Milonga de mis amores by José María Contursi

Milonga de mis amores is a Tango written by José María Contursi and composed by Pedro Laurenz.

Story behind the Tango Milonga de mis amores

The lyrics of “Milonga de mis amores” tell a story of nostalgia and longing for the past, as expressed through the protagonist’s recollection of the milonga, a musical genre and dance form native to Argentina and Uruguay. The protagonist hears the milonga intertwined with the sound of a guitar, evoking memories of its growth and its heyday in local dance halls. This song is an ode to a bygone era, marked by personal and communal memories tied deeply to local culture.

Symbolism of Milonga de mis amores

Symbolism in these lyrics emerges through elements such as the ‘old neighborhood’ and the ‘lyrical guitar’. The guitar symbolizes continuity, being the one element that still remembers the milonga, despite the changes brought by time. It also stands as a representation of the protagonist’s emotional voice, with its weeping mirroring his own internal turmoil. The reference to crossing the alleyway, “he cruzado tantas veces ese callejón,” symbolizes repeated attempts to reconnect with past joys and inevitably, with one’s own youth and happier times.

Milonga de mis amores in historic Context

The song “Milonga de mis amores,” written in 1968, arrives during a period of significant social and political change in Argentina. With the backdrop of increasing urbanization and modernization, the lyrics reflect a resistance to such change—nostalgia for simpler, heartfelt expressions of culture found in milongas of the past. The lament over the “progress that has shattered all the emotion of my old neighborhood” speaks to a broader disillusionment with modernity’s impact on traditional ways of life, common among many during this Y. century’s latter half in Latin America.

José María Contursi

José María Contursi was a renowned Argentinian lyricist known for his heartfelt and evocative tango lyrics.