Argentina

Inscribed in 2025 (20.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Cuarteto is a lively dance music genre that blends local criollo musical styles with influences from European immigrants. Early cuarteto orchestras featured instruments such as the piano, violin, accordion and double bass, with a singer leading the performance. Over time, the genre has incorporated Caribbean rhythms, Afro-Latin percussion, and wind instruments, becoming a significant part of local culture. Today, cuarteto remains an important cultural expression, with lyrics often focused on everyday life, love and joy. It is popular at ‘bailes’ (dance events), where orchestras of eight or more musicians perform, and people dance in circles, following a fast-paced rhythm known as the ‘tunga’.

Cuarteto is a key part of family gatherings, parties and community events, with the music and dance contributing to a strong sense of unity and local identity. Indeed, musicians and the audience communicate with hand signs that identify each neighbourhood. Traditionally passed down within families and communities, the genre is now also taught in schools as part of folklore education. While cuarteto is still popular among working-class communities, its reach has expanded to other social groups. A means of expressing historical and social struggles, it continues to offer emotional support and joy to its bearers, including in challenging times.