When people think about the performing arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina, tango normally comes to mind first — and for good reason. You can find porteños (Buenos Aires locals) tangoing any day of the week at late-night tango parties, called milongas, on the streets at dusk in San Telmo, or during the day in La Boca, where tango originated. In the 1800s, immigrants from Africa, Europe, and other parts of South America who settled in the old port neighborhood of La Boca fused the music and dance from their respective cultures to eventually create the now world-famous dance of tango.
But Buenos Aires isn’t only about tango. Famous for its nightlife, Buenos Aires is full of opportunities to discover all genres of live music and performance from Argentina and around the world. In this episode of Connections: See Both Sides, actress Jade Eshete explores the performing arts scene in Buenos Aires from two sides: the day and the night.
From learning about tango’s history in its birthplace to trying traditional folklore dances at a weekly daytime festival and — naturally — dancing late into the night at a milonga, there is no shortage of options in Buenos Aires to keep you inspired and entertained.