The Canyengue style of Argentine Tango - what is it?

Canyengue is a style of Tango based on the ‘swagger’ or walk of various cultures in Argentina in the 1910s. 

During that era, the Tango of the day was taken and exhibited on the stage and as a result became a ’pastiche’ of Tango. However there was also a serious side to the Canyengue. In the 1990s, Leo found his teacher Luis Grondona, who had researched the Canyengue and had rediscovered the beauty of this original style. He taught Leo the Canyengue based on this knowledge. 

The Canyengue style has a very different embrace and musicality and expression. Typically danced but not restricted to the music of Canaro or Los Tuba Tango.  

What characterises the style of Canyengue?

The Canyengue is more about the music. The embrace of Canyengue is mostly a close embrace that gives the style a very particular look. The embrace can change to a low grip as shown in the photo, to the more usual embrace used today. Canyengue is characterised by accents and grounded walking with very marked accents in the music. There is a feeling that the walking is ‘heavy’ but changes of tempo can happen very quickly too. 

The movements are synchronised and there are multiple rebounds (rebote) used. Always the basics of Tango can be used. The basic of Canyengue is a secret called ‘yete’ and from that basic you can recognise if the teacher really knows the style.