Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires ("Good Airs" in Spanish, originally meaning "Fair Winds") is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port, as well as one of the largest cities in South America. Buenos Aires is located on the southern shore of the River Plate, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent, opposite Montevideo, Uruguay. Buenos Aires is located at {{coor dm|34|40|S|58|24|W|}} (-34.667, -58.40).

Culture

Language variations

Argentines refer to their language as castellano (literally Castilian). The dialect spoken in Buenos Aires (as well as in other large cities like Rosario and Montevideo, Uruguay) is characterized by voseo, yeísmo and aspiration or loss of syllable-final -s. Due to its geographical location, it receives the name of Rioplatense Spanish.

Related Topics:
Castilian - Rosario - Montevideo - Uruguay - Voseo - Yeísmo - Rioplatense Spanish

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the early 20th century, Argentina absorbed millions of immigrants, mostly from Italy and Spain. Italian immigrants spoke mostly in their local dialects (mainly Napulitano, Sicilianu and Genovese), and their adoption of Spanish was gradual. The pidgin of Italian dialects and Spanish was called cocoliche. It was used roughly until the 1950s, and today survives mostly as comic relief.

Related Topics:
Napulitano - Sicilianu - Genovese - Spanish - Pidgin - Italian - Cocoliche - 1950s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As many Spanish immigrants were from Galicia, to the extent that Spaniards are still called gallegos (Galicians), Galician language and culture had a major presence in the city for most of the 20th century. Descendants of Galician immigrants have led a mini-boom in Celtic music (which also highlighted the Welsh traditions of Patagonia).

Related Topics:
Galicia - Galician language - Celtic music - Welsh traditions of Patagonia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yiddish was common in Buenos Aires, especially in the Balvanera garment district, until the 1960s. A lively Korean language and Chinese language press has developed since the 1980s. Most immigrants learn Spanish and quickly assimilate into city life.

Related Topics:
Yiddish - Balvanera - Korean language - Chinese language - 1980s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The lunfardo argot originated within the prison population, and spread to all porteños with time. Lunfardo uses words from Italian dialects, and tricks such as inverting the syllables within a word (vesre). Lunfardo is used by porteños mostly in informal settings.

Related Topics:
Lunfardo - Vesre

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tango

Many immigrants arrived in Buenos Aires without their families, which led to a significant phenomenon of prostitution starting around 1870. The erotically charged tango dance originated in brothels, but later found a wider audience. In 1902, the Teatro Opera started organizing tango balls. In the 1920s, tango was adopted by the Parisian high society and then all over the world.

Related Topics:
Prostitution - 1870 - Tango dance - 1902 - Teatro Opera - Parisian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Buenos Aires style of tango music evolved into an elaborated genre. In its heyday, tango had many famous orchestras such as those led by Aníbal Troilo and Juan D'Arienzo, and singers such as Carlos Gardel and Edmundo Rivero.

Related Topics:
Tango music - Aníbal Troilo - Juan D'Arienzo - Carlos Gardel - Edmundo Rivero

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buenos Aires now holds an annual "Tango Day" each December 11.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In San Telmo, Sundays are devoted to tango shows on the streets and antiques trade in the bazaars around Dorrego Square.

Related Topics:
San Telmo - Bazaar

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Miscellaneous

Buenos Aires was home for Argentine writers Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Ernesto Sábato, Victoria Ocampo and Julio Cortázar (who emigrated to France). International figures who were residents of Buenos Aires include René Goscinny, Witold Gombrowicz, Jerry Masucci, and businessmen John S. Reed and Aristotle Onassis.

Related Topics:
Jorge Luis Borges - Adolfo Bioy Casares - Ernesto Sábato - Victoria Ocampo - Julio Cortázar - France - René Goscinny - Witold Gombrowicz - Jerry Masucci - John S. Reed - Aristotle Onassis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The University of Buenos Aires, which used to be the premier learning institution in South America, has produced five Nobel Prize winners.

Related Topics:
University of Buenos Aires - Nobel Prize

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For much of the 20th century, Buenos Aires was the cultural capital of the Spanish-speaking world, and many porteños flaunted their riches abroad (famed New York nightclub El Morocco was owned by a porteño playboy). This led to an stereotype of Argentines as vain and arrogant that became widespread in all of Latin America; in neighboring countries, a distinction is made between porteños and people from the provinces, the latter being excluded from this characterization.

Related Topics:
New York - Nightclub - El Morocco

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~