Precursor to tango, milonga is a musical genre that originated in the

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...

areas of

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

and the Brazilian state of

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a state in the southern region of Brazil. It is the fifth-most-populous state and the ninth largest by area. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Rio Grande do Sul is border ...

. "Milonga is an excited habanera." The original habanera divided into four pulses, in a standard two-four where every note was stressed. In becoming milonga, though, all four notes turned strong, as tempo was doubled. The strength of the first beat weakened the fourth giving an almost waltz-like feel to milonga: one-two-three (four), one-two-three (four). Habanera is a slower, more explicit sounding ''one'', two, ''three''-four. At least one modern tango pianist believes the

polka Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas. History Etymology The te ...

influenced the speeding up of the milonga. Over time, dance steps and other musical influences were added, eventually contributing to the creation of

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

Artists

Artists known for their milonga compositions and interpretations include

Roberto Firpo Roberto Firpo (May 10, 1884June 14, 1969) was an Argentine tango pianist, composer, and leader. Firpo was among the first innovators of the classic tango music genre. He was the establisher of the piano in the tango orchestra. Firpo was born i ...

, Angel D'Agostino,

Pedro Maffia Pedro Mario Maffia (August 28, 1899 – October 16, 1967) was an Argentine tango bandoneonist, bandleader, composer and teacher, as well as starring in several tango films. Maffia had a hard upbringing; he was beaten with a chain by his fathe ...

, Pedro Laurenz,

Ángel Villoldo Ángel Gregorio Villoldo Arroyo (16 February 1861 – 14 October 1919) was an Argentine musician and one of the pioneers of tango music. He was lyricist, composer, and one of the major singers of the era. He is also known by the pseudonyms ''A ...

Francisco Canaro Francisco Canaro (November 26, 1888 – December 14, 1964) was a Uruguayan violinist and tango orchestra leader. Canaro was born in San José de Mayo, Uruguay, in 1888. His parents were Italian immigrants, and later, when he was less than 10 y ...

Rodolfo Biagi Rodolfo Biagi (March 14, 1906, in Buenos Aires – September 24, 1969) was an Argentine Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. ...

Jorge Drexler Jorge Abner Drexler Prada (born September 21, 1964) is a Uruguayan musician, actor and doctor specializing in otolaryngology. In 2004, Drexler won wide acclaim after becoming the first Uruguayan to win an Academy Awards, Academy Award, which he ...

, Juan d'Arienzo,

Edgardo Donato Edgardo Donato (; April 14, 1897 – February 15, 1963) was a tango composer and orchestra leader, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, raised from a young age and musically trained in Montevideo, Uruguay. External links *Donato notes at Totango.net

,
Gabino Ezeiza Gabino Ezeiza, nicknamed ''Negro''El negro Gabino Ez ...
,
Aníbal Troilo Aníbal Carmelo Troilo (11 July 1914 – 18 May 1975), also known as Pichuco, was an Argentine tango musician. Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, arranger, and bandleader in Argentina. His orquesta típica was among the most popular with ...
, Lucio Demare, Domingo Federico,
Angel Vargas In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
, Mariano Mores,
Alfredo Zitarrosa Alfredo Zitarrosa (March 10, 1936 – January 17, 1989) was a Uruguayan singer-songwriter, poet and journalist. He specialized in Uruguayan and Argentinean folk genres such as zamba and milonga, and he became a chief figure in the ''nueva canci� ...
, Francisco Lomuto,
Astor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fro ...
and
Carlos Di Sarli Carlos Di Sarli (January 7, 1903January 12, 1960) was an Argentine tango musician, orchestra leader, composer and pianist. Early years Carlos di Sarli was born at 511 Buenos Aires street (now Yrigoyen) in the city of Bahía Blanca, located i ...
. These artists are from the early years and the Golden era of tango. Los Moonlights released a song entitled "Milonga de pelo largo" (Milonga of long hair) on their debut LP, Moonlights. In
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a state in the southern region of Brazil. It is the fifth-most-populous state and the ninth largest by area. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Rio Grande do Sul is border ...
, ''milonga'' is an important regional genre and it is part of the repertoire of many
gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...
musical groups and interpreters. It also continues to influence other genres of the modern gaucho music. José Cláudio Machado's "Milonga Abaixo de Mau Tempo",
Renato Borghetti Renato Borghetti (born July 23, 1963 in Porto Alegre) is a Brazilian folk musician and composer. He works in many genres including traditional styles from his home state of Rio Grande do Sul, other styles of Brazilian music like samba, and inter ...
's "Milonga para as Missões" and
Jayme Caetano Braun Jayme Guilherme Caetano Braun ( Bossoroca, January 30, 1924 – Porto Alegre, July 8, 1999) was a Brazilian folk musician, poet and composer . Jayme was the most famous payador of Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of t ...
's "Bochincho" are examples of the traditional rio-grandense form of ''milonga'', while
Vitor Ramil Vitor Ramil (born April 7, 1962, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul) is a musician, singer, composer and writer from Brazil. Discography *Estrela, Estrela (1981) *A Paixão de V Segundo Ele Próprio (1984) *Tango (1987) – re-edited in CD on 1996 *À B ...
's "Ramilonga" and Bebeto Alves's "Milonga Orientao" are examples of modern form of this genre. Argentine composer and pianist
Fernando Otero Fernando Otero (born 1 May 1972) is a Grammy-award-winning Argentine pianist, vocalist, and composer. His first contact with music was receiving vocal lessons from his mother Elsa Marval, an internationally acclaimed singer and actress. He start ...
has based many of his orchestral and chamber works on this rhythm, creating compositions for Symphonic Orchestra, String Quartet and Jazz Combos.
Kevin Johansen Kevin Johansen (born 21 June 1964) is an US-born Argentine musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for mixing several rhythms and languages in his musical work. Biography Kevin Johansen was born on June 21, 1964 in Fairbanks, Alaska, to Marta ...
is a modern Argentine rock artist who has a number of songs that combine folkloric and pop music with a milonga rhythm.

See also
*
Argentine tango Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a or rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as AB ...
*
Chamarrita ''Chamarrita'' can refer to two different types of music and dance, one from the Azores in Portugal and one from the Rio de la Plata littoral region in northern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. Azorean ''Chamarrita'' The ''chamarrita'' fro ...
*
Milonga (dance event) Milonga is an event where Argentine tango is danced. The venue dedicated to milongas may also be called "milonga". People who frequently go to milongas may be called ''milongueros''. The music played is mainly tango, vals and milonga. Most mi ...
*
Tango (dance) Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
*
Tango music Tango is a style of music in or time that originated among European and African immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay (collectively, the " Rioplatenses"). It is traditionally played on a solo guitar, guitar duo, or an ensemble, k ...
*
Vals Vals is the word for waltz in many European languages. Vals or VALS may also refer to: * Peruvian waltz * Venezuelan waltz * Vals (dance), a dance related to Argentine tango * VALS, "Values And Lifestyles," a psychographic segmentation tool Place ...

References
{{Music in Spanish Song forms Latin American music Argentine styles of music Uruguayan styles of music Tango in Argentina 19th-century music genres Tango in Uruguay