Tango Quiz: The Dance and Music of Buenos Aires and Montevideo

This tango quiz explores the dance and music born on the Río de la Plata, from Buenos Aires and Montevideo to the bandoneón, the voice of Carlos Gardel, Astor Piazzolla's nuevo tango, the milonga dance hall, La Cumparsita and tango's UNESCO recognition. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Origins
Tango was born in the late 1800s around which river estuary?
Origins
Which two cities both claim to be the birthplace of tango?
Music
Which accordion-like instrument, first made in Germany, is central to tango music?
Singers
Who is the most famous tango singer of all time?
Composers
Which composer created nuevo tango, mixing tango with jazz and classical music?
UNESCO
In which year did UNESCO add tango to its list of intangible cultural heritage?
Dance
What is a social tango dance event or dance hall called?
History
Which European city started an international tango craze around 1912 and 1913?
Songs
Which famous tango was composed in Montevideo by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez around 1917?
Film
In which 1992 film does Al Pacino dance a tango to Por una Cabeza?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Tango was born in the late 1800s around which river estuary?
Answer: Río de la Plata
Tango grew up in the port neighborhoods of the Río de la Plata, where African, European and local influences mixed among working-class communities.
Q2: Which two cities both claim to be the birthplace of tango?
Answer: Buenos Aires and Montevideo
Argentina's Buenos Aires and Uruguay's Montevideo face each other across the Río de la Plata, and both played a part in tango's birth.
Q3: Which accordion-like instrument, first made in Germany, is central to tango music?
Answer: Bandoneón
The bandoneón was invented in Germany in the 1800s for church music and arrived in Argentina with immigrants. Its sound became the heart of tango orchestras.
Q4: Who is the most famous tango singer of all time?
Answer: Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel was the voice of tango in the 1920s and 1930s and starred in films before dying in a plane crash in 1935. Argentines still say he sings better every day.
Q5: Which composer created nuevo tango, mixing tango with jazz and classical music?
Answer: Astor Piazzolla
Astor Piazzolla, a bandoneón player, shocked traditional fans in the 1950s and 60s. His Libertango, from 1974, is one of the most recorded tango pieces.
Q6: In which year did UNESCO add tango to its list of intangible cultural heritage?
Answer: 2009
Argentina and Uruguay nominated tango together, and UNESCO listed it in 2009. December 11 is celebrated as National Tango Day in Argentina.
Q7: What is a social tango dance event or dance hall called?
Answer: Milonga
Milonga is both a social dance event and a faster style of tango music. Dancers follow codes, such as inviting partners with a nod called the cabeceo.
Q8: Which European city started an international tango craze around 1912 and 1913?
Answer: Paris
Tango became fashionable in Paris salons before World War I, and its success there made it respectable back in Buenos Aires.
Q9: Which famous tango was composed in Montevideo by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez around 1917?
Answer: La Cumparsita
La Cumparsita is often called the anthem of tango and is the cultural anthem of Uruguay. Por una Cabeza was sung by Carlos Gardel.
Q10: In which 1992 film does Al Pacino dance a tango to Por una Cabeza?
Answer: Scent of a Woman
Al Pacino won the Oscar for Best Actor for Scent of a Woman. The tango scene is one of the most famous dance scenes in film.

Tango Quiz – Passion on the Río de la Plata

Tango is one of the most famous dances in the world, known for its close embrace, dramatic pauses and intricate footwork. It was born in the late 1800s in the port neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, where immigrants from Italy and Spain, Afro-Argentine and Afro-Uruguayan communities and local workers mixed their music and dances.

At first, tango was danced in bars and dance halls on the edges of the cities and was seen as rough and improper by upper-class society. Its fortunes changed when it became a craze in Paris around 1912, and soon fashionable dancers in London, New York and Buenos Aires itself were taking lessons.

The golden age of tango came in the 1930s and 1940s, when large orchestras led by bandoneón players filled dance halls and Carlos Gardel's voice was heard on radios across Latin America. Later, Astor Piazzolla transformed the music by blending it with jazz and classical styles, creating nuevo tango for concert halls.

Today tango is danced around the world, from small milongas in Buenos Aires to festivals in Istanbul, Berlin and Tokyo. Buenos Aires hosts a world tango championship every year, and UNESCO has recognized tango as part of humanity's cultural heritage.

This quiz covers tango's history, music, dance and famous names.

Learning tango takes patience. Dancers spend months on walking, balance and connection with their partner before adding fancy steps, and most cities with a tango scene have weekly classes followed by a practica, an informal practice session where beginners can try what they have learned.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is ideal for dancers, music lovers and travelers to Argentina and Uruguay.

Where and when tango was born
Why the bandoneón is so important
Who Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla were
What a milonga is
How Paris helped make tango famous
Which songs and films are linked to tango

Quick Facts About Tango

The Tango Buenos Aires Festival and World Championship is held every August.
The neighborhood of La Boca, with its colorful Caminito street, is linked to early tango.
Tango lyrics often use lunfardo, a slang from the streets of Buenos Aires.
Turkey has a large and lively tango community, with festivals in Istanbul.
Argentine tango is improvised, while ballroom tango follows set patterns.
National Tango Day on December 11 honors the birthdays of Carlos Gardel and Julio De Caro.