Afro-Argentiniečių Įtaka Buenos Airių Kultūros Raidai Ir Tango Ištakų Susiformavimui
Influence of Afro-Argentinians for the Process of Development of Buenos Aires Culture and Formation of Tango

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the preconditions, which caused the emergence, distribution and ultimately the disappearance of black peoples in the region of the Plata River (contemporary Argentina and Uruguay). It reveals the influence of black peoples for the formation of Argentinian culture in general and tango in particular. Afro-Argentinians have made significant influence to the country’s economic, political and in particular cultural development and contributed to the appearance of new forms of music. In XIX c. Afro-Argentiniasn strongly contributed toward development of culture of Buenos Aires, but their influence for the formation of tango was not essential. Many of researchers of tango roots mistakenly believe that tango music and dance had developed mainly from Afro-Argentinian dance and music. They forget that during the formation of tango, few black people remained. They had already lost their ethnical identity and considered themselves simply as an porteño. One of the sources of the myth of black roots for tango was the so- called black theater, famous during second part of XIX c. The theater intended to unveil the tragic destiny and life troubles facing slaves and their offspring. It has little to do with the authentic culture of blacks or tango.

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