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The Tango is Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

The tango is officially Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in a decision made by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) during this week. Argentina and Uruguay presented tango’s candidacy representing the cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo because both “share the birth, tradition, and passion for the tango,” according to a statement made by the Argentine Embassy in Abu Dhabi. There will be celebrations in both of the cities in the banks of Río de la Plata. Today, Wednesday 30 in Montevideo, there will be a tribute in the Sur neighborhood opposite the monument in the memory of Carlos Gardel. This Friday 2 and Saturday 3 in Buenos Aires, in the super porteña corner of San Juan and Boedo streets, there will be a great open milonga with fantastic artists, the Orquesta de Tango de la Ciudad, and the recently winning couples of the Dance World Cup and Festival in the categories “Salon Tango” and “Stage Tango”.

Hernán Lombardi, Buenos Aires’ Minister of Culture, and Eduardo León Duter, Montevideo’s Director of Cultural Promotion, driving forces of the project, were in charge of presenting the proposal to the committee. “It is a tribute to all those people who supported tango for a very long time, to those who in the oral tradition told and retold the poetry and the dance, generation to generation,” declared Lombardi to the international news agency AFP. After this decision, Argentina and Uruguay need to adopt measures which enable to “protect and promote” the tango, as indicated UNESCO in a release.