BUENOUS AIRES AND TANGO

TANGO HISTORY AND MODERN BUENOUS AIRES
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After driving in an open truck for 63 blocks “de punta a punta” (all the way) through the old, loved and most “tanguera Avenue” of Buenos Aires, the famous calle Corrientes, EL MONUMENTO AL TANGO named “Virulazo” (Virulazo was a one of the first and greatest dancers and teachers of el tango) by their creators, was settled at its last destination: one of the squares in Puerto Madero located at “Avenida de los Italianos” and Azucena Villaflor Streets, right in front of the emblematic Rio de La Plata at the Buenos Aires’s harbor. This is, no doubt about it, the right place to honor and to remember all those immigrants that got to that harbor many years ago and became a very important part of the Tango’s history and beginning. The sentimental and emblematic caravan was escorted block by block for musicians, poets, composers, dancers and all kind of admirers and personalities representatives of the 2 X 4. Three of the most authentic legends of El Tango: Leopoldo Federico, Horacio Ferrer and Ben Molar were leading the crowd. It could not be in any other way… finally and after more than a hundred years of existence making the history of this city, the Music of El Tango would have its very well deserved physical respect and recognition….. Its own monument!

El Tango in the City of Buenos Aires, its place of birth and grow has been represented trough the years in many different forms and in very emblematic places. Barrios and famous streets, City squares and corners shows today all kind of works of arts and testimonials dedicated to remember and to honor its more greatest Maestros and Composers:

One of the most representative “paseos” that pay respect to the great Masters of Tango is, and everyone in he tango’s world knows it, “Caminito” in La Boca neighborhood. Visited by thousands of tourist and tango funs from all over the planet, this place was the inspiration for Juan de Dios Filiberto to create the music of one of his most famous tangos: “Caminito“. The statue of Coria Penaloza, the creator of the tango’ words, close to the statues of Filiberto and Gabino complete this Buenos Aires attraction. Later on don Benito Quinquela Martin, another of “La Boca” most beloved sons painted “Caminito” in its masters pieces… and immortalized this colorful, authentic and representative “Paseo del Tango“ !

Another piece of the tango history is “El Abasto” where Carlos Gardel starts singing when he was a boy, and today “Pasaje Carlos Gardel” a short street, shows a full size bronze statue of “El Zorzal Criollo” smiling like a king and wearing his famous tuxedo. Enrique Santos Discepolo another one of those unforgettable Masters has also been immortalized in a “pasaje” and a “plazoleta” (little square) that connects calle Corrientes with Rio Bamba Street. “Discepolin” like his friends used to call him, has been remembered in “Parque Chacabuco” one of the most representatives barrios of Buenos Aires. The singer Roberto Goyeneche has his own square and statue at “Saavedra” neighborhood, its place of birth…. And the late Master of Mastes don Osvaldo Pugliese, one of the most important chapters in the tango history has also been remembered with a statue at “Villa Crespo” neighborhood, his place of bird also, in calle Corrientes and Drago but…. believe it or not… up to this very important moment of its life Buenos Aires and el Tango did not have a monument dedicated to its MUSIC ! That music that not only is a proved and a sound success all over the world, but also represent the vivid personality and the closest and most authentic definition of “El Porteno” (the men of the harbor) with all of its daily hopes, problems and dreams!

The monument to its music is a very suggestive and abstract work of art, and was built in stainless steel, weighs 2 tons, is 3 and half meters tall and is supposed to resemble the life, soul and spirit of the 2 X 4. Taking the shape of a giant Bandoneon, the main and most representative musical instrument of El Tango, this piece involves in itself and get elevated in a visible projection of rhythm and movement. According to its creator Ms Estela Trevino the piece is an abstract work of art (To abstract for me) that represent the tango’s spirit with its music, its dancers, its singers and all its poetry. Mss Trevino won a contest organized and started by “El Comite Pro-monumento al Tango”. During 6 long years this Committee worked in the project without any City or Government financing and was able to get the money and the necessary founding to erect the “Tango’s Monument of Buenos Aires“. After that more than 300 local artists, poets, musicians, funs and all kind of volunteers worked “for free” in over 15 exhibitions and festivals organized by the committee during that period of time (6 years). With this revenues plus money collected from different private Argentinean companies and organizations, they were able to get together the amount $ 350.000 (Argentinean pesos) to pay for the work of art and them… was donated to the city !

This incredible project started and was initiated by Ruben Reale, a reporter specialist in Tango when in the year 2002 He knowledge that EL TANGO came out to be the first one after a worldwide survey “To establish how and for what Argentina were identified in other parts of the world”. Then, according to this reporter: -“I asked myself: How could be possible than this beautiful Music, that represent us and identified us all over the world, does not have its own Monument in Buenos Aires, its place of bird? After this an “urban Art Contest” with the intervention of 71 different proposals, was organized in order to start this sensational project. The winners came out to be Mi ss Estela Trevino and hers son Alejandro Coria. Alejandro said at that time -“We had to represent in only one piece, the music, the poetry, the dance and the singing of El Tango… but without going to the usual “farolito” or the usual “couple of dancers“, and the final result was an abstract figure that take us to “El Bandoneon” because of the shape and the movement of the steel”-

HOMELAND OF TANGO

A R G E N T I N A
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Argentina is located in the southern extreme of South America. With a continental extension of 2.791.810 Km2.(including Malvinas Islands, other South Atlantic Islands and part of Antarctica). Argentina is the second largest country in South America and the eighth in the world.
Including the Antarctic Sector, Argentina claims a total area of 3.761.274 Km2
It is some 1425 Km across at its widest from east to west and stretches 3.800 Km from the north to the south.
it is bounded by Bolivia and Paraguay on the north, Brasil, Uruguay and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and by the Atlantic Ocean and Chile on the west and south.



Relief


The western part of Argentina is occupied by the Andes mountain range, the great mountain system of the South American continent. Here we find the Aconcagua (6.959 m), the highest peak in the world outside those existing in the Himalaya.
There also exists several parallel ranges to the east of the Andes, such as the Eastern Mountain range and the Sub-Andean sierras to the north ,The Pampean Sierras to the north and centre from the Aconquija up to the Sierras of Córdoba and San Luis, and Buenos Aires sierras systems such as Tandilia and Ventania
The central part and the east of Argentina (except for the parallel groups to the Andes already mentioned) consist almost entirely of a flat or gently undulating plain.




Climate and Regions


Argentina has exceptional natural beauties, for it comprises a diverse territory of mountains, plateaux and plains with all the climatic variations
There are several climatic and landscape regions




1) NORTHWEST
It stands out for its tropical climate, its colourful mountains, the Puna high plateaux, the gorges, the valleys and the characteristic settlement patterns that make up the history of this land.

2) GRAN CHACO
Primarily forestal area with forests of subtropical climate, swampy lands and ponds.

3) MESOPOTAMIA
In the northern part the subtropical climate prevails whereas, in the south the climatic conditions are more temperate . It is rich in flora and fauna. Its territory consists of slopes, ponds and swampy lands cut through by important rivers .

4) CUYO
With its montaneous characteristics (The Aconcagua lies here), it has an arid temperate climate. However, man, through artificial irrigation, has turned it into an ideal land for the viticulture and viniculture.

5) CENTRAL SIERRAS
The central sierras of Córdoba and San Luis offer a quite bening dry temperate climate. They posses numerous rivers and artificial water mirrors.

6)HUMID PAMPA
The Pampa with its temperate climate posseses the most productive lands of the country (and one of the best ones of the world) for the agriculture and cattle breeding. Its plain landscape is just broken by Tandil and Ventania Sierras.
The East is characterised by the vast populated beaches of the Atlantic coast.

7) PATAGONIA
The largest region with the coldest climate (especially in the southern part). The west consists mainly of a montaneous landscape peppered with spectacular woods, lakes and glaciers. The centre offers sterile plateaux and the east vast beaches with spectacular and unique colonies of marine animals for sightseeing. The southern extreme of this region makes up the southermost point of the world.





Population
Argentina has a low demographic density. It consists of around 36 millon people, mainly established in the urban centres. The 85% of the population is descendant of inmigrants from Europe. As opposed to most Latin American countries, in Argentina there are relatively few Indian half castes (people of mixed races: european and indian).

Almost half of the population of the country live in the Federal Capital and the province of Buenos Aires. The urban population makes up the 88% of the whole whereas the rural population represents the 22%.

The figures give us a population density of 13 inhabitants per km2 with an annual growing of 1,5 %.



Main Cities:


BUENOS AIRES
11 millons (Federal Capital and the Conurbation)

CORDOBA
1,2 millons.

ROSARIO
1.15 millons

MENDOZA
851.000

SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMAN
626.143

LA PLATA
520.647

MAR DEL PLATA
519.707

SALTA
367.099




Language
Spanish is the official language and is spoken by the great majority of Argentinians.
English, French and Italian are, in lesser or greater degree, widespread languages within the country





Culture

Argentina's cultural roots are mainly europeans and that is clearly reflected in its arquitecture, music, literature and lifestyle.

It has an intense cultural activity. It is seen in the festivities, expositions, cinemas, theatres, and concerts that take place in the principal cities.
Buenos Aires has aproximately 100 cinemas and 90 theatres with a great diversity of spectacles that turn it into one of the cities with the major theatrical activity in Latin America
In the Borges, Recoleta y General San Martín cultural centres the cultural dynamics of the country and the world are exposed.
The Colon Theatre, which is among the best three lyrical theatres, stands out for its arquitecture and its perfect acoustics. It is visited by the most outstanding personalities of the classical music, ballet and drama of the world.
Other important theatres are the National Cervantes and the Municipal Gral. San Martín Theatres.
Painting and Sculpture are given great importance. This is reflected in the prestigious art galleries existing in the principal cities of the country.

The characteristic music of the city of Buenos Aires is the world-famous tango. Folklore includes several and varid rythms and styles according to the different regions of the country.
The typical Argentine food is asado (barbecue: meat cooked over live coals), appart from empanadas ( a sort of turnover meat pie or pastry that comes with a variety of other stuffings), tamales ( a dish made of corn meal, chicken or meat wrapped in corn husks), humita (dish made of grated corn, sweet peppers and tomatoes wrapped in the green leaves of corn) and locro ( dish made of meat, potato, pumpkin, corn and sweet pepper).
However, and due to the important migrating current that populated the country , there exists a quite varied international cuisine: Spanish, Italian, French, German, Scandinavian, Greek, English, Sweddish, Hungarian, Dutch, Chilean, Mexican, Basque, Jewish, Russian, Ukranian, Chinese, Japanese, Thailander and Arabian.

Our country characteristic drink is mate (infusion).
The quality of its wines and meats is worldly known and the new Argentine cuisine has reached an international level standing out due to its qualified chefs.