Brisa Caribeña - Passion of The Tango

The repertoire of  Brisa Caribeña seems to entail practically the entirety of Latin American music. The Tango originated along the border of Argentina and Uruguay late in the 19th century, and was influenced by many forms of dance and music. There are traces of European music tradition, as well as Cuban, Spanish, and African influences. It was a dance of the impoverished people, played for entertainment in brothels and saloons. It became extremely popular and began to spread the world in the 1900's. There were many parts of society that condemned the dance as being too sexual and inappropriate for the public. The music itself was also considered strange because of the various influences heard in it, as most people in Europe and America had not heard African and Cuban music.

Sophia Johnson, vocalist

As Ragtime was at first condemned and then embraced, so too did the Tango. Both Tango and Ragtime carried mutual influences, and influenced each other as they became popular around the same time in history.

As with many forms, there became many different styles of the dance develop. These were seen in different areas of Argentina and in fact the world. The music also developed differing styles. The Tango, while no longer the rage, has a core following with dancers and musicians, and continues to scandalize the more conservative parts of society. 

Minerva Peña, the usual lead singer was unavailable for the recording date, so one of the band members, a percussionist named Sophia Johnson stepped in. She is one of the few members of the band that is not of Latino extraction, but she became interested in Latin American music and went on to study it in college. This is her first time recording as a vocalist for Big And Tall Records, and we welcome another artist to the fold!

  

 

A man and woman dance the tango 

They are dancing very close at the start 

The music slowly builds in tension 

The dancers drift far apart 

 

The woman twirls the hem of her dress 

It flows like a flag in the wind 

The man comes closer and closer, 

And pulls her nearer to him. 

 

The passion of the tango 

The woman 's back gracefully bends

 It represents the passion of life 

With a force that's hard to defend 

 

The couple are more than just dancers

 Their passion for each other is seen 

They put an energy into the dance 

That is far from serene 

 

It is a tension of love that's delayed 

An urge from so deep inside 

They express it on the dance floor 

No more than that will they confide 

 

This dance that's from Argentina, 

Is a dynamic of that culture 

Of love requited, or delayed 

That's given a high stature! 

 

Their bodies come together often

 Each time they hesitate longer 

When they look in each other’s eyes, 

It betrays a mutual hunger 

 

Make no mistake, they are in love 

It's obvious for all to see 

Their bodies grind on each other 

In mutual ecstasy 

 

The music forces onward 

They hold each other in their arms

The tension in the room is palpable 

Close to the point of alarm 

 

 Their bodies come together often

 Each time they hesitate longer 

When they look in each others eyes,

 It betrays a mutual hunger 

 

Make no mistake, they are in love 

It's obvious for all to see 

Their bodies grind on each other 

In mutual ecstasy 

 

The music forces onward 

They hold each other in their arms 

The tension in the room is palpable 

Close to the point of alarm 

 

Dancing the tango, the dance of love 

Touching a raw, basic want 

As the dance moves to the end, 

It’s the want the dancers flaunt!