Millions of European immigrants arrived in South America on the Rio de la Planta shore during the late 1800’s. They arrived and stayed in two port cities Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. These immigrants were predominantly young men looking for opportunities in America with the two predominant nationalities being Spanish and Italian. These young men brought their musical tastes with them; this included the bandoneon’s mournful wail, driving flamenco guitar as well as the violin’s sweet melodies. They also brought with them their dances, which was vast including African candombe rhythms, Cuban habanera, polka, mazurka, and the waltz and combined it with Argentine dance and music too.
During those times, they did not have women with them or brought women with them either and most of their time looked for fun and entertainment in the burgeoning city port’s bordello districts. In seedy waterfront areas that became a mating dance between customers and barmaids as well as women offering a few hours of fun, tango arose. During those times both the Argentine middle and upper classes shunned this lifestyle and thus dance too, but when walking into a sleazy nightclub in Buenos Aires you would find tango danced.
The young neighbourhood men formed gangs and the tango during those years were danced between two men too in order for boys to learn this dance in order to get skilled enough to win a woman’s attraction and attention. It took around six months for a tango dance leader to teach his steps to his followers before the follower were taught leader styles and steps. At the turn of the century as Argentina become wealthier, men and especially very rich young boys from rich families looked for excitement and adventure in town’s rougher parts and during these escapades, they learnt tango as well. This is how it spread to other parts of the world.