What dance, what music?

What dance, what music?

Do some dance styles demand certain music?

You would be hard pushed to waltz if it was other than 3 beats to the bar!

Salsa music demands a certain rhythm. Some of the dancing is exquisite, so much more than the music.

Jive is 4 beats to the bar and West Coast Swing adds triple steps to some beats.

Swing dance is ideally done to big band swing music of 30s and 40s, and so on.

The dance that started in Buenos Aires and Montevideo around the start of 20th Century is referred to as Argentine Tango (sorry, Uruguay). UNESCO has declared it to be an intangible cultural heritage of the world. Did those good people at UNESCO sit watching videos with the sound switched off to make their decisions? No! They studied the history of tango, its origins in the Arrabal, the working class area, the culture of the dance and most significantly the music and lyrics. The music and lyrics developed through the 30s and 40s reflecting life and love that we all experience, along with the special circumstances of Argentinian life and politics. 

Tango is not just a dance; music is the essence of tango.

Of course there have been developments in tango dance and music as there should be in any art form. We have Piazzolla, Nuevo Tango, Gotan Project....Horacio Godoy, Chicho Frumboli...We need to distinguish genuine artistic developments from a random selection of "Alternative" music, which is simply NOT tango. It is a dilution of real tango. We need to respect those musicians who brought us tango and respect Argentina that fermented the native and immigrant talents to produce this wonderful captivating dance.

Of course, anyone can dance anything to whatever music they like. However a little study and an understanding of tango and its music  can give rise to a deeper enjoyment and artistic fulfilment along this life long journey.