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Strictly Tango music biography continued...

típica, which includes two violins, piano, doublebass, and two bandoneons. Earlier forms of this ensemble sometimes included flute, clarinet and guitar. Early tango was played by immigrants in the lower class section of Buenos Aires. This first generation of tango players was called "Guardia Vieja" (the Old Guard). In the 1920s and 30s, tango stars like Rudolph Valentino popularized the genre throughout Europe and the United States. Another artist, Carlos Gardel, became especially associated with the transition of the genre from a lower-class "gangster" music to a respectable middle-class dance. He helped develop tango-canción in the 1920s and became one of the most popular tango artists of all time. He was also one of the precursors of the Golden Age of tango, which took place between 1935 to 1952, at about the same time as the big band era in the United States. During this period in tango's history, popular and influential orchestras further developed the tango aesthetic, not only for listening pleasure, but for tango dances known as milongas. The later age of tango, or tango nuevo, was established in the 1950s and featured a fusion of jazz and classic music. Neo tango came along next and with it the adoption of more electronic elements. While tango has changed over the years, the essential beauty and passion of the music remains the same. Whether you're dancing to tango music or simply listening to it in the background, you can't help but be moved by its grace and elegance.