Bandoneon [ ] The bandoneon, was originally intended as an instrument for religious and popular music of the day, in contrast to its predecessor, more folk music inclined German concertina.  Around 1870, German and Italian emigrants and sailors brought the instrument to Argentina, where it was adopted into the nascent genre of tango music. By 1910 bandoneons were being produced expressly for the Argentine and Uruguayan markets, with 25,000 shipping to Argentina in 1930 alone. However, declining popularity and the disruption of German manufacturing in World War II led to an end of bandoneon mass-production.