In the late  1860´s, creoles, gauchos, sailors, Indians, Africans and mulattoes begun to practice this new dance in a loose fashion. A fusion had taken place. Tango as such did not exist at that time. We should take into account that any new artistic discipline is always evolving thus mixing chords, rhythms, and new dancing figures altogether. With time the German born “bandoneon” started to be used. The bandoneon joined the piano, the Spanish guitar, the bass and the violins.

In the city outskirts begun to be danced the “arrabalero” tango. Men and women practiced strongly embraced and shocked that time society standards. We should also remember that also by the time while waiting their turn at the local whorehouses (“cabarets”), men also started to dance tango among themselves. Harshly condemned by the Church, forbidden by the cops, accused of inciting lust, Tango was quickly linked to transgression.  Its prohibition forced everybody to dance it in hidden places until the beginning of the Twentieth Century. Since many of its compositors were of European origin, melancholy soon invaded its music and lyrics.

By then only humble strata dared to practice this newly born discipline. High society still considered it “vulgar”.  By those times, the singular mixture of cultures gave birth to the “lunfardo” a Tango slang initially destined to avoid the understanding of the outsiders and the law. Many Italian dialect words mingled with Spanish yielding a singular language. Lunfardo happened to be a clandestine language. It also developed around the port, place where many clandestine activities took place. Lunfardo developed until the forties and fifties side to side with Tango. By then, their development altogether stopped. 

In 1910, Tango flooded Paris, and begun its popularity around the world.  Its charm and glamour conquered most European Capitals. Later on, Tango “invaded” Hollywood when Rodolfo Valentino danced it disguised as a gaucho. Some years later, Carlos Gardel also acted in some Hollywood movies. He combined a versatile voice, charisma and a pretty face, everything needed to become a true success.

From there on, Tango underwent a paralysis. In the sixties Astor Piazzolla renewed it adding some jazz touch to it.  Recently some new tendencies, like the “Tanghetto” rhythmic sound, show that Tango is far from vanishing.