Individual Presentation or Panel Title
Female Representation in Tango Canción
Abstract
Since tango was originally, and almost exclusively, composed, produced, and sung by men coupled with the origins of tango, I knew that the perspective of women would be abnormally negative. The issue of this project was to identify and explore how female characters were represented in tango canción, or lyrical tango. I read many lyrics of tangos and found and compared how the tango spoke of women and their role. I looked for the speaker’s attitude and point of view towards women. I also read texts that studied different tango composers and their most famous/influential pieces and their common themes. After extensive research, I compiled and explored the numerous roles of females in tango canción. Women in tango canción are presented in three standard forms: absence, presence, and departure and rarely in a positive, amiable light. The extent to which a speaker’s attitude toward the female character showed loving qualities varied based on who the women were. For example, when the female was favored in a positive light, she was often the speaker’s mother. When the female was described as evil or cruel, she was often the speaker’s lover.
Location
Goodwin Private Dining Room
Start Date
3-5-2014 1:30 PM
End Date
3-5-2014 2:20 PM
Female Representation in Tango Canción
Goodwin Private Dining Room
Since tango was originally, and almost exclusively, composed, produced, and sung by men coupled with the origins of tango, I knew that the perspective of women would be abnormally negative. The issue of this project was to identify and explore how female characters were represented in tango canción, or lyrical tango. I read many lyrics of tangos and found and compared how the tango spoke of women and their role. I looked for the speaker’s attitude and point of view towards women. I also read texts that studied different tango composers and their most famous/influential pieces and their common themes. After extensive research, I compiled and explored the numerous roles of females in tango canción. Women in tango canción are presented in three standard forms: absence, presence, and departure and rarely in a positive, amiable light. The extent to which a speaker’s attitude toward the female character showed loving qualities varied based on who the women were. For example, when the female was favored in a positive light, she was often the speaker’s mother. When the female was described as evil or cruel, she was often the speaker’s lover.