Argentine Music: More than Tango

Within music, Argentina is most famous for tango. However, Argentina has a number of other styles of music that became popular world-wide. Let’s talk a little bit about tango and these other music styles, which include Argentinian rock, Argentinian folklore, and cumbia villera.

First, a quick review of tango. Tango is an urban style of music that originated in Buenos Aires. Some consider it Argentina’s urban folkloric music. It has influences from both Europe and Africa in its rhythms and the dance, similar. If you’re interested in more tango, do check out our tango experiences. Argentinian rock originated in the 70s, in a rebellious manner common to rock: as part of the protest against the military dictatorship. In many songs you hear socially conscious lyrics backgrounded by a rockin’ beat. Much of Argentinian rock is also great to sing along to. For partying, it’s recommended to learn the lyrics to some of the classics so if you’ve had a little Malbec to loosen up, you can karaoke with the best of them! Speaking of wine, check out our wine experiences, where you may hear some folkloric music. Which brings me to Argentinian folklore. Argentinian folklore has its own variants. Argentina’s different regions gave rise to different folkloric music. It has andean music, chamamé, carnavalitos, zambas, nueva canción and more. One of the most internationally well-known folk singers is Mercedes Sosa. Some of these genres come with their own dances. If interested, look for a peña which is a show demonstrating folk music and dances. And last but not least, let’s talk about cumbia villera. Cumbia is a very popular genre that originated in Colombia, but Argentina made its own twist. Coming out of Argentina’s villas, or marginalized communities, cumbia villera carries a distinctive lexicon while talking about the daily life within those communities along with some relevant social issues. As you can tell Argentina has quite the variety of genres!

Hope you find some Argentinian music you enjoy!