Ángel Gregorio Villoldo Arroyo was an Argentine musician and one of the pioneers of tango music. He was lyricist, composer, and one of the major singers of the era. He is also known by the pseudonyms A. Gregorio, Fray Pimiento, Gregorio Giménez, Angel Arroyo, and Mario Reguero. Villoldo transformed the Spanish tanguillos, the cuplés, and the habaneras, turning the continental genres into native Argentine rhythms.
Villoldo in the early 1900s
Cover of the sheet music for El Choclo, one of the most popular tangos of the era
Tango is a style of music in 24 or 44 time that originated among European and African immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay. It is traditionally played on a solo guitar, guitar duo, or an ensemble, known as the orquesta típica, which includes at least two violins, flute, piano, double bass, and at least two bandoneóns. Sometimes guitars and a clarinet join the ensemble. Tango may be purely instrumental or may include a vocalist. Tango music and dance have become popular throughout the world.
Tango music
Early bandoneón, constructed ca. 1905
Gabino Ezeiza (1858–1916), pioneer of Argentine tango