Milonga, according to Jose Gobelo (founder of Academia
del lunfardo, considered to be an authority when it comes to Tango subjects),
states that it is a word of the African Language "Quimbunda", plural
of 'Mulonga'. Mulonga in that language means, "word", Milonga means
words, the words of the Payadores. In 1872 when Jose Hernandez published his
most famous book "Martin Fierro" (describes in verse the life of a
gaucho); the word Milonga had already acquired the meaning of gathering where
one can dance.
A decade later, 1883, Ventura Lynch wrote: "In the
periphery of the city the Milonga is so generalized that is danced in all the
gatherings, it can be heard played by guitars, accordions, comb and paper, or
played by street musicians with flute, harp and violin". It is also danced
in the low-class casinos around the markets of 11 de Septiembre and
Constitucion, other dances and funerals".
Today, Milonga has several meanings: a music, a dance, the place or
gathering where one dances and also the original meaning (many words, or long
story), such as in "no me vengas ahora con esa milonga"
