What does Buenos Aires’ subway have to do with tango?
What does tango have to do with Buenos Airesβs subway you might ask? Actually a lot more than you think!
Keep on reading and learn more about tango, the Buenos Aires subway, and how these two quite distinct porteΓ±o elements have been merged.
Tango at Buenos Aires’ H-line
I often change subway lines at the station Corrientes which connects the B-line with the H-line, and there you canβt miss the tango references.
At Corriente’s station a huge mural of Carlos Gardel and another tango star, Enrique Santos DiscΓ©polo, completely covers a wall. From time to time, there is a couple dancing tango in front of the mural while tango beat fills the station.
However, it is not just the Corrientes station that has reference to tango. Actually every station on the H-line is decorated in memory of different tango personalities.
Apparently, none of the big tango stars of the past left any remarkable graves or memorialsβ¦ Simply because there was nothing left in their bank accounts by the time of their death. They lived the sweet life all the way through. Not even Carlos Gardel β the biggest of them all β left enough money for a memorial.
In 2003, the local government of Buenos Aires gave the past-century tango stars a helping hand. They passed a law that indicated that the to-be-established new H-line in the subway system should be created as a βculturally tango tour of the subwayβ.
Each station should be decorated with images and artwork referring to different personalities within tango. And so it became.
The H-line and the subway system in Buenos Aires
The H-line of the Subte is the first subway line to be built since the 1960s. The line eased the connection between the south and north part of Buenos Aires.
Furthermore, it connects with all the existing subway lines and therefore improves the infrastructure for a huge amount of porteΓ±os.
Read more about public transportation in Buenos Aires here!
The tango heritage in Buenos Aires today
According to some porteΓ±os, tango has set its mark on everyday life in Buenos Aires. Are the porteΓ±os, for example, more nostalgic than others because of the homesick and sad lyrics of the tango?
Or, as an Uber driver once told me, does the porteΓ±osβ special way of speaking date back to the way the tangeros sang?
I will leave it up to you to decide what you believe!
However, there is no doubt that tango has been and is part of what has put Buenos Aires and Argentina on the world map!
So, Buenos Aires subway system has more to do with tango than one would have thought! Have you maybe had a similar experience elsewhere? Please, feel free to share your thoughts below! I would love to hear from you!Β
13 Comments
OnTrip.dk
SpΓ¦ndende indlΓ¦g, Rebecca π Elsker tango, det er sΓ₯dan en smuk dans. Tak fordi du tog mig med og sikke lΓ¦kre billeder π Godt arbejde!
/Annette
Rebecca
Hej Annette!
Tusind tak for besΓΈget! Glad for at hΓΈre, at du syntes om indlΓ¦gget og billederne! Ja, tango er virkelig en smuk dans! Fik du set videoer ogsΓ₯? π (nyeste tiltag pΓ₯ bloggen – og udfordring til mig selv π ).
//Rebecca
OnTrip.dk
Ja der var rigtig fin, Rebecca. Tillykke med det – godt arbejde π
Vi er ogsΓ₯ begyndt lidt i det smΓ₯ og ΓΈver os stadig sΓ₯ mΓ₯ske en dag bliver det godt.
/Annette
Sierra
What an incredible thing to stumble upon! Argentinians are so much cooler than we’ll ever be. I’ve been to several tango performances in my life, but none quite as fascinating as this one!
Rebecca
Thanks for your visit Sierra! So happy to hear that you enjoyed the read! Yeah, they are pretty cool over here! Who else would have thought about making a subway line for tango… Other than the Argentines? ?
Deea
There’s something fascinating about tango that leaves me in awe each time I have the occasion to see people perform it live. So much emotion going on! I have no idea to dance it, neither have known all the history behind it (thank you for sharing!), but it’s still impressing to watch it π How cool they perform it in the subway too!
Rebecca
Thanks for the visit, Deea! Yes, tango is truly fascinating and very emotional! For it just adds an extra “touch” when seeing a performance to know the history behind. So impressing to watch!
Sylvia
I know of tango but not in such details. Never heard of walking tours in subway before but i find the concept quite interesting. Fascinating!
Rebecca
Hi Sylvia,
Thank you for dropping by the blog!
Yeah, it is a funny idea to go walking tours in the subway, right? But actually, there must be a lot of interesting stories to tell in the world’s subways π Happy to hear that you learned something new about tango!
Miranda Menelaws
I really appreciated how you shared about the history of Tango, it sounds very interesting! I also love the idea of the Tango tour taking place in the subway, that’s so unique
Rebecca
Hi Miranda,
Thank you so much for dropping by the blog!
I’m so happy to hear that you felt that you learned something new! Yes, it is so unique an idea to do walking tours in the subway. They thought it out well those latinos π
Miranda Menelaws
I found the history behind the Tango to be so interesting, I’ve never heard before how it all started. Also, what a cool idea for the tango tours in the subway, I love that!
Rebecca
Thank you, Miranda! Definitely, a funny idea to have the walking tours in the subway! π