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Tango

The tango, a musically synthesized dance form, is the Argentinean samba. Couples dancing the tango meet in a close embrace and dance seemingly violently across the floor. The music is often in a minor mode and the meter is 2/4. Rhythms are syncopated, sharply distinguished, and highly accentuated, and include some interruptions in the beats. Conventional performances of the music include a solo voice and guitar accompaniment. Words of the songs take the form of lengthy narratives about sentimental, emotion-ridden themes. Once the rage of World War I America and Europe, the tango reveals African influence in its name and choreography, English origin in its relationship to the habanera (which can be traced to the country dance of 17th-century Britain), Spanish background with its similarity to the Andalusian tango, and most important, Argentinean sentiment with texts that often emphasize aspects of life in that country. In spite of its great popularity, negative attitudes were common ranging from condemnation by such political leaders as the Queen of England and the Kaiser of Germany to damnation by the Pope.