MILONGA: The Milonga is a Spanish dance first originated in Andalusia. As the fascinating music travelled the world it assumed various aspects. During the 1870's in Buenos Aires the Gauchos danced it in what is called a closed position, in the lower class cafes. Here their interpretation of it emerged into what today is our Tango.

 
Excerpt ( Zorro Gris) from Carlos Saura's Tango movie

While a milonga is now accepted as an Argentinean dance style, the word is also used as a (formal) Argentine tango dance event — that may also confusingly include milonga dances.

The Milonga originated in the Río de la Plata area of Argentina and Uruguay, and was very popular in the 1870s. The Milonga was derived from an earlier style of singing known as the payada de contrapunto. Indeed, Milonga was i parts derived from earlier  Spanish Music from Andalusia and the Gypsy influence is still there. Elements of this style of singing and music had been brought to South America and taken up  by the Gauchos

The song was set to a lively 2/4 tempo, and often included musical improvisation. Over time, dance steps and other musical influences were added, eventually giving rise to the tango. Despite 2/4 formula, rhythm is irregular. It is syncopated, consisting of 8 beats with accents on the 1st, 4th, 5th and 7th beats.

Although Milonga uses the same basic elements as Tango, it is much nearer to the African roots, especially in that it requires a greater relaxation of legs and body. Movement is normally faster, and pauses are not made: As the beat goes on, dancers continue setting their feet. It is rather a kind of rhythmic walking without complicated figures, with a much more "rustic" style than Tango.

There are different styles of Milonga: Milonga Lisa (Simple Milonga), in which the dancer steps on every beat of the music; and Milonga con Traspié, in which the dancer uses Traspiés or contrapasos (changes of weight from one foot to the other and back again in double time) to interpret the music. Thus, dynamics may be danced without having to run fast or without the use of much space.

Milonga, often danced at tango dance parties, is a fast dance. Again, the steps are similar to tango, but somewhat simplified because of the constant movement of the feet and lack of pauses as in Argentine tango. Milonga, by the way, is also the name given to tango dance parties. This double meaning of the word milonga can be confusing unless one knows the context in which the word "milonga" is used.

Unlike the social version of ballroom tango which has been standardized and thus been relatively fixed in style for many decades, Argentine tango is a constantly evolving dance (even on the social dance level) and musical form, with continual innovation in Argentina and in major tango centres elsewhere in the world.

These innovations may offend some traditionalists (there are quite many discussions about what still can be considered tango), but they make sure that it remains a relevant to contemporary culture and society. Some teachers trained in the ballroom style are now trying to standardize Argentine tango and even use ballroom terms like Gold, Silver, and Bronze when describing their course of study. This attempt at standardization is offensive to those who value the evolving nature of Argentine tango. So on one hand the traditionalists are offended that Argentine tango is evolving while others are offended that others are trying to standardize it.


Tango dancers usually meet at Milongas, held in Buenos Aires and many other major cities world wide.

Parts of this article were researched from the following sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milonga
www.afterfive.co.uk/guide/latest/html/glossary.html