Bandoneon (musical instrument used in Argentine tango) - stock photo

The bandoneon is a bellows-powered, free (or free-reed) wind musical instrument of the concertina family (konzertina in German), with a rectangular shape, square section and particular timbre. Its original name in German is bandonion, but its Castilianization in the Río de la Plata established the word "bandoneón" to name the instrument in Spanish. It was initially designed in Germany. Arriving in the Río de la Plata with the help of sailors and immigrants, it was adopted by musicians of the time and that is how it collaborated in the formation of the particular sound of the River Plate tango, becoming a true symbol of it.