La Boca

is perhaps the most colourful and picturesque barrio (neighborhood) in Buenos Aires and is closely connected to the history of Tango. Situated at the mouth (la boca) of the river Riachuelo it was originally settled by immigrants and fishermen from Spain and Italy (especially Genova). Here they lived often 2 or 3 families together in small conventillos (brightly painted low houses made of wood and metal). The men worked long days in the port and by night, so the story goes, the 'TANGO' dance evolved from seductive and sensuous, and often competitive, preludes between the few women and many men in the local bordellos.

In addition to tango La Boca is home to 'Boca Juniors' fútbol (soccer) team and stadium, and the Museum of the famous painter Quinquella Martin. Quinquella painted only scenes from La Boca particularly portraiting the hard life of the port workers. (top right is a painting by Quinquella Martin).

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Caminito, (little alley) is the main street of La Boca and a famous tango by Juan De Dios Filiberto and Gavino Coria Peñaloza inmortalizes it with this verse:

"...little alley that then you were/
lined by shamrocks and flowered reeds,/
a shadow soon you will be,/
a shadow, just like me..."