Argentine Folklore: A Taste of Country Life

Outside of Buenos Aires and in small pockets around the city, tango loses its supremacy on the dance scene in favor of Argentine folclore, folk music and dance from different regions around the country. Unlike tango’s nocturnal sensuality, Argentina’s upbeat folklore evokes loud music, afternoon cheer and families enjoying the sunshine.

Argentina Folk: History and Roots

The name ‘folclore’ comes from the mid-19th century English word folklore. In Argentina, the term specifically refers to the popular regional music folklórica, folk songs and dances with indigenous, African and colonial origins.

For many years Argentina’s regional folk music and dances were not recorded or written down, and were unknown outside their own region. This changed in the early 1900s when a musician known as the ‘patriarch of folklore’ named Andrés Chazaretta formed a group called the ‘Conjunto de Arte Nativo’ (the Collection of Native Art) and began recording folklóricos. He then performed them throughout the country on a 1906 tour. Since then, folklore artists have gained prominence and popularity around the country and all the way to the capital.

Folklórica is strongly linked with both regional and national identity. This feeling peaked in the 1950s and 60s, when the country experienced a folklore revival referred to as the ‘boom del folclore.’ Renewed interest in Argentine folk music coincided with increased urbanization, as rural families brought their traditions into the cities while radio, television and cinema facilitated the spread of unique regional sounds and a political desire to emphasize a strong Argentine identity, instead of always adapting European traditions.

This national boom led to the 1960’s and 70’s movement called the ‘Movimiento del Nuevo Cancionero,’ or the New Singer Movement. Headed up by musicians Mercedes Sosa, Armando Tejado Gomez, Toto Francia, Oscar Matus and others, the self-described ‘literary-musical’ movement sought to bring together the different types of popular Argentine music and bridge the divides between genres such as tango, folklore, and even national rock by combining different elements of each to create something new.

Folk Music During the Dirty War

During the Dirty War of 1976-83 the government repressed political, cultural and artistic expression, banning many popular folk songs because of their subversive lyrics in addition to ‘disappearing’ many intellectuals and artists.

Some of the most famous Northern folklore musicians of the 20th century such as Atahualpa Yupanqui, Los Hermanos Ábalos, Carlos Carabal, Cantores del Alba, Los Tucu Tucu, and the Manseros Santiagueños spent time in exile because of the censorship.

At a festival in January 1978, the folk musician Jorge Cafrune played a song requested by the audience, even though it wasn’t in the government’s ‘approved songs’ list. “Even if it’s not in the authorized register,” he said at the time, “if the people request it, I am going to sing it.” A short while later, he was killed in a hit-and-run accident while traveling by horseback. Many believe he was assassinated by the military junta, who deemed him too famous for a public trial and imprisonment.

In 1979 the internationally famous singer Mercedes Sosa had her concert interrupted and was arrested on stage, along with her entire audience at a show in Mar del Plata. She chose to flee the country after that incident along with many other folkloric artists who were frustrated by their inability to perform and feared for their lives.

In the early 1980s the dictatorship’s grip on the country slackened and many artists returned home. A new generation was introduced to the genre, and to artists who had been unable to release their music in their own country for almost a decade. Since then, folklore music has regained its standing as an essential part of the Argentine national identity.

Argentine Folk Dances

Argentina has a patchwork of traditional dances covering its large territory. Among the many different types of Argentine folk music, the most well known in Buenos Aires are probably chacarera, chamame and zamba —not to be confused with the Brazilian samba. Many other regional dances include el gato, yaraví, palotiro, bailecito, el escondid, pericón, carnavalito, malamba, cuecas, chaya, payada, and chamarrita. Chacarera and zamba both originated in the northwest of the country, and their popularity radiated outwards from the 1930s onward, due to Argentines’ renewed interest in traditional dances and internal emigration towards the capital.

Chamamé, from the Littoral region, is a uniquely Argentine mix of Guarani and Eastern European music, merged with a African beats and sad lyrics typically accompanied by guitar, bass, and accordion. The music has hints of polka and is danced in pairs. It is the closest thing Argentina has to the waltz, although it employs a 6/8 beat.

Chamarrita is a kindred song and dance also from Argentina’s Mesopotamia region, which is believed to be related to a Portuguese song and dance of the same name.

Chacarera: A Favorite Folk Dance

The first recorded use of the name ‘Chacarera’ dates back the early 1900s. The music comes from a mix of African, indigenous and, to a lesser extent, colonial roots.
“Maybe on an international level Argentina is mostly represented by tango, but in Argentina you realize that Chacarera is national, it’s popular everywhere,” says Esteban de Monte, a folklore dance teacher living in Buenos Aires who is originally from Santiago del Estero, the birthplace of chacarera.

One appeal for beginners is chacarera’s relative simplicity: unlike tango, chacarera is a choreographed dance, with only a few basic steps and variations that repeat several times. Dancers form two lines, and partners stand facing each other. Partners move forward and back, in clockwise circles, and meet in the middle, always keeping their torsos turned towards each other and their eyes focused on those of their partner.

Adrian Bernal, a folklore dance instructor who gives classes at Buenos Aires’ dancehall La Catedral says, “Chacarera is danced separately, there is no physical contact. But you stay in contact with your partner through the energy you share with the other person. Dancing is communication.”

The lyrics to traditional chacarera songs often deal with similar themes: the beauty of nature, nostalgia for home, traveling through the countryside, and country life. Many chacareras refer to the act of singing a chacarera within the lyrics of the song. The songs are sung in Spanish and Quechua and there are a few variations of the choreographed dance. During the bridge, men perform a move called zapateo — zapato meaning shoe in Spanish — stomping the ground loudly and rhythmically. Meanwhile women do the zarandeo, twirling their long skirts while dancing in a small circle.

“The zapateo is like a floreo (flattery) that the man performs for the woman — an invitation,” Bernal explains. “And the woman can choose to answer — or not — with a zarandeo because a zarandeo can be an insinuation, a response, or it can be a rejection. In the zamba this conversation is more noticeable. Zamba more than anything else is a dance between couples.”

‘Añoranzas'(Yearnings)– Lyrics of a chacarera by Julio Argentino Jerez:

Cuando salí de Santiago todo el camino

lloré  lloré sin saber porqué pero yo les aseguro  que mi corazón es duro pero aquel día afloje.

Quisiera ser arbolito,  ni muy grande ni muy chico  pa´ darle un poquito ´e sombra  y a los cansados del camino

Cuando chacareras comienzo a cantar  ¿Cual ha de ser..? ¿Cual ha de ser…?  La chacarera del rancho, señor.  ¡claro que si! !claro si, pues!

When I left Santiago I cried the whole way

I cried without knowing why but I assure you that my heart is tough but that day it went soft.

I would like to be a tree, not too big nor too small
To give a little bit of shade to the tired people on the road.

When I start to sing chacareras, which will it be? Which will it be? The chacarera of the ranch, sir
Of course! Of course!

Zamba: The Swirling Scarves Dance

Couples dance Zamba while twirling scarves. The dance is also found in parts of Peru and Bolivia, and has many common elements with the cueca, the most well-known Chilean folk dance. The name zamba comes from the colonial term ‘zambo,’ which refers to the offspring of Amerindians and Africans. Zamba is native to the provinces of Tucumán and Santiago del Estero, provinces where there is still a small Afro-Argentine population.

Zamba arrived in Argentina through two different routes. The ancestor of the dance is a Peruvian dance called zambacueca. It passed into Chile and became the cueca, which then arrived in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. At the same time, the zambacueca also descended directly from Lima towards Jujuy. The zambacueca is now called marinera in Peru; all three dances (marinera, cueca and zamba) remain very similar, though stylistic and rhythmic changes now mark them as distinct types of music.

Along with the chacarera, the zamba is one of the most well-known Argentine folk dances. In 2007 was nominated to be named national dance of Argentina. The most distinctive aspect of zamba is the handkerchief that the partners twirl in the air, inviting and teasing each other with their movements. It is widely considered the most romantic of Argentine folk dances. “In Argentina, zamba is the expression of romance,” says Bernal. “It’s the symbol of sweetness, the gentleness of love that is sublime, tender, and sensitive. It’s a part of life.”

Zamba song lyrics intertwine love, sensuality, and nature. Like chacarera, zamba lyrics often refer to the act of singing or dancing zamba within the lyrics of the songs.

Folklore Instruments and Outfits

Being from the same region of the country, chacarera and zamba use similar instruments and dancers wear similar traditional clothing. Women wear long, full skirts, necessary to perform an elegant zarandeo and men wear wide gaucho pants called bombachas that narrow at the ankle, heavy boots, shirts, wide-brimmed hats and scarves.

In addition to more common instruments such as the guitar, violin, and drums, chacarera and zamba also employ the bandoneón, a type of concertina that looks similar to an accordion and is often used in tango music. Indigenous Andean instruments include the quena, a wooden flute and the charango, which resembles a small banjo. The trademark drum is the bombo legüero, made from a hollowed out tree trunk and animal skin, it has a deep boom that can be heard over long distances. The origin of the word ‘legüero’ is disputed, whether it has African, creole or indigenous roots in unknown. Another story claims the name comes from the Quechua word legüi, a rope with balls at each end used to hunt and designed to catch animals by tangling in their legs.

Angélica -Lyrics of a Zamba by Roberto Cambaré:

Angélica, cuando te nombro  me vuelve a la memoria, un valle…pálida noche de abril  yaquel pueblito de córdoba.

Te vi, no olvidaré

Un carnaval guitarra, bombo y violin

Agitando pañuelos te vi,  cadencia al bailar,

airoso perfil

Angélica, when I say your name I remember a valley…

a pale night in April and that small village in Cordoba.

I saw you, I won’t forget

A carnival guitar, bombo and violin

Moving handkerchiefs I saw you, dancing with rhythm,

graceful profile.

The Dancers and Musicians

Even if Argentine folklore is not as visible to tourists as tango, the vast majority of Argentines have tried dancing it, if only back in their school days.

“On national holidays, like the 25 of May or July 9th (Independence Day), they teach you the history in school, and you learn the traditional music and dances. It’s not mandatory, but everyone participates,” says Melissa Bafico, a med student in Buenos Aires. Few porteños continue to dance folklore after their school years, but the dances are common in the countryside, especially in the northern provinces. Even today die-hard folklore dancers will don traditional costumes before setting out to dance at their favorite folkloric peña (folklore venue).

Where to See Argentina’s Folklore

For those who want to catch a show or practice their moves, there are several places in Buenos Aires where folklore is alive and well, and all sorts of people — wearing everything from traditional garb to jeans and t-shirts — attend to dance and listen to music. The most reliable place to see and dance Argentine Folklore is the Mataderos Fair every Sunday.

There are also many peñas in town, some of which have been around for years, others that pop up and disappear again after only a few months. Spanish speakers can find more info on live performances and peñas in Buenos Aires on the Folklore Club homepage or by joining the Facebook group ‘Los Peñeros de los Sabados.’

Tango temple La Catedral also currently offers folklore dance classes on Saturday afternoons from 5 to 7 p.m., for those interested in learning the moves — just email or call in advance to confirm.

Those traveling outside the capital to the provinces of Salta, Tucumán, Jujuy and Santiago de Estero will have many opportunities to see zamba, chacarera and other folkloric dances. The most important Argentine folk festival, The National Folklore Festival of Cosquín, takes place near Cordoba city in the town of Cosquín during the last nine days of January.

Folklore is an important part of Argentina’s culture often overlooked on the world stage. Folklore musician Duende Garnica says, “Folklore is the idiosyncrasy of a people — its culture, customs, food, dances, are mapped out inside the music and the poetry of the dance. For this reason folklore is crucial in order to know where we come from and where we are going.”

-Sam Harrison

→ Check out the city’s most renowned tango shows, all of which include a folklore and folk dancing segment as part of the show.

→ To see Argentine Folk Music and Dancing in Buenos Aires, book our tour of the Mataderos Fair, where you’ll enjoy the song and dance and likely meet some of Argentina’s most renown folk artists.

→ Read about Carnival music, dance and celebrations in Buenos Aires

Argentina Christmas Food Guide

Christmas eve in Argentina lands in the midst of the scorching summer, so holiday party spreads are heavy on cold appetizers. Everyday standbys such as meat and cheese platters, empanadas, and migas, (crust-less finger sandwiches) make an appearance, but Argentina’s Christmas culinary tradition is focused on salads, fancy finger foods and special (and sometimes strange) holiday dishes from the old country.

Christmas Appetizers & Starters

The classic summer salad, ensalada Rusia (Russian potato salad) makes it onto most family tables at Christmas. Although walnuts are pricey in Argentina, the Waldorf salad also shows up on more gourmet holiday spreads.

Common holiday appetizers include tomates rellenos — tomatoes stuffed with a rice pilaf or tuna salad.

Among the fancier finger foods are Argentina’s twist on deviled eggs, huevos rellenos de pate, eggs filled with pâté whipped with mayonnaise.

Also popular are canapes navideños, open-faced empanadas filled with ingredients such as cheese, ham, tomato, olives, and basil.

Chief among Argentine Christmas finger foods is Pionono. Made with bizcochuelo, the sponge cake is wrapped up around tuna or chicken with condiments such as sliced cheese, tomatoes, artichokes and mayonnaise or salsa golf (an Argentine invention of ketchup mixed with mayonnaise). There is also a dessert version of pionono, made with jam or dulce de leche (sweet milk spread) seen on the holidays.

Pionono, Argentine finger food, Christmas appetizer — Argentine Pionono, Photo: wiki-Carlosdisogra

Torre de panqueques (tower of pancakes), known in some areas of the country as Fiambre Alemán, is another seasonal favorite that’s mostly seen in Patagonia. It’s a cake-shaped construction of savory crepes filled with any number of ingredients including ham, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, olives and, of course, plenty of mayo.

One of the common Christmas appetizers and perhaps the most off-putting for vegetarians would have to be lengua a la vinagreta, thinly sliced cow tongue simmered in vinegar and herbs.

Though seen year-round, another common platter at Christmas is matambre relleno, a fine cut of flank steak rolled around ingredients that can include boiled eggs, carrots, artichokes, olives, and ham or chicken.

Those in the western provinces, especially Syrian and Lebanese descendants, will likely serve ñinos envueltos, which literally translates as ‘wrapped children’. The flavorful stuffed meat rolls are made with thinly-sliced rump roast wrapped in grape leaves and served in a tomato wine sauce.

The Christmas Main Course: Vitel Toné, Lechón or Asado

Basic asado (barbeque) in the Argentine countryside — Argentine country Christmas meal: Lambs leg and globe squash (at the insistence of the foreigner).

Vitel Toné (veal in tuna sauce), originally known in Italian as Vitello Tonnato, was brought over by immigrants from the Piedmont region of Italy and somehow established itself as Argentina’s most traditional Christmas entree.

The labor-intensive dish contains thinly sliced veal topped with a rich sauce of tuna, mayonnaise, cream, egg yolks, white wine, anchovies and capers. The more amateur cook may replace the creamy ingredients with Casancrem, an additive-laden white cheese spread sold in grocery stores.

On rainy years, and as tradition in some families, the main course could be lechón navideño, an oven-roasted suckling pig.

But Argentina being the land of die-hard carnivores, for many nothing says Christmas like the sacramental asado (barbecue).

Despite the heat, a brave asador (bbq-cook) will hold court while reverently attending to the steak, sausage, lamb, and chicken on the grill.

In the countryside friends and family will congregate in the garden or patio of whomever has the most elaborate parilla set-up, while in some neighborhoods of Buenos Aires groups with limited space will set up makeshift barbecue pits on the sidewalk or in the park.

Whatever the Noche Buena (Christmas eve) brings to the table, with the calorie-laden foods, summer heat and loud all-night party, expect a tranqui (chilled-out) Christmas Day as Argentina recovers from partying and pigging out the night before.

→ Read about: Argentina’s Traditional Christmas Desserts

→ Read about: Christmas in Buenos Aires

→ Check out our list of Food Tours in Buenos Aires

12 Argentine Desserts: Alfajores, Medialunas & More

Don’t know the medialuna from chocotorta? This guide to Argentine desserts is here to help!

Medialunas

The medialuna, or sweet croissant, is ubiquitous in cafés throughout Argentina as a breakfast, mid-morning, or any-time snack — there is hardly a café or restaurant in the country which doesn’t serve them.

Considered a breakfast food, medialunas are a type factura, the umbrella term for Argentine pastries.

Facturas come in a variety of shapes and flavors from dulce de leche (milk caramel) filled donuts to apple lattices. The simple medialuna is by far the most popular and widely eaten factura, and as such, they are often seen stacked along the bar in cafes across the country.

Medialunas come in two forms: butter (medialunas de manteca) and lard (medialunas de grasa). The slim lard-made crescents are less sweet, while the larger, butter medialunas tend to be very sweet, fluffy and topped with a sugar glaze.

Alfajores

Alfajores are an Argentine snack cake consisting of two soft cakes, held together by roughly a centimeter of dulce de leche, jam or mousse and covered in meringue powder or chocolate.

The Argentine twist on the ancient Arab dessert, alajú, this portable treat became popular in the mid-19th century in Argentina. Today Argentina is the world’s number one consumer of alfajores. Visitors to Argentina cannot leave without trying at least one alfajor, and they aren’t hard to find. Commercial versions are available in every supermarket and there are specialty alfajor shops all over the country.

Chocotorta

Locals describe chocotorta as ‘a cake that you cannot possibly get wrong.’ This claim to fame has made it a staple of those who cannot afford to bring a good bottle of booze to a birthday party.

On the rare occasion, sophisticated versions are served at upscale confiterías, but the typical peasant version is made with store-bought chocolate cookies called Chocolinas soaked in milk or coffee, and then layered with dulce de leche and cream cheese. Some versions omit the cream cheese and just consist of a layer of the chocolate cookie cake with dulce de leche smeared on top.

This adaptable cake requires no baking and can be made in a pinch. Recommended for afternoon tea with a submarino (Argentine hot chocolate).

Pasta Frola

Pasta Frola, the most pie-like of Argentine desserts, looks and tastes a lot like a sophisticated jam tart. The standard version of this tart is made with dulce de membrillo, a quince jam or dulce de batata, a sweet potato mash that makes this version more like a pumpkin pie. This delicious baked dessert’s easily available ingredients make it one of the most affordable desserts in the country’s bakeries and confeterías. Eat accompanying an afternoon mate for a true Argentine experience, or head to the classic Las Violetas Café to try it amidst old world splendor.

Crumble de Manzana

Crumble de Manzana (apple crumble) is a more recent addition to the Buenos Aires dessert scene. It can be found in many patisseries (pastry shops), and bastardized versions even make it onto the dessert lists in fast food restaurants.

The rare British contribution to Argentine dessert, apple crumble is just apple, sugar, wheat, butter and cinnamon – basically an apple pie with a crumble topping. It is sometimes served as an entire cake and sometimes in little squares at a café. As one of the few Argentine desserts to not feature dulce de leche, this cake makes regularly appearances at gatherings of people who haven’t adapted to the Argentine put-dulce-de-leche-on-everything dessert custom. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for a classic treat.

Lemon Pie

Lemon Pie (tarta de limón con meringue) is essentially the Argentine lemon meringue pie. The only difference is that despite the name, the lemon meringue is actually the main feature rather than a mere sweet accent on the lemon filling and crust. The Argentine incarnation of lemon meringue pie comes with a debilitating sugar high, but in the best versions the lemon filling is sharp enough to stand up to the two inches of meringue. A delicate pie that she only be entrusted to experienced bakers. Pair with a white citrus Moscato from Mendoza for an all-around Argentine treat.

Torta Mil Hojas

Torta mil hojas (thousand layer cake) is the dulce-de-leche heavy Argentine version of French millefeuille, or Napolean.

Known as torta rogel in Chile, where it is even more popular, it amounts to layers of filo pastry held together with an abundance of dulce de leche, and covered in chocolate, or sometimes meringue or coconut.

Unlike chocotorta, this cake takes some effort as the dough has to be prepared in advance, ideally somewhere cool and dry. The fanciest version of this cake is a staple at Argentina weddings and Chilean birthday parties.

In other Latin American countries, particularly Central America, this cake is often called torta chilena.

Sopa Inglesa

Sopa Inglesa, literally translated as ‘English soup,’ has more to do with Italy than England and nothing to do with soup.

Known as la zuppa inglese in Italy, this Neapolitan dessert contribution features liqueur-soaked white sponge cake or lady fingers layered with Chantilly cream, often topped with glazed strawberry.

Sopa Inglesa is a cake often found in pizzerias, as it is obviously the thing needed to wash down a pizza. The truly Argentina version is Sopa Inglesa de dulce de leche.

Eat with an espresso, following a couple of classic slices of cheese-laden Argentine pizza, and then be rolled out of the pizzeria and marvel at how the locals aren’t obese.

Tarta de Coco

Tarta de Coco, coconut tart, is ideally made with fresh coconut, which is hard to come by in Argentina, so finely shredded coconut is used instead and — to accommodate the Argentine sweet tooth— dulce de leche is usually thrown in for good measure. It consists of a shortbread crust layered with dulce de leche and topped with coconut, that toasts nicely on top. This sweet tart can result in sugar rush panic attack but in moderation, this cake is delicious, with the grainy consistency of desiccated coconut cutting through the usual sickly-sweet feeling of too much dulce de leche.

The other great thing about Tarta de Coco is that bakeries will often sell little pyramids of unsweetened desiccated coconut for making cakes at home, but they are available to just buy in a bag, so that those on the move can skip the cake-making and simply walk down the street munching them.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is probably a front-runner for one of the best desserts on earth, which is why so many countries across the world have adopted it as a classic. Whilst Italian and not Argentine in origin, the wide availability and perfecting of the dessert has made this an Argentine staple. Creamy mascarpone, coffee liqueur and finger biscuits have combined to make a dessert so popular it is even available as an ice cream flavor across the country.

Pastel de ricota

Pastel de ricota (also known as tarta de ricota) or ricotta pie, is Argentina’s take on cheesecake — a thin spongy cake base and topping, filled with lemony ricotta. Many Argentines hold a soft spot for this dessert due to its ‘just like grandma used to make’ memories of their childhood. This is a good bet for those looking for a dulce de leche-free dessert and it works well with coffee, mate or with black tea, as it’s served in Patagonia.

Flan

Anyone who has ever visited a restaurant in South America has at some point seen the word ‘flan’ on a menu. In Argentina, behind medialunas and alfajores, flan probably holds bronze medal for the most common Argentine sweet.

The official definition of ‘baked custard’ really doesn’t even begin to explain the gelatinous, wobbly mound of eggy, creamy deliciousness that is flan, which also appears to be the only substance on earth that can stand up to a fifty-fifty accompaniment of dulce de leche.
Possibly the greatest thing about flan is that its not-quite-solid state means it can be almost painlessly eaten even after devouring an entire cow at an asado (Argentine barbeque).

—by Isabel Barker

→ Check out all of our Buenos Aires Food & Drink Tours

The Day of Kings: Argentina’s Christmas Finale

The Day of Kings (El Día de los Reyes Magos) on January 6, marks an exciting end to the Christmas season for children in Argentina.

Though the summer Christmas in Argentina is more about food and fiesta than gift giving, the kids make out with some good loot on the Day of Kings, which marks the day of the Christian Epiphany on the twelfth day of Christmas.

The event commemorates the visit of Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar who followed a star to Bethlehem from the east to bring gifts and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Epiphany Traditions in Argentina

Argentina’s Catholic tradition dictates that children write a letter to the Three Wise Men (aka Kings of the Orient) with their list of wishes and then leave their shoes under the Christmas Tree or by the door or window on the Night of Kings (Noche de Reyes, January 5). They also put out some water and grass for the three kings’ camels before they go to bed.

On the magical morning, children who have been good all year discover that the camels ate their rations and the Three Wise Men left gifts.

In some, usually more rural, neighborhoods there is also a Three King’s Parade on the Day of Kings, in which the Wise Men march through in ancient-style robes accompanied by various servants, soldiers and other characters to give out toys and candy to the children.

In Argentina’s small towns and in the countryside the festivities may be more elaborate with gauchos, or Argentine cowboys, dressed up as the biblical kings riding through town on horseback.

In Buenos Aires the Three Kings visit children’s hospital wards and sometimes make an appearance at Plaza Mariano Moreno in front of the Congress building, before parading down Avenida de Mayo to the Plaza de Mayo.

Argentine King Cake

The food most associated with the Day of Kings in Argentina is Rosca de Reyes, a ring-shaped ‘Epiphany cake’ that also makes an appearance on Easter as Rosca de Pasqua (Easter cake). It can be found in the bakeries of Argentina around these holidays. According to tradition, the shape of the cake represents the crowns of the three kings and the infinite love of God. While in other Latin American countries (and some southern U.S. states) the cake may be topped with a plastic figurine of baby Jesus, the Argentine version of King Cake is often topped with custard, eggs, candied fruit and sugar.

Murga Madness: Carnival in Buenos Aires

Carnival does not just happen in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro or Argentina’s Gualeguaychú. For anyone who’s missed the boat— or bus — to the bigger carnivals, or can’t be torn away from the city’s hustle, Carnaval Porteño (Buenos Aires’ Carnival) is back and better than ever.

The free festivities take place on Saturdays and Sundays from the first week in February, as well as on Carnival holidays, this year (2020) on the February 24th and 25th.

→ Going to Brazil? Book tickets to the Samba Parade at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Murgas – The Basics

Dozens of barrios (neighborhoods) in the city have their own celebrations, with over 100 murgas (bands of marching percussionists and dancers) taking to the streets.

What’s different about Buenos Aires’ carnival is that it isn’t one long parade — the action happens within the confines of 35 gated-off street sections around the city. This has the benefit of dispersing the crowds so no one is stuck way out straining their neck to see who’s banging which drum. The celebrations may be less grandiose than other South American carnivals, but the party spirit is by no means lacking.

Each Buenos Aires’ murga carries an often silly or self-deprecating name that includes its home barrio, such as ‘Los Chiflados de Boedo‘ (The Crazies of Boedo); Los Viciouso de Almagro (The Vicious of Almagro); ‘Los Audaces of Bajo Belgrano‘ (The Audacious of Lower Belgrano); ‘Los fantoches de Villa Urquiza‘ (The Loud-Mouths of Villa Urquiza); and one of the city’s largest murgas ‘Los Amantes de La Boca‘ (The Lovers of La Boca).

A murga is characterized by the bombo con platillo, a special type of drum with a cymbal, originally brought to Argentina by Spanish immigrants. A pumping beat provides backing for murgueros (participants in the murga) who sing, dance and wave flags with a festive mix of artistic and political expression.

As if the drums aren’t enough to burst all eardrums in the vicinity, deafening chants are bellowed above the hubbub. Content ranges from group introductions to political messages called críticas — only the finest tuned Spanish ears are able to tell the difference.

With an approach to brightness and color similar to a two-year old let loose on the paints, brilliantly decorated faces grin at the crowds. Costumes, consisting of a suit, gloves, top hat and cane, are lovingly embroidered for months before carnival season by a host of murguero mothers. At the show, the shiny, sparkling results swish along so fast it’s hard to see where one sequined hat ends and the other begins.

A sea of onlookers get down to the beat, feet tapping with impeccable Latin timing whilst gaggles of small children spray each other, and everyone else in range, with canned foam. Giggling adolescents join in, using their aerosols to flirt with school friends.

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History of Carnival in Buenos Aires

The Argentine carnival tradition grew at the end of the 18^th century when a mix of immigrants used dance and song as a way to express disenchantment with their social situation. The subsequent murgas that sprang from this ‘breaking of the chains’ typically involved the working classes and were used as a way to laugh at those in power — the attire worn in Carnaval Porteño, with the top hat and suit get-up, originated from slaves poking fun at their masters.

Originally murgas tended to be ethnically divided. Freed African slaves and their descendants would have a separate murga from Italians or Galicians. This changed in the 1930s when murgas began to form by neighborhoods rather than nationalities or religion.

Dancers in Buenos Aires Carnival of African Descent — Afro-Argentines celebrating carnival in Buenos Aires

These days, murgas — still highly politically charged — are a way for communities to come together to express themselves. Each group has its own name and costume linked to its barrio (many murgas are connected to the government, while others choose to be independent). Groups can be found practicing in their barrio’s main squares during the year and neighbors often come along for some light entertainment and some heavy drumming.

Gustavo Arcangelo, a 29-year-old independent murga member describes the variety of people in his group ‘Espíritu Cascabelero de Lanús’:

“Last year there were some pregnant girls in our group, so this year they’ve brought their five or six-month old babies. Our oldest member is 40. Everyone dances together, we don’t discriminate, after all we all travel to the murgas on the same bus.”

Things haven’t always been as inclusive. In the past women weren’t allowed to dance with men, and were not permitted to wear the same clothes.

During the military dictatorship of 1976 -1983 it looked as if the carnival spirit was about to be stamped out forever. The traditional two-day holiday was annulled and although murgas weren’t expressly forbidden, it was almost impossible for them to continue. They were only allowed to take place in closed areas, and people had to pay to enter. “They stole the feeling of murgas by making profit out of them,” says Arcangelo, of the murgas during the dictatorship.

Murgas Today

A return to democracy brought about a carnival revival. Workshops and courses were introduced to teach people how to be murgueros. This helped to expand the murga tradition and include those who previously weren’t involved, such as women and the middle classes.

Argentine rock and roll Gods also propelled carnival into popular culture with murga influenced rhythms in songs such as ‘El Murguero’ by Los Autenticos Decadentes; “Verano de 92” by Los Piojos and ‘Carnaval Todo la Vida’ by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. Bringing this style of music to the masses worked — in 1997 murgas were given ‘Cultural Heritage’ status by the City of Buenos Aires.

Today, a million and a half people in Buenos Aires take to the streets to enjoy the festivities.

The current government continues to invest in murgas. Ex-president Cristina Kirchner — who was never one to turn down an excuse for a holiday — reinstated the two-day carnival holiday nationwide in 2011.

It’s safe to say that the spirit of carnival is working its way back into the mainstream and while the drum and crowd-averse may disagree, carnival-lovers feel this is yet more cause for celebration.

“Although there are bad things in the world, the murga shows that you always have to keep going, keep fighting, express yourself and tell the world that you want change,” says murguero Arcangelo. “And of course, put on a bit of color.”

So grab the face paints, get those feet tapping and take to the streets to join in the fun.

— by Rosie Hilder

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