Italians have played a fundamental role in the birth, growth, and establishment of tango culture, its poetry, and its music. First and second-generation immigrants managed to transpose the nostalgia for their distant homeland into the most iconic form of Argentine artistic expression.
What better way to highlight the Italian cultural influence in Argentina and celebrate the friendship and closeness with Italy than by rediscovering the origins, also Italian, of this art form. And what better time to do so than during the year dedicated to the rediscovery of “Roots”.
From its beginnings, tango has been deeply influenced by the presence of Italians and their descendants, who came to Argentina with a rich cultural heritage. The experiences of these immigrants, their struggles, loneliness, and nostalgia, are reflected in the lyrics and music of tango, making it a true expression of their reality.
The educational-musical show “Italy in the History of Tango” took place on 24 August at the cultural centre of the Cooperativa Ibrera in Bahía Blanca, achieving a sold-out audience. It was also streamed live on the Consulate General’s YouTube channel during a special episode of PizzaBirraStream, the weekly program curated by the Italian Youth of Bahía Blanca (available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/live/ec3rQnDrH1M?feature=shared).
Participants included Gaby “The sensual voice of tango” and Gustavo Von Holtun, renowned tango singers, Laura Borelli and Gustavo Rodríguez, a well-known pair of dance instructors, and José Valle, writer, cultural manager, and member of the National Academy of Tango, who provided his perspective and knowledge on the subject.
Among the names that have left an indelible mark on the history of tango are first-generation immigrants such as Luis César Amadori, Hugo Ricardo Baralis, Mario Battistella, José Bragato, Julio Camilloni, Julián Centeya, Ignacio Corsini, and many others. Among the descendants of Italians who have also shaped the genre are giants like Vicente Greco, Ernesto Ponzio, Pascual Contursi, Roberto Firpo, Francisco Canaro, Carlos Di Sarli, Astor Piazzolla, and the brothers Julio and Francisco De Caro, among others.
Part of the show featured “fileteados” created by the artist Sergio Grasso, dedicated to the evening’s theme and raffled off as prizes to the audience. “Fileteado” is an art form with roots inspired by the decorations of Sicilian carts. On a small or medium-sized board, the artist paints portraits and forms from the Tango tradition using acrylic colours.
