▁to ▁entertain ▁their ▁pat rons ▁with ▁music . ▁The ▁t ango ▁then ▁spread ▁to ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁Many ▁variations ▁of ▁this ▁dance ▁currently ▁exist ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁UN ES CO ▁approved ▁a ▁joint ▁proposal ▁by ▁Argentina ▁and ▁Uruguay ▁to ▁include ▁the ▁t ango ▁in ▁the ▁UN ES CO ▁Int ang ible ▁Cultural ▁Heritage ▁List s . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁T ango ▁is ▁a ▁dance ▁that ▁has ▁influ ences ▁from ▁African , ▁Native ▁American ▁and ▁European ▁culture . ▁D ances ▁from ▁the ▁c andom be ▁cer emon ies ▁of ▁former ▁African ▁slave ▁pe op les ▁helped ▁shape ▁the ▁modern ▁day ▁t ango . ▁The ▁dance ▁origin ated ▁in ▁lower - class ▁districts ▁of ▁Buenos ▁Aires ▁and ▁Monte video . ▁The ▁music ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁fusion ▁of ▁various ▁forms ▁of ▁music ▁from ▁Europe . ▁The ▁words ▁" t ango " ▁and ▁" t am bo " ▁around ▁the ▁River ▁Pl ate ▁bas in ▁were ▁initially ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁musical ▁gather ings ▁of ▁slaves , ▁with ▁written ▁records ▁of ▁colonial ▁authorities ▁attempting ▁to ▁ban ▁such ▁gather ings ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 7 8 9 . ▁ ▁Initial ly , ▁it ▁was ▁just ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁d ances , ▁but ▁it ▁soon ▁became ▁popular ▁throughout ▁society , ▁as ▁the at res ▁and ▁street ▁bar rel ▁org ans ▁spread ▁it ▁from ▁the ▁sub ur bs ▁to ▁the ▁working - class ▁sl ums , ▁which ▁were ▁pack ed ▁with