Tango
It is hard to say where and when people danced the tango for the first time in Szczecin. It probably must have happened during the second decade of the 20th century, when after causing a sensation in Paris in 1911, it quickly gained popularity and gathered many enthusiasts all over Europe. So the question to be asked is, where could this have happened? Probably in one of the restaurants in Gocław located on the banks of the Oder, where on weekends, the wooden floors would echo to the clatter of shoes on wooden floors, and good wine would flow. Perhaps it could be that one day a young girl and her fiancé came from studying abroad to a wealthy villa in the West End. After dinner, to the scandal of the family's seniors, they started to dance the most passionate and exotic dance that had so far ever been seen in Szczecin.
It is no coincidence that after brothels were legalized in Buenos Aires in 1876, 1880 saw the birth of the tango. However, traces of this dance can be traced back to the end of the 18th century. Spanish habanera and flamenco met the music of African slaves in South America. Tango had become the music of the poorest members of the population, and especially those with the lowest morals. The first tango whose title was recorded was known as "Dame la plata" (Give me the money).
Many of the creators and writers of tango came from the working class. Their songs often dealt with their miserable living conditions in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and the grey everyday life of local workers. Tango is an expression of passion, disappointed and spurned love, homesickness, sadness and pain. Even the invitation to dance contains something of this aura: it is done subtly through eye contact.
At the turn of the century, the port district of Buenos Aires – La Boca became a centre for tango. The hundreds of ships that departed regularly was a wonderful opportunity for tango to spread all over the world. It couldn't have happened at a more convenient moment. The 1920s were a time of significant social changes in Europe. In addition to gaining voting rights and equality in access to education, women threw off existing conventions from their mantels. As a result, the tango found fertile ground – although the man in the lead, the real star that shines and attracts the eyes of the whole room, is his partner. Let us imagine the surprised faces of the noble inhabitants of Szczecin when the first couple dressed in orange, yellow and red clothes danced in front of their eyes a modern dance announcing the arrival of a new time.
Over the years, tango has been elevated to the level of a musical art form. Many composers have come to incorporate its distinctive rhythm, melodic twists and character in their pieces. Astor Piazzolla became the true master of the genre. His name is inseparable from the history of tango with regards to world music. Isaac Albenic, Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky and Kurt Weil, among others, followed the same path. Among the artists who perform and record tango are Yo-Yo Ma, Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Gidon Kremer, Plácido Domingo, and Marcelo Álvarez and of course many, many others.
It is also impossible not to mention Sławomir Mrożek, whose work changed our perception of the tango in Poland forever. Namely, the final scene in which Edek and uncle Eugeniusz dance over a corpse. A cultured, older man is led in the dance by brute force. A brutal culture enters the reality of the old order. The values – which we talk about in another series of discussions at Villa Lentz – seem to be submissive to new dictates. Yet can we be sure of that?
Jakub Stefek
Many of the creators and writers of tango came from the working class. Their songs often dealt with their miserable living conditions in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and the grey everyday life of local workers. Tango is an expression of passion, disappointed and spurned love, homesickness, sadness and pain. Even the invitation to dance contains something of this aura: it is done subtly through eye contact.
At the turn of the century, the port district of Buenos Aires – La Boca became a centre for tango. The hundreds of ships that departed regularly was a wonderful opportunity for tango to spread all over the world. It couldn't have happened at a more convenient moment. The 1920s were a time of significant social changes in Europe. In addition to gaining voting rights and equality in access to education, women threw off existing conventions from their mantels. As a result, the tango found fertile ground – although the man in the lead, the real star that shines and attracts the eyes of the whole room, is his partner. Let us imagine the surprised faces of the noble inhabitants of Szczecin when the first couple dressed in orange, yellow and red clothes danced in front of their eyes a modern dance announcing the arrival of a new time.
Over the years, tango has been elevated to the level of a musical art form. Many composers have come to incorporate its distinctive rhythm, melodic twists and character in their pieces. Astor Piazzolla became the true master of the genre. His name is inseparable from the history of tango with regards to world music. Isaac Albenic, Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky and Kurt Weil, among others, followed the same path. Among the artists who perform and record tango are Yo-Yo Ma, Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Gidon Kremer, Plácido Domingo, and Marcelo Álvarez and of course many, many others.
It is also impossible not to mention Sławomir Mrożek, whose work changed our perception of the tango in Poland forever. Namely, the final scene in which Edek and uncle Eugeniusz dance over a corpse. A cultured, older man is led in the dance by brute force. A brutal culture enters the reality of the old order. The values – which we talk about in another series of discussions at Villa Lentz – seem to be submissive to new dictates. Yet can we be sure of that?
Jakub Stefek
