, playing guitar, and bringing with them their brand of cultural disassociation, melancholy and the social identity of the gaucho. Spanish and Cuban sailors came of all colors with brashness and the undeniable habanera style. Music and dance engaged these societies and as they shared their social traditions transcendence took place in the forms of cayenque, condombe, milonga. New words began to develop to describe the new phenomenon called Tango, an African word.

Finally, around 1870, like a giant tidal wave the flood of European immigration created new societies and it was not long before new instrumentation, musical composition and formal arrangement were introduced to the mix of tango. During this massive immigration all the societies- new and old- of Argentina suffered. When the giant wave hit, it washed away many things. With it came yellow fever, wars with neighbors, internal strife, fierce segregation and a new census that totally ignored a whole race of African people.

Yet through the incredible strength and cultural preparation of the early Argentine societies their legacy is still present in the music and dance today. The music and dance continue to be shared and continue to evolve and become one of the most unique cultural contributions to the world. It is a tribute to those who still continue today in the evolution of this great tradition we call tango.

It is no wonder that Facundo Posadas has lectured at Yale, Cornell, Princeton and Howard Universities on numerous occasions. It is no wonder that just last month at the Smithsonian Institute of Washington, D.C., Facundo performed with his partner and Yale Professor Robert Thompson who lectured on the African roots of tango before a standing-room only crowd of 350 people.

There are a great many details to the story you have just now heard. If you would like to learn more please come and join ARTS. We are sharing as much information, books, music and dance as we can find on the art and history of tango. Facundo is sharing all he can with us. Our goal is to engage more people of color into the art of tango and encourage everyone regardless of color to come and enjoy with us the richness of this cultural expression.

Facundo Posadas is our key patron and we hope to continue working with him here in the United States.

Sincerely,

Tom Lewis