Tango (24 page)

Buenos Aires rejoins the federation and Bartolome Mitre is elected the first president of a unified country.

1864–70

War of the Triple Alliance.

1865

Constitución railway station opened.

1867

Cholera epidemic in Buenos Aires.

1868

Birth of Angel Villoldo (he dies in 1919). Rosendo Mendizábal born (he dies in 1913).

1870–71

New yellow fever outbreak in Buenos Aires.

1872

Jose Hernández publishes the first part of his epic poem
Martín Fierro
, ‘La Ida'.

1878

Julio Argentino Roca launches his war against the Indians, known as the Conquest of the Desert.

1879

Publication of the second part of
Martín Fierro
, “La Vuelta'. El Cachafaz (José Ovidio Banquet), most famous of early tango dancers, born (he dies in 1942).

1880

Roca becomes president and Buenos Aires becomes the official capital. The beginning of the Guardia Vieja, whose dominion over tango would last until around 1917.

1888

‘Dame la lata', regarded as the first tango with lyrics, is performed. Pascual Contursi born (he dies in 1932).

1890

Carlos Gardel born in Toulouse, France.

1894

Construction of Avenida de Mayo completed.

1895

Museo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum) opens in Buenos Aires.

1896

Rosita Quiroga born (she dies in 1984).

1897

Rosendo Mendizábal composes ‘El entrerriano'.

1898

Caras y caretas
the magazine which gave extensive coverage to early tango, is founded.

1900

Juan D'Arienzo, ‘the king of rhythm', born (he dies in 1976).

1902

Azucena Maizani born (he dies in 1970).

1903

Angel Villoldo's ‘El Choclo' released. The Casa Rosada, the presidential palace, is built. Election of José Batlle to the Uruguayan presidency.

1904

Mercedes Simone born (he dies in 1990). Sofia Bazan born (dies in 1958). Tita Merello born (dies in 2002).

1905

Francisco Fiorentino born (he dies in 1955). Osvaldo Pugliese born (dies in 1995).

1907

Rent strike in the
conventillos
.

1908

Teatro Colon opened. Atahualpa Yupanqui born (he dies in 1992).

1911

Publication of Ricardo Guiraldes's poem ‘Tango'.

1912

Roque Saenz Peña's government introduces universal suffrage and the secret ballot. Baron Antonio de Marchi organizes his tango night at the Palais de Glace, Buenos Aires. The musical
The Sunshine Girl
opens in London.

1913

Buenos Aires underground starts operation. Richepin's
Le Tango
opens in Paris.

1914

Birth of Anibal Troilo, ‘Pichuco' (he dies in 1975).

1916

Hipolito Yrigoyen elected to the presidency. Buenos Aires Stock Exchange built.

1917

First performance of Pascual Contursi's ‘Mi noche triste' performed and recorded by Carlos Gardel in the same year. Tango ‘La Cumparsita', by Uruguayan Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, performed for first time.

1918

The University Reform movement in Córdoba transforms the university there.

1919

La Semana Trágica, the Tragic Week, in which several hundred people are killed in clashes between striking workers and right-wing strike breakers.

1921

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
released. Birth of Astor Piazzola (he dies in 1992)

1926

Roberto Goyeneche born (he dies in 1994). Julio Sosa born (dies in 1964).

1928–30

Second administration of Hipolito Yrigoyen.

1929

Birth of Ernesto ‘Che' Guevara.

1930

Irigoyen is overthrown in a military coup and replaced by a military government headed by Jose Feliz Uruburu.

1931

Luces de Buenos Aires
, directed by Adelqui Millar, and starring Carlos Gardel, is released.

1933

¡Tango!
(dir Moglia Barth) the first Argentina sound film, released.

1934

Tango en Broadway
, directed by Louis Garnier and starring Gardel, released.

1935

Death in an air accident of Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera.
Tango Bar
(dir. John Reinhardt) released.
El día que me quieras
(dir. John Reinhardt) released. Birth of Susana Rinaldi.

1937

Avenida 9 de Julio opened. Jorge Cafrune born (he dies in 1978).

1943

The so-called ‘national revolution' brings in a military government that includes Colonel Juan Perón as Minister of Labour.

1945

March: Argentina enters World War Two on the side of the Allies. Perón arrested and then freed in the face of popular protests.

1946

Perón elected to the Presidency.

1951

Perón's second presidential term.

1952

Death of Evita Perón.

1955

Perón ousted by the so-called ‘Liberating Revolution'.

1962

Government led by Arturo Frondizi overthrown in military coup. Academia Porteña del Lunfardo founded.

1964

Mrozek's ‘Tango' performed for the first time.

1966

Juan Carlos de Onganía assumes power and bans political parties.

1967

Astor Piazzola begins his collaboration with Horacio Ferrer.

1968

Release of
La hora de los hornos
(The hour of the furnaces) directed by Solanas and Getino.

1969

‘Balada para un loco' by Piazzola and Ferrer released.

1970

Alejandro Lanusse replaces Ongania.

1972

Last Tango in Paris
, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, is a
succès de scandale
.

1973

Perón returns from exile. Members of the extreme right-wing Triple A (Argentine Anticommunist Alliance) open fire on the crowds awaiting him outside Ezeiza airport. Héctor Cámpora elected as a caretaker candidate to the presidency. Perón elected later that year. The civilian-military regime in Uruguay suspends civil rights and imposes an military dictatorship under Bordaberry.

1974

Perón dies, leaving his second wife, María Isabel, to assume the presidency.

1976

Military coup deposes Peronist government, and Jorge Videla heads the military government. It launches repression across the country, with the extensive use of torture and state assassination. This ‘Dirty War' continues until 1983.

1977

Demonstrations by the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo begin in which relatives of people ‘disappeared' by the military regime demand to know their whereabouts and their fate.

1978

Argentina hosts and wins the soccer World Cup.

1982

Argentine troops sent to the Falkland Islands / Malvinas. The islands are retaken by British troops later that year.

1983

Collapse of Galtieri regime. Raul Alfonsín elected to the presidency. The show
Tango Argentino
opens in Paris to become a huge international success.

1985

La historia oficial
(The official version) wins Academy Award for best foreign film.
El exilio de Gardel (Tangos)
, directed by Fernando Solanas, released.

1988

‘Tango x2', a tribute to Gardel begins its extensive tour of Latin America and Europe.
Sur
, directed by Fernando Solanas, released.

1989

Peronist Carlos Menem elected to the presidency. He is re-elected in 1995.

1990

National Academy of the Tango founded.

1993

Tango
, directed by Patrice Leconte, is released.

2001

Argentinazo
– widespread protests at economic chaos and retaliatory measures by
IMF
and World Bank across the country.

2003

Peronist Néstor Kirchner wins presidency.

2007

Cristina Kirchner assumes presidency.

2009

Walter Salles's
El café de los maestros
released.

REFERENCES

1 STRANGERS IN THE CITY

1
   Richard J. Watter,
Politics and Urban Growth in Buenos Aires, 1910–1942
(Cambridge, 1993), p. 6.

2
   See David Rock,
Argentina, 1316–1987
(Berkeley,
CA
, 1987).

3
   D. F. Sarmiento,
Facundo: Civilization and Barbarism
, trans. Kathleen Ross (Berkeley,
CA
, 2003).

4
   See Peter H. Smith,
Politics and Beef in Argentina: Patterns of Conflict and Change
(New York, 1969).

5
   On the war of the Triple Alliance, see Chris Leuchars,
To the Bitter End: Paraguay and the War of the Triple Alliance
(Westport,
CT
, 2002).

6
   See Rock,
Argentina
, pp. 133–6.

7
   J. Hernández,
Martin Fierro
. An English translation, less liberal than mine, can be found at:
http://sparrowthorn.com
.

8
   Quoted in Donna J. Guy,
Sex and Danger in Buenos Aires: Prostitution, Family and Nation in Argentina
(Lincoln,
NE
, 1991), p. 10.

9
   German García,
El inmigrante en la novela argentina
(Buenos Aires, 1970), p. 52.

10
   See Karin Grammático, ‘Obreras, prostitutas y mal venéreo. Un Estado ern busca de la profilaxis', in
Historia de las mujeres en la Argentina Siglo
XX
, ed. Fernanda Gil Lozano, Valeria Silvina Pita and María Gabriel Ini (Buenos Aires, 2000), pp. 117–36.

11
   Jo Baim, ‘The Tango: Icon of Culture, Music, and Dance in Argentina, Europe and the United States from 1875 to 1925', PhD thesis, University of Oregon, 1997, p.
I
. See Jo Baim,
Tango: Creation of a Cultural Icon
(Bloomington,
IN
, 2007).

12
   Marta E. Savigliano,
Tango and the Political Economy of Passion
(Boulder,
CO
, 1995), pp. xiv–xv.

13
   Julie Taylor, ‘Tango: Theme of Class and Nation' in
Ethnomusicology
, xx/2 (May 1976), p. 276.

14
   Ibid.

2 A CITY DIVIDED

1
   See David T. Keeling,
Buenos Aires: Global Dreams, Local Crises
(Chichester, 1996).

2
   David Rock,
Argentina, 1516–1987
(Berkeley,
CA
, 1987), p. 132.

3
   Chris Moss,
Patagonia: A Cultural History
(New York, 2008). See also Bruce Chatwin,
In Patagonia
(New York, 1977).

4
   Walter Benjamin, ‘Paris, Capital of the Nineteenth Century', in
The Arcades Project
(Cambridge,
MA
, and London, 1999) pp. 14–26.

5
   Mempo Giardinelli,
Santo oficio de la memoria
(Barcelona, 1997).

6
   For example, E. Cambácres,
Sin rumbo
(Lajouane, Buenos Aires, 1885).

7
   Marta E. Savigliano,
Tango and the Political Economy of Passion
(Boulder,
CO
, 1995), p. 47.

8
   Jo Baim, ‘The Tango: Icon of Culture, Music, and Dance in Argentina, Europe and the United States from 1875 to 1925', PhD thesis, University of Oregon, 1997, p. 38.

9
   Julie Taylor,
Paper Tangos
(Durham,
NC
, 2003), p.
II
.

10
   Goyo Cuello quoted in Jo Baim,
The Tango
, p. 47.

11
   Quoted in Savigliano,
Tango and the Political Economy
, p. 115.

12
   Keeling,
Buenos Aires
, p. 229.

3 TANGO GOES TO PARIS

1
   Walter Benjamin, ‘Paris, Capital of the Nineteenth Century', in
The Arcades Project
(Cambridge,
MA
, and London, 1999), pp. 14–26.

2
   Nicholas Hewitt, ‘Shifting Cultural Centres in Twentieth-century Paris', in
Parisian Fields
, ed. Michael Sheringham (London, 1997), p. 33.

3
   See Alexander C. T. Goeppert,
Fleeting Cities: Imperial Expositions in Fin-de-Siècle Europe
(Basingstoke and New York, 2010).

4
   See C. M. Brosteanu, ‘The influence of the exotic in early erotic photography' at
www.brosteanu.com/erotic-photograph/2010
(accessed 12 June 2012).

5
   See Richard Powers, ‘The hidden story of the Apache dance' at
http://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/Apachei.htm
(accessed 10 June 2012). YouTube also has a large selection of short films showing the dance.

6
   Blas Matamoro,
El Tango
(Madrid, 1997), p. 25.

7
   ‘Paris', at
www.Tango%20Libre.webarchive
(accessed 12 May 2012).

8
   Salaverria, quoted in M. Savigliano,
Tango and the Political Economy of Passion
(Boulder,
CO
, 1995), pp. 115–16.

9
   Matamoro,
El Tango
, p. 26.

10
   R. Guiraldes, ‘Tango', in
El cencerro de cristal
(Buenos Aires, 1915).

11
   R. Guiraldes,
Don Segundo Sombra
(San Antonio de Areco, 1926).

12
   Jean Cocteau,
Le passé defini
, quoted in Matamoro,
El Tango
, p. 27.

13
   Jo Baim,
Tango: Creation of a Cultural Icon
(Bloomington,
IN
, 2007), pp. 60–67. Baim also notes the large number of articles about tango published in the
U
.
S
. in the following three years.