Burning the Inheritance

On our second day in Buenos Aires we took a tour of La Boca barrio which was one of Buenos Aires’ earliest settlements. The tango may have originated in this neighborhood and was used to describe the mix of music and dancing in the late 18th century in this community. Tangos were originally banned because they were so evocative, However, over time, the tango grew to represent the mix of cultures and customs unique to Argentina’s diverse immigrants from England, Poland, and African nations.

During the mid twentieth century, Benito Quinquela Martin, one of the most popular and successful Argentinian artists, began acquiring property in his home neighborhood of La Boca and constructed a number of social and cultural facilities including a school, theater, and pediatric dental clinic, all in bright primary colors (upper left photo). This color scheme has been adopted in the adjoining streets of shops and restaurants (Caminito).

Today La Boca is also well known as the home of the world-renowned Boca Juniors football club, who play their home matches in the infamous La Bombonera (spanish for “the bonbon box”) stadium (bottom left).