[TANGO-L] Tango Vs Milonga

[Bruno <romerob @telusplanet.net>]

Alberto Gesualdi wrote:

There is sometimes a confusion when using the word milonga , because it is
considered as belonging exclusively to tango and being born within the tango
environment.

Bruno replies:

Milonga is not a loose term at least in the words of Sr. Andris Carretero,
investigador e historiador, acadimico de la Academia Nacional del Tango.

A brief definition of Tango vs Milonga according to Sr. Andris Carretero:
In Spanish:
Cronolsgicamente coinciden, pues ambos derivan del llamado baile negro
candombe, pero mientras la milonga es la mzsica de los compadritos
orilleros, segzn dicen Vega, Lspez y otros escritores de la ipoca
(1880-1900), el tango es la mzsica preferida por los compadritos urbanos. La
diferencia mas destacada es el ritmo. Para la milonga es rapido y picado,
que da lugar a muchos cortes y quebradas, para lucimiento del bailarmn y en
segunda instancia de la mujer. El tango es mas lento, pero permitiendo
tambiin cortes y quebradas, pero con menos frecuencia y a un ritmo mas
adecuado para los bailarines menos expertos. Permite el lucimiento de la
pareja, sin distingos de hombre o mujer. La milonga orillera era para los
que sabman bailar muy bien. En cambio, al tango urbano podman incorporarse
bailarines menos duchos, o sea, medio pataduras.

In English (my translation)

Chronologically both Tango and Milonga coincide. Both come from the black
dance Candombe, but while the Milonga is the dance from the compadritos
orilleros according to Vega and other writers of the time (1880-1900), Tango
is the preferred music by the urban compadritos. The most vivid difference
between the Tango and Milonga is the rhythm. The Milonga is faster and cut,
which gives way to dance it with cortes and quebradas. In this dance the man
shows up his abilities greatly and in second order does the woman. The Tango
is slower which also allows to be danced with cortes and quebradas but with
less frequency, and at a rhythm more adequate for dancers of less expertise.
The Tango allows both man and woman to show up their abilities equally
without differences of gender. The Milonga orillera was for the ones who
danced very well. On the other hand, the urban tango allowed dancers of
lesser dance skills or those called medio pataduras to participate in the
dance

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
A bit more history on Tango and Milonga at:

http://www.geocities.com/maf140369/historia/coria17.htm