Buenos Aires is the capital of tango world, so it is quite normal that there is also a museum, dedicated to tango. Established in 2003, it is located in the same building on Avenida Rivadavia – Palacio Carlos Gardel, as the famous Café Tortoni, and I (together with all tango fans) really loved it.
You can kind of transfer yourself into old tango times and feel the tango spirit of those times, from 1850 up to today. The rooms of the museum are full of great pictures, old musical instruments, like for instance bandoneon of Anibal Troilo, piano of Agustin Bardi and many others.
And the great “picture of the century” with 90 bandoneons on the stage of the famous Teatro Colon at the same time, celebrating 90 years of Anibal Troilo.
If you admire Gavito and his extremely elegant style of dancing (probably everone who loves tango will know him), there is his corner. If you want to see Carlos Gardel’s hat – here it is. And beautiful dresses from the most famous tango artists of all times, like Tita Merello or Anibal Troilo. If you like other dancers from old times, there is also something from them. And the still active tango artists also have their place in the museum. Not to mention the excellent collection of pictures on all the walls.
As the museum is actually in the premises of the Academia Nacional del Tango, there is also a concert hall with the best chairs I have ever seen: just imagine sitting on a chair with the name of a famous tango song: would you like to sit on Ojos negros, Volver or La Cumparsita? A tough decision, I know.
If you are interested how the vinils were made in the old times, there is also a machine for making them. As I am not exactly from those times, it was something very interesting for me.
And for those more scientific types of persons who need to have everything neatly organized: there is a great chart with all the tango music styles from different ages in one place. Yes, tango history can really be very complicated!
Tango DJ Alenka