ResearchWorks: Tango in Japan: Allure, Self-Transformations, the Performance of Modernity

The roots of tango, which has become popular internationally since the start of the twentieth century, are closely associated with Argentina, especially the city of Buenos Aires. However, when adopted elsewhere in the world, tango has often taken on rather different forms from its Argentine “roots”; adapting to new cultural environments and acquiring a distinctive new, albeit hybrid, identity. In contemporary Japan, Argentine tango is widely performed in classical concert venues, tango Milonga parties, as well as expensive bars and restaurants that feature live tango bands every night. Tango is now also popular among the younger generations of Japanese musicians. This talk will explore the worlds of Argentine tango performance from its historical “beginnings” to its contemporary international popularity by looking at tango in Japan as a case study. Through performance as well as via the ideas and aspects of allure and modernity, this talk will also reflect on the speaker’s background as a tango violinist.

Speaker

Yuiko Asaba is Lecturer (equiv. Assistant Professor) in Music at SOAS University of London. She is the author of the forthcoming book, titled Tango in Japan: Cosmopolitanism Beyond the West, currently in production with the University of Hawai‘i Press for publication in 2024. Her research examines the significant presence of Latin American music cultures in the Asia-Pacific. She has published in journals including the Ethnomusicology Forum and Popular Music Studies, with forthcoming articles appearing in the East Asian Journal of Popular Culture. As a tango violinist, she has worked professionally as a member of tango orchestras in Argentina and Japan.

Guildhall School’s ResearchWorks is a programme of events centred around the School’s research activity, bringing together staff, students and guests of international standing. We run regular events throughout the term intended to share the innovative research findings of the School and its guests with students, staff and the public.