Music & Dance

While wandering through the Plaza de Mayo, pause for a moment in front of the 1908 Teatro Colón (Colon Theater), considered by some to have the best acoustics in the world. The likes of Stravinsky, Copland, and Bernstein have conducted here while Callas, Carreras, and Domingo have filled the horseshoe-shaped main hall with their voices. It's being renovated and closed until 2010.

The University of Buenos Aires's School of Law offers free classical music concerts weekly in the late afternoons and evenings. Check out the schedule here.

The Museo Casa Carlos Gardel (the Carlos Gardel Museum) has renovated Gardel's house and exhibits mementos from the life of the man who brought Argentine tango to the rest of the world in the 1920s. Some of the house's rooms have been restored to provide visitors a feel of what the house was like when he lived there, after emigrating as a boy from France. Entry is free on Wednesdays.

The word milongas can refer to a musical form that preceded and influenced today's tango as well as the dance halls where tango is performed. B.A. Tango is a guide to all of the tango performances going on in the city. It's published three times a year, available only in print. Look out for a copy when in BA. Or, check out these bilingual online listing of milongas throughout the city.

Club Tango lists upcoming tango performances across the city. If your Spanish is a bit weak, that's okay. Use your search tool and look for "gratis," and you'll find some venues up your alley.