Argentina’s Culture

Tammy Williams

Literature

Best know and most influential authors: Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Jose Hernandez, Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares,

Roberto Arlt, Julio Cortazar, Manuel Piug and Ernesto Sabo.

The name of the country comes from a Latinism which first appeared in

an epic poem, “La Argentina” (1602) written by Martin del Barco

Centenera.

Argentina’s literature started around 1500 with the work of Maitias

Rojas de Oquendo and Pedro Gonzalez de Prado.

Prior to their independence, neoclassical authors such as Juan Cruz

Varela, produced numerous works related to the revolutionary spirit.

Literatura Gauchesca – European-oriented themes and styles would

remain in Argentina letters. It gave a lot of importance to the nature of

the pampas, imitation-gaucho literature, purporting the use of the

gaucho language and to reflect their mentality.

Generation 1880 – Emphasized the European color and cultural

supremacy of Buenos Aires.

Generation ‘37 – Generation 1937 centers on poetry, where it

developed the descriptive, nostalgic and meditation of that time period.

Fiction writers subscribed to idealism and magic realism.

Music

Music of Argentina is mostly known for the Tango. Folk, Pop, and Classical music are also popular.

Musica Folklorica – Many forms, developed in different parts of Argentina with different European and indigenous influences.

Traditional folk music became increasingly important during the protest movement against the military dictatorship and the community divisions of the 1970s.

The Cosquin National Folklore Festival, has been gathering musicians since 1961.

Tango arose in brothels, bars and port areas of Buenos Aires.

Came about as a fusion of influences: Old Milonga – rural gauchos; Habanera –Cuban music; Polka and Mazurka – Slavics music; Contradanse – Spanish music; Flamenco – Andalucia; and Italian folk music.

Brought to Argentina and Uruguay by traders and immigrants.

Cumbia – An important part of contemporary Argentine music, originally from Colombian cumbia.

Cuarteto – Similar to Menengue.

Argentine cinema has been active since 1896. Argentine theatre traces its origins to Viceroy

Juan Jose de Vertiz y Salcedo’s creation of the colony’s first comedy theatre (La Rancheria) in 1793.

The Colon Theatre was established in 1857, it hosted classical and operatic as well as stage performances.

Antonio Petalardo opened the Teatro Opera in 1871, this inspired others to fund the growing arts in Argentina.

The Teatro Independente movement was created to balance professional theatre and inspired a new generation of young dramatists.

Argentina’s last dictatorship posed the greatest challenge to the local theatre since the Rosas era of the mid-19th century.

The theatre thrived before and after the 1983 return to democracy.

Theatre

Dance

Tango – started in the brothels and slums of 19th

century Argentina.

A fusion of Spanish, Uruguayan, and African dance and music.

There is no basic steps from which to build, communication between partners must be impeccable.

It’s a social dance, almost intimate interaction.

By 1912, the music and dance spread from the burriosto the middle-class and upper-class dancing establishments.

In the 1990s, electronic and world music gave the tango a new twist.

In the early 20th century, dancers travelled to Europe. The first European country that went crazy for the tango was Paris.

Tango music and dance are popular in gymnastics, figure skating, synchronized swimming and etc. because of the dramatic feeling and cultural associations with romance.

Tango is from the Rio de la Plata region, was done in a study and shown to heal neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.