Tango Negro (FILM REVIEW)
Tango Negro
Film
Review
by Kam Williams
Musical Documentary Examines the
African Roots of the Tango.
The word
“tango” mean “sun” in Congolese. Given that derivation, it
comes as no surprise that the dance thought of as South American
might be traced back to Africa.
That
explains the mission of Tango Negro, a labor of love marking the
writing and directorial debut of Dom Pedro. What makes the project of
educational value is the fact that Argentina, the country most
closely associated with Tango, has generally been averse to admitting
its African heritage.
Truth be
told, a post-slavery purge of blacks there resulted in a
whitening of the region by the early 20th Century. For,
while the descendants of Congolese slaves were being slaughtered or
run out of the country, immigration was encouraged by settlers from
Italy, France, Lebanon and Syria.
Thus, it is
argued in Tango Negro that “the history of the Americas is an
absolute lie, from the extermination of the indigenous peoples to the
destruction of African cultures.” And it is further stipulated that
this shameful legacy “will have to be acknowledged for
reconciliation to occur.”
Besides the
revisionist lessons this informative documentary includes numerous
songs and performances of the Tango. Unfortunately, the music proves
to be the low point of the picture, due to its woefully
low-production values.
Nevertheless,
three ole's to director Dom Pedro for daring to raise the taboo
subject right in Buenos Aires, an ethnically-cleansed environ where
it's admittedly hard to find any dark-skinned citizens.
Ole! Ole!
Ole!
Very Good (3
stars)
Unrated
In
Spanish, French and English with subtitles
Running time: 93
minutes
Distributor: ArtMattan
Productions
To see a trailer for Tango
Negro, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1OCMY06u7M
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