Tango, Por Favor! Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Portuguese word for dance

The entomology of the word tango is largely unknown and extremely controversial in tango historical circles. There are several possible origins. One of the most popular possibilities would be from the word "Shango" who was the Yoruba god of thunder while another is "ntangu" which is the Kongo word for the sun. Because Tango has some of its origins in traditional African dances whose steps were brought to South America via the Africa slave trade it would make sense the word has African origins. It's also possible the word tango came from several African languages where the word refers to a meeting place.

However, there are number of possible European-language origins as well. One is the Spanish word "tambor" meaning drum, referring to the music played during the dance. Another is the Portuguese word "tanger" which means to play an instrument and to touch.

Answer: Milonga

The tango has its origins in the poorer parts of the Rio de la Plata along the Argentine-Uruguayan border. It has its roots in several other dances, most notably the milonga but also the habanera and candombe, a traditional Uruguayan dance. The tango became popular in seedy nightclubs in the region as it was usually cheaper for bar and club owners to hire tango dancers than other performers.

Answer: Scent of a Woman

In "Scent of a Woman", Al Pacino plays Lt. Col. Frank Slade, a blind veteran. Gabrielle Anwar plays Donna, a woman Frank meets at a ballroom gala and teaches her the tango. The scene is one of the most memorable romantic dances in film. They tango to "Por una Cabeza", a 1935 song written for the film "Tango Bar" which is a popular tango song.

Answer: False

The Argentine tango and the tango are two different dances. Although they look similar and have some connective tissue, the dances have many differences, especially in dance competitions. The Argentine Tango is characterized by, amongst other things, staccato leg movements and the partners dancing close as if they were in a tight space. Tango or ballroom tango has more fluid movements, with the body moving ahead of the feet, and the couple tends to dance all around the ballroom floor.

Answer: horizontal

"The tango is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire" was a popular phrase in the 1920s when the tango started growing in popularity. The increased popularity in Europe and North America during this time was attributed to the film "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" starring Rudolph Valentino, who danced the tango in the film.

The expression is a reference to the dance's sexiness and was used both to promote and criticize the dance.

Answer: Male leader, female follower

Traditionally, the tango conforms to heteronormative gender dynamics with a male lead and the female dependent on the male. However unlike many other dances, there is more of a gender equality in the tango. Even as early as the early 20th century, the tango could be seen being danced by two men.

This is because the slums where the dance was popularized had far more male dancers than female and thus two men would dance tango in a display of masculinity. Because of this, the two partners were seen as equal and over time, this extended to male-female partners. Traditionally, and still even today, the proper official tango rules require the male lead and female subordinate. Queer tangos, which can be danced by male/male female/female or female lead/male follower, are increasing in popularity.

Answer: Tango de la Muerte

Many countries and regions have taken the tango and adapted it to fit their culture. Finnish Tango, from Finland, is one of the more popular styles. It developed in the 1930s and is traditionally more meloncholy in tone and set to Finnish folk music. Ukrainian Tango is very similar, except it incorporates traditional Ukrainian and Russian folk style music and dance. Tango-canyengue is a style of tango that also originated in Argentina and Uruguay but incorporates more gymnastic-style footwork and tricks.

The Tango de la Muerte is a fictional tango from an episode of "The Simpsons" called "Last Tap Dance in Springfield".

Answer: Military dictatorships

Throughout the 20th century, the tango was subject to government restrictions. It first occurred in the 1930s but was a Renaissance during the first reign of Juan Peron who saw the tango as symbol of national pride. The tango was then de facto banned once Peron left office in the 1950s as a series of military dictatorships took charge of Argentina and banned public gatherings, of which the tango was considered.

The tango saw another resurgence in the 1980s because of tango singer Osvaldo Peredo who was forced to perform his music in other countries.

Answer: Tango historian

Nardo Zalko was an Argentine-French journalist and historian. Although he originally covered hard hitting events such as the trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in the 1960s, by the 1990s, Zalko's primary reporting field was entertainment and he frequently covered dance-related topics, especially the tango. Zalko is credited for being one of the first historians to look into the origins of the tango as well as creating one of the most elaborate studies into the tango origins.

Answer: A form of tango combining traditional elements with more modern ones

Nuevo tango sprang up in the 1980s and refers to both the music and dance styles combining traditional tango elements with then-modern ones mostly electronica. Nuevo tango was popular with young people in the 1980s as it allowed them to dance to the music of their generation.

It was popularized by Astor Piazzolla, an Argentine composer who wanted to introduce the younger generation to tango music and dance.