The Origin of Tangos #1

In this lesson we will discuss the origin of ‘tangos’.
The musical genre Tangos originates mainly from the region of Cadiz situated in Andalucia, on the south of Spain, but it also extends to other regions such as Sevilla, Jerez, Extremadura and Malaga. Its harmonic and melodic patterns and structure change depending on the area but the rhythm remains in 4/4. According to Blas Vega and Manuel Rios, the word ‘tangos’ comes from the onomatopoeia ‘tang’ which means ‘sound of the drum’ and is one of the rhythmic characteristics of this musical genre. In some parts of South America ‘tangosa’ refers to a gathering of the African slaves dancing to the beat of the drum which would confirm the influence of African rhythms on this musical genre. The flamencologist Domingo Manfredicano states that the tangos were popular even in the Roman Empire thanks to dancers from Andalusia

In this lesson we will use different techniques which will prove to be very useful to students. The lesson will be divided into five different parts.

A Phrygian Major