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Overview—The DJ’s Role

Selecting Music for Dancing

In Search of Fidelity

Why Golden-Age Recordings Dominate Most Playlists

Using Post-Golden-Age Recordings

Using Neo-Tango Recordings

Tandas and Cortinas

Composing Tandas

Selecting a Cortina

Mixing the Music: Some Mechanics

Programming an Evening’s Music

Alternative Strategies for Programming an Evening’s
Music

Closing an Evening of Dancing

Acknowledgements

An Annotated List of Tandas

 

Overview—The DJ’s Role

Described simply, the DJ plays the music at a milonga, practica or other
tango event in which recorded music is used.  In playing the music,
the DJ assumes control of the energy and success of the event and becomes
responsible for the experience of a whole room full of people, and potentially
the evolution of the tango community.

The DJ can greatly affect the tango community by influencing how well
people dance and how well they regard their evening of dancing.  If
the DJ plays music that has clear dance rhythms and inspires the dancers,
they are more likely to move with energy and with a connection to the rhythm
of the music.  The DJ can also prepare dancers to go to Buenos Aires
and have a great time dancing by playing the classics of tango—the music
the dancers are likely to hear at milongas in Buenos Aires.

You cannot assume the responsibility for playing the music and use it
as a vehicle to show off.  In accepting the role of playing the music,
your goal is to encourage people to dance and dance, all night long. 
You DJ to share the joy of this experience.  It is a great experience
to have a room full of people dancing, with very few sitting down, and
the energy of the room electric.

Selecting Music for Dancing

My approach as a DJ is shaped by my much more extensive experience as a
tango dancer and by my love for music that honestly conveys emotion. 
For me, the best tangos for dancing provide a solid rhythmic footing and
convey an emotion that touches me in the heart.  Fortunately, there
are many tangos, milongas and valses that meet these requirements.

Every DJ does things a little differently, and there is no one correct
way or formula.  I think for North Americans who didn’t grow up with
tango music, it is probably important to have some experience dancing tango
before assuming responsibility for the music.  Personally, I consider
myself a dancer who occasionally assumes the responsibility for playing
the music, and I dance a lot when I DJ.  I find that dancing gives
me a first hand feel for what is working and what is not.

It takes a lot of time with the music to find the best dance music. 
Every orchestra has great pieces, and lousy ones.  The DJ filters
this raw material and puts together a program of music to inspire the dancers. 
But, it’s not the size of the collection that makes a DJ.  The DJ
must understand the dance, and what the dancers will feel when certain
songs play.  It takes a lot of time listening to the music, moving
to it, and really feeling it to assemble an evening of music that will
make people want to dance.

Although the DJ is frequently one of the most knowledgeable people about
tango music in the community and often has the largest collection of CDs,
the DJ’s own tastes and needs are not the priority for a successful evening. 
The successful DJ must have a sensitivity to the crowd and be able to engage
in a conversation with a room full of dancers through the music that is
played.  On some nights, the dancers are full of energy and find spirited
tangos to their liking.  On other nights, the dancers may prefer quieter,
more lyrical music.

The choice of the music will also be influenced by the style of tango
that the dancers prefer.  Enthusiasts of the close-embrace styles
of tango typically want to hear more of the harder rhythmic music—such
as that played by D’Arienzo and Biagi.  Enthusiasts of salon-style
tango typically want to hear smooth music—such as that played by DiSarli,
Fresedo, Canaro and Sassone.  Softer rhythmic music—such as that played
by Caló, Tanturi, D’Agostino, and Troilo works well for both styles
of dancing.  The dramatic music from the golden age of tango—exemplified
by Pugliese—is typically played later in the evening.  Enthusiasts
of tango theatrics will want to hear newer, more dramatic music with more
flexible rhythms—such as that captured on soundtracks for tango shows or
recorded by the Pugliese and Piazzolla orchestras after the golden age
of tango.

Whatever the style of dance, the core music of any milonga is likely
to be drawn from the classics of tango dance music.  The classics
are principally found in recordings made during the golden age of tango
that extended from the late 1930s to the early 1950s.  A particular
orchestra’s version of a song has become a dance classic for a reason. 
The energy of the piece inspires more dancing—even when the dancers are
tired.

When the DJ has a big collection of music, it may be increasingly tempting
to play unusual recordings—obscure songs and familiar tangos by unfamiliar
orchestras.  For the person with the collection, the variety is interesting. 
Listening to music is a substantially different experience than dancing
to music, however.  When listening to music, surprises, different
phrasing, and unexpected tempos are entertaining.  For dancers, however,
familiarity facilitates good dancing.  When the piece is familiar,
the dancers can interpret the details of the music, and better get into
the flow of the phrases.  When the version of the song is unfamiliar,
and the dancers do not know what will happen next, they cannot get as far
into the music.

In short, the successful DJ must draw heavily from what the crowd considers
the top 40 of tango dance music.  The DJ must also not become too
intellectual, too obscure or play too many pieces outside the classics,
but the DJ cannot simply play the same music every milonga, or on repeated
evenings the music will become boring.  Variety comes from mixing
the music, changing the order in which it is played, and by selectively
including pieces outside the top 40 that build energy and contribute to
the mood of the evening.

See Classics of Tango Dance Music.

In Search of Fidelity

One of the major challenges facing any DJ is to find a sufficient variety
of recorded music with acceptable fidelity and solid dance rhythms. 
The bulk of recordings that are used for milongas were recorded by orchestras
that played during the golden age of tango, which extended from the late
1930s through the early 1950s.  Some useful recordings are older and
some are newer.

Newcomers to the tango scene quickly reveal the problems with relying
too heavily on recordings with low fidelity.  They are soon put off
by music that sounds like old cartoons to them.  They may be inclined
to think that we experienced tango dancers are dancing to what we imagine
we are hearing rather than what any normal person can hear.

But the newcomers are like canaries in a mine that warn the miners about
the presence of toxic gases.  Even the experienced dancers grow bored
and tired when too many low-fidelity recordings are used.  Fortunately,
with some careful planning and a little work, a DJ can significantly improve
the sound quality at a milonga.

For starters, the DJ can improve the sound chain—using relatively good
equipment and working with CDs rather than lower fidelity media, such as
MP3s ripped at low bit rates.  The DJ can also work to get the best
sounding recordings of the most popular tangos.  I can hear substantial
differences in the quality of the sound on the different labels that are
reissuing classic tango music.  For most of the material that I have
heard, I would generally rate the sound quality on the major labels reissuing
tango music from the golden-age as follows (starting with the best):

1.  RCA Victor 100 Años (limited titles)

2.  Solo Tango/FM Tango (limited titles), Danza y Movimiento (limited
titles)

3.  EMI Reliquias, Tango Argentino, EMI, RCA, Music Hall

4.  Blue Moon, El Bandoneon

5.  Magenta, Harlequin, Club Tango Argentino

A DJ should also recognize that recordings made prior to the golden
age are of such limited fidelity that they can be used only very sparingly. 
Ciriaco Ortiz, Orquesta Tipica Victor, Julio De Caro, Francisco Lomuto,
and Band Municipal de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (to name a few) recorded
great music, but more than a little of this music will make everyone tired
and listless, except the tango music historians who are more likely to
write and talk about tango than dance.  Recordings from the golden
age of tango are of much better fidelity and have solid dance rhythms.

Why Golden-Age Recordings Dominate Most Playlists

At most milongas, recordings from the golden age of tango dominate the
playlist.  For the first half of the 20th century, Argentine tango
music and social dancing evolved together.  The ways of moving the
body and the feet in Argentine tango were expressions of the music. 
From the mid-1950s through the mid-1980s, however, Argentine tango music
and social dancing evolved independently of each other.  After the
golden age, tango dancing was pushed into small neighborhood clubs and
private homes where it did not evolve much and recordings from the golden
age continued to be played.  At the same time, the tango orchestras
shifted toward a concert sound that did not accommodate dancing.

With renewed interest in dancing tango socially, dancers rediscovered
the older recordings that were still in use by those who had been dancing
tango in clubs and at home.  The recording companies accommodated
the renewed interest in tango by reissuing many of the classics on CD. 
Consequently, music from the golden age still dominates milongas—some 50-70
years after it was recorded.

New recordings are emerging, however.  If the tango dancing remains
sufficiently popular to support new recordings, the music will continue
to evolve, and gradually some of the golden-age recordings will be supplanted
by newer material.  Music has timeless qualities, however, and many
of the recordings from the golden age will prove just too good to take
off playlists.

Using Post-Golden-Age Recordings

With some critical listening, a DJ is likely to ponder strategies to improve
sound quality by looking for a few gems that somehow were recorded with
better fidelity and by using music that was recorded well after the golden
age.  Much better fidelity can be obtained by using recordings made
after the golden age, but the sound pallette offered to the DJ by such
recordings is surprisingly limited.  For one thing, the recordings
in which modern orchestras recreate the sound of vintage tango orchestras
are quite few in number.

More importantly, after the golden age, tango music made a transition
into several concert sounds that are of limited usefulness for social dancing. 
Although the major orchestras from the golden age continued to record after
the transition, they also shifted to playing concert music.  The recordings
of the Troilo orchestra exemplify the shift in sound.  The early Troilo
recordings made during the golden age have solid dance rhythms and are
considered among the classics for social dance.  The later Troilo
recordings, which are rarely used by experienced DJs, display virtuosic
playing and have a concert sound.

Some orchestras—such as those led by Sassone, Varela, Garcia, and Francini/Pontier—created
a concert sound that emphasized lush, full and dramatic orchestration of
music that, for the most part, had previously been recorded during the
golden age.  Although there are a few classics among these recordings,
such as Varela’s Palomita Blanca, most of these recordings lack the pulsing
energy of golden-age tangos and tend to sound repititous and dull if utilized
any more than sparingly.

The Pugliese, Piazzolla and Salgan orchestras pioneered a more progressive
concert sound with more complex rhythmic and melodic development. 
These orchestras heightened drama through the use of pauses and, in some
cases, tempo changes.  With Pugliese’s orchestra, the transitions
were used more sparingly and in contrast with a strong marcato rhythm. 
The smaller orchestras—such as Piazzolla’s and the contemporary orchestras
who followed his example—create their dramatic effects through abrupt changes
in tempo and/or rubato playing that often proves difficult for social dancing.

The recordings with the progressive concert-oriented sound that are
useful for social dancing—such as later Pugliese, later Troilo, Sexteto
Tango, Orquesta Color Tango, Sexteto Sur, Nuevo Quinteto Real, and the
New York Tango Trio—tend to work best for late-night dancing when dancers
are more willing to work with pauses and a changing or loose beat. 
Late night is a territory for which the Pugliese orchestra recorded many
tangos with reasonably high fidelity that had a consistent dance rhythm. 
The more contemporary orchestras offer little additional variety within
this place on the DJ’s sound pallette.

Most recordings from tango shows present a concert sound that is designed
to help professional dancers with considerable rehearsal time dazzle their
audiences.  The music from tango shows frequently combines progressive
sensibilities with lush, full orchestration, fast tempos and difficult
rhythm changes.  The recordings from tango shows that are most suitable
for social dancing draw heavily from progressive sensibilities and, again,
are most suitable for late-night dancing.

Among the more promising recordings are golden-age redux—that is contemporary
recordings made in the dance styles of orchestras from the golden age. 
Many of the modern orchestras making such recordings play in the style
of Osvaldo Pugliese, but contemporary orchestras also play in the styles
of Juan D’Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli and Miguel Caló.  The recordings
made by these contemporary orchestras often have more intricate arrangements
with a little more of a dramatic concert feel than those made during the
golden era, but the dance beat is prominent and the fidelity is much better
than on the old recordings.

See A DJ’s Guide to Post-Golden-Age Recordings.

Using Neo-Tango Recordings

Until the past few years, nearly all of the music played at milongas was
taken from recordings that were made by orchestras from the golden age
of tango.  In addition, many contemporary tango orchestras have filled
out their repetoires with compositions from the golden era.  In the
21st century, however, we have different social venues, newer technologies,
some different musical instruments, and continuing musical evolution. 
All of these developments have inspired some of today’s musicians to develop
new approaches to tango.  At the same time, dancers are looking for
new expression.

At some of the milongas in Buenos Aires, Europe and North America, the
DJs have added neo-tango music to their playlists of traditional tango
music.  Neo-tango consists of two genres of music: tango-fusion and
«alternative» tango music.  Tango fusion integerates traditional tango
rhythms and instrumentation with other musical traditions, contemporary
instruments and electronica to create a modern and culturally relevant
world tango music with a dance-club sound.  Some of the better-known
tango-fusion artists are Gotan Project, Bajofondo Tango Club, and Carlos
Libedinsky.  Alternative tango music is tango music from other traditions
or non-tango music that some dancers find interesting for dancing Argentine
tango steps.

At its best, neo-tango music adds fidelity, variety and something a
little different to an evening—along with the potential to connect with
mass audiences.  At its worst, neo-tango is simply music to which
tango steps can be executed.  The use of neo-tango music depends largely
on the dancers at the milonga.  While some dancers love neo-tango
music and expect to hear it at the milongas they attend, traditionalists
often hate it.

Some dancers and djs prefer a relatively heavy mix of neo-tango recordings. 
Others prefer a lighter mix.  The Organic Tango School’s
Tango
DJ Resource Page represents an attempt to bridge the gap between traditional
and alternative forms of tango deejaying.

Personally, I find that neo-tango music tends to work best when it is
used sparingly for late-night selections rather than as the core of the
program.  In some ways, the use of tango-fusion music can be like
playing Piazzolla or other post-golden-age tangos—people like to hear some
new recordings, but the rhythms can be quite challenging, and a little
goes a long way.  Non-tango music is considerably more varied, but
much of it works better when the dancers have been immersed in traditional
tango music and can express tango sensibilities when dancing to the more
languid rhythms that tend to dominate the alternative tango selections.

Also see A DJ’s Guide to Neo-Tango Recordings.

Tandas and Cortinas

At milongas held in Buenos Aires, tango, vals and milonga music are typically
played in sets of three to five songs known as «tandas.»  Nearly all
tandas are composed of music played by the same orchestra during a given
era.  The sound of many orchestras changed over time, and for these
orchestras, music from different eras are not mixed together in the same
tanda.  Similarly, vocal and instrumental music are rarely mixed in
the same tanda.  Each tanda is followed by a short piece of music,
known as a «cortina,» that acts as a curtain indicating the tanda has drawn
to a close.  The same cortina is used for the duration of an evening. 
Swing, salsa or other latin dance music is also played in tandas at these
milongas.

In Buenos Aires, most couples dance an entire tanda together and then
move on to other partners for the next tanda.  It is rare when a couple
stops dancing before the tanda ends, and doing so is considered an indication
that something has gone very wrong.  If a person is unsure about the
desirability of dancing with another for an entire tanda, the person who
is unsure may delay going out onto the floor until the last song of the
tanda.

Social practices are considerably different in most North American cities,
but playing music in tandas familiarizes the dancers with the social codes
in Buenos Aires and works quite well in helping to build a mood for the
evening’s dancing.  Each of the major orchestras sound different from
each other, but many recordings made by a given orchestra during a particular
era will have a similar sound.  Playing music in tandas takes advantage
of both the similarity of the recordings made by the same orchestra and
the differences between orchestras.

Playing three to five tangos in a row that have a similar sound, tempo
and feel allows the dancers to settle into the orchestra’s sound with their
dancing and then draw inspiration from the music.  It also allows
couples who enjoy dancing together to a particular orchestra to take to
the floor knowing that they will have 10 to 15 minutes to dance together
to music that works well for them.

Playing too many songs in a row with a similar sound begins to sound
monotonous.  In addition, playing more than five songs from the same
orchestra in the same era often reaches too deeply into the recordings
and yields music that is not a highly regarded for dancing.  Switching
to a tanda of music by another orchestra changes the energy and refreshes
the dancers.

Composing Tandas

Strategies vary for composing a tanda, but all the songs on a tanda should
have a similar feel.  This is most easily achieved by relying on the
music of a single orchestra in a given era and by avoiding mixing vocal
and instrumental music.  Few of us who play music at milongas have
an extensive enough knowledge of tango music history, but through careful
listening, the DJ can assemble an excellent tanda by ear, picking music
from a given orchestra that has a similar rhythmic feel, sound, and style
of orchestration.

I create tandas of four tangos—usually from the same orchestra. 
I find that four songs is just about right for each tanda.  A few
individuals have suggested that the ideal tanda would consist of four songs
that sound exactly the same.  My own experience suggests each song
in a tanda should have its own compelling personality, while it contributes
to the continuity of the tanda.  Using my ear and this philosophy,
I have successfully constructed many tandas including a few that mix orchestras
and some that mix vocals and instrumentals.

The first song of a tanda has to be so strong it pulls people out of
their chairs and onto the dance floor.  It has to make people want
to dance this set regardless of how their feet hurt, or how tired they
may be.  The energy of the music takes them.  The last song of
the tanda should be strong and compelling so that everyone who is dancing
feels happy about having stayed out on the floor for the entire tanda.

The middle songs do not have to be as strong as the first or last songs
of a tanda, but here are more than enough good tangos available that none
needs to be filler.  The ideal middle songs should sustain the energy
of the first song, provide continuity to the last song, and have enough
personality of their own to provide a feeling of variety.  In a rhythmic
tanda, the second or third song might be slightly more romantic or more
impressionistic.  In a lyrical, romantic tanda, the second or third
song might be a little more rhythmic.

If I start a tanda with Pugliese’s «La Yumba,» I will end with the equally
strong «Gallo Ciego.»  Good candidates for the second and third spots
are the bittersweet «La Rayuela» and the romantic «La Tupungatina.» 
To intensify the drama, another pair of candidates for the second and third
spots are «Yunta de Oro» and «Nochero Soy.»

For more examples of tandas, see An Annotated
List of Tandas.

Selecting a Cortina

In theory, any piece of music other than tango, vals or milonga can be
used for a cortina.  At some milongas in Buenos Aires, big band swing
music may be used.  I have heard acoustic guitar, classical piano,
salsa, dixieland jazz, new-age music and grating rhythmic sound effects
used as cortinas.

Some of these choices work better than others.  At milongas where
a lot people like latin dancing, salsa is a poor choice for a cortina. 
Some people will jump out on the floor and begin to dance, blissfully unaware
that the DJ is playing a cortina and is about to cut them off.  At
this point, it is an embarrassment to the DJ and all the dancers to explain
what a cortina is.  To dancers, dance music is for dancing. 
Similarly, swing or any other dance music is also a poor choice in most
North American venues.

Personally, I prefer to use music for the cortina that is not suitable
for dancing and that has a neutral effect on the mood.  I want the
dancers to understand the dancing has come temporarily to an end, but I
do not want to disrupt the mood that is building.  I regularly use
an acoustic guitar rendition of Bix Beiderbecke’s «Flashes» found on Ry
Cooder’s CD Jazz.  I have also used cuts from Vince Guaraldi’s
A
Charlie Brown Christmas, Leo Kottke’s
Peculiaroso and Argentinian
folk guitarist Atahualpa Yupanqui as cortinas.

Mixing the Music: Some Mechanics

DJs can approach an evening with one of several strategies.  With
their knowledge of a large number of CDs, they can compose each tanda and
program it into the evening’s music on the fly.  They can prerecord
the entire evening’s program in advance, or they can use prerecorded tandas
as the building blocks for mixing the evening’s music.

The principal advantage of mixing the music during the course of the
milonga is the DJ can interact with the dancers and adjust the music to
suit their tastes and the feel of the evening.  For instance, if the
dancers seem full of energy, the DJ can continue to build tension by playing
music that is increasingly dramatic or quicker in tempo.  If the dancers
seem to be having trouble finding the rhythm of the music, the DJ can respond
with early Canaro, D’Arienzo, Caló with Podesta or Di Sarli.

Using prerecorded music has several advantages.  The DJ does not
have to remain chained to the equipment and is able to have fun dancing
while finding out first hand what works and what doesn’t.  (I have
learned that some pieces that sound great at home just do not work at a
milonga.)  In addition, the DJ does not need to remember which three
songs on a 20 song CD are the best for dancing and go well together while
playing the music during the evening.

Developing and mixing prerecorded tandas captures most of the flexibility
obtained through mixing the music to create tandas on the fly, and it preserves
nearly all of the advantages of using prerecorded music.  For the
DJ using prerecorded tandas, all that is required in mixing the evening’s
music is a feel for the music on the prerecorded tandas, a general strategy
for programming the evening’s music, and a feel for what will work next.

I currently have more than 100 preset tandas—each on its own disc with
a cortina at the end.  As the cortina at the end of a tanda begins
playing, I can return to the DJ equipment and get ready to start the next
tanda.   Preset tandas can also be recorded stored as MP3 files
in computers or other digital playback equipment.  I prefer the sound
quality of compact discs.

Another possibility is to combine longer programs of prerecorded music
with prerecorded tandas that are mixed during the milonga.  I will
sometimes start a milonga with a prerecorded program of tandas (without
cortinas).  I switch to mixing prerecorded tandas only after the dancers
really begin showing up in large numbers.

Programming an Evening’s Music

Many DJs work toward building an evening’s mood by taking the dancers deeper
and deeper into the music.  Starting the evening by playing music
with simple rhythms and working through to the more complex music later
in the evening seems to help take the dancers deeper into the music. 
A diverse selection of music also contributes to the feeling of a more
full evening of dancing.  A milonga where the music is sufficiently
diverse, the fidelity is as high as possible, and the DJ builds the mood
helps keep the dancers energetic and dancing all evening long.

Basic Elements of Programming

Programming a Cycle

Developing an Evening’s Mood

Building Tension

Releasing and Softening Tension

Pulling the Strategies Together

The Dancers and the Music

Finding the Groove

Basic Elements of Programming

The most common format for playing music at milongas is the continuous
repetition of a cycle, sometimes identified as TTVTTM, that is composed
of six tandas: two of tango, one of vals, two of tango, and one of milonga. 
Another common format is TTVTM.  Within such a cycle, each tanda typically
features the music of a different orchestra than those featured in the
tandas adjacent to it.  Using this format and the many great tango
recordings that are available, the DJ has considerable latitude to create
a unique and memorable evening of dancing.

As an aid to organizing the tango music to be played at milongas, I
have developed some rough style classifications to help me think about
the rhythmic and sound qualities of the various orchestras.  My categories
are as follows:

 

For a list of recordings in each category, see Classics
of Tango Dance Music.  For some possible tandas in each catgegory,
see An Annotated List of Tandas.

On a typical evening, the vast majority of music that I play is from
the golden age.  I also work to play a diverse selection of music. 
I also want each succeeding tanda to be sufficiently strong in its own
identity, and not too similar to what immediately preceded it, so that
it will overpower the conscious memory of the previous few tandas and pull
everyone back onto the dance floor.  Two tandas in a row from the
same category of music usually sounds repetitious, but I do not randomly
jump around from category to category because the resulting impression
is too much like a top 40 radio station.  It doesn’t create a mood.

Programming a Cycle

I typically use the TTVTTM cycle and look at the vals and milonga tandas
as marking the seams in the cycle.  Rather than trying to build a
consistent theme through an entire cycle, I look at the first two tandas
of tango and the tanda of vals as a unit.  I pick the these two tandas
of tango considering their relationship to each other and to the tanda
of valses that will follow.  I then pick the next two tandas of tango
considering their relationship to each other and the tanda of milongas
that follows.  One strategy is to build romantic or dramatic intensity
toward the tanda of valses.  Another is to build rhythmic intensity
toward the tanda of milongas.

Hence, one cycle might look like this:

T — smooth tangos

T — lyrical tangos

V — valses

T — softer rhythmic

T — harder rhythmic

M — milongas

Another cycle might be:

T — harder rhythmic tangos

T — softer rhythmic tangos

V — valses

T — lyrical tangos

T — softer or harder rhythmic tangos

M — milongas

Another cycle might be:

T- smooth or lyrical tangos

T — dramatic tangos

V — valses

T — lyrical tangos

T — softer rhythmic

M — milongas

Developing an Evening’s Mood

Adhering to the programmatic cycle I establish early in the evening, I
work to take the dancers more deeply into the music over the course of
the evening.  I find that starting with simple rhythms and working
through more complex rhythms to arrive at the subtle, dramatic and romantic
music later at night helps draw the dancers deeper into the music and create
a more satisfying evening.  At the same time, playing a diverse selection
of music contributes to a feeling of a more full evening of dancing.

I try to work through the categories to build rhythmic, romantic and
dramatic tension and then resolve it several times over the course of the
evening.  There are a number of ways to build tension and release
it.  Quicker tempos, sharper accents in the music, more dramatic crescendos
all build tension.  Light and lyrical music or music with a very smooth
sound often release rhythmic and dramatic tension, though they may contribute
to romantic tension.

Building Tension

The most rhythmic tension is created by moving from softer rhythmic tangos
to harder rhythmic tangos to milongas.  For example, playing a tanda
of Caló with Podesta, then a tanda of D’Arienzo or Biagi, and finally
a tanda of milongas builds tension through tempo and accents.  If
salsa is popular at the venue, a set of salsa will further add to the tension
through tempo.  A less intense way to build to build rhythmic tension
is to work from a tanda of lyrical or smooth tangos to softer rhythmic
tangos before playing the milongas.

Romantic tension is created by playing a tanda of softer rhythmic tangos
or smooth music, a tanda of lyrical tangos and then a tanda of vals. 
For example, moving from Di Sarli instrumentals to Caló with Beron
and then to vals creates a strong romantic feel.  Going from softer
rhythmic tangos to lyrical tangos before the vals will probably result
in less romantic tension.

The most dramatic tension is created by leading with music that has
as much power as the dramatic tangos.  Consequently, playing a tanda
of Di Sarli’s 1950s instrumentals ahead of a tanda of Pugliese instrumentals
is unrivaled in creating dramatic tension.  A less powerful way to
build dramatic tension is to play lyrical tangos, such as Troilo with Fiorentino
ahead of the dramatic tangos.

Releasing and Softening Tension

A release of the tension occurs when a tanda breaks the direction of the
programming.  Rhythmic tension can be released or eased by playing
smooth or light, lyrical music, such as Di Sarli instrumentals or Fresedo
with Ray.  Dramatic tension can be released by playing some light
Canaro valses, such as those with Nelly Omar.  Romantic tension that
was built by playing lyrical tangos and valses is usually released by playing
softer rhythmic tangos.  Light and lyrical music, such as Fresedo
with Ray is often a refreshing way to release either dramatic or rhythmic
tension.

I always try to keep the break in the direction of programming from
being too too jarring.  Following a tanda of Pugliese with a tanda
of Los Tubatango or D’Arienzo valses is likely to upset the mood that is
being built.  Similarly, following D’Arienzo with a tanda of modern
valses is not likely to work well.

A softening of the tension is a little different.  It occurs when
a tandas don’t go quite as far as is possible in the direction that is
being set or a tanda backs off the direction of intensity.  For example,
playing a tanda of lyrical tangos and a tanda of softer rhythmic tangos
before the tanda of milongas creates less rhythmic intensity than playing
tandas of softer rhythmic and harder rhythmic tangos before it.  Reversing
the order and playing softer rhythmic tangos and then lyrical tangos before
the tanda of milongas would soften the tension by more.

Softening dramatic and romantic tension is similar.  Following
a tanda of smooth or lyrical tangos with a less ultimate tanda of Pugliese
softens dramatic tension.  Playing a tanda of softer rhythmic tangos
after a tanda smooth or lyrical tangos and before the valses softens dramatic
tension nearly to the point of disappearing.  Progressing from lyrical
tangos to softer rhythmic tangos to valses does much less to build romantic
tension than progressing from softer rhytmic tangos to lyrical tangos to
the valses.

Pulling the Strategies Together

On some nights, these strategies could mean working to build tension through
sharper rhythm, and then continuing onward to building tension through
romance and/or drama.  Early in the evening, I might start a cycle
of six tandas with something like Caló with Podesta (softer rhythmic),
progress to D’Arienzo (harder rhythmic), and then move onto a tanda of
milongas.  (Salsa follows milonga well if it is suitable for the venue.) 
I then might come back with something smoother and more powerful, such
as Di Sarli intrumentals and then move onto something lyrical, such as
Troilo with Fiorentino.  A tanda of valses follows.

Further into the evening, I might start a series of six tandas with
something like Tanturi with Castillo (softer rhythmic), go onto Biagi with
Amor (harder rhythmic), and then onto a tanda of milongas.  I might
then come back with something lyrical like Caló with Beron or Di
Sarli with Duran, play a tanda of dramatic Pugliese,  and then continue
onward with a tanda of valses.

Later in the evening, I might start a series of six tandas with a tanda
of something lyrical, such as Fresedo with Ray or Tanturi with Campos. 
The next tanda will be softer rhythmic, such as D’Agostino with Vargas,
and then a tanda of milongas.  I might follow the milongas with a
tanda of Di Sarli instrumentals, a tanda of dramatic Pugliese, and finish
with a tanda of valses.

In many ways, the low-end density and power of Di Sarli is a perfect
lead into the power and drama of classic Pugliese.  Following Pugliese
with valses solves the problem what to play after Pugliese.  In some
ways, no other tangos can follow classic Pugliese.  Classic Pugliese
is the most dramatic in golden-age music, and the more modern tangos are
too similar to Pugliese.  Following Pugliese with valses goes in another
direction.  The right valses can release the power and build drama
and romance at the same time.  But, the valses that follow Pugliese
have to be sophsticated,.  Di Sarli, D’Arienzo and Laurenz valses
wouldn’t work well.  The sound is too elemental—»too country» as Nito
Garcia would say.  The more sophisticated valses of Caló, Biagi
or contemporary orchestras work much better after Pugliese.  So do
some Canaro valses.

On other evenings, it may prove desirable to work with much less tension
throughout an entire six-tanda cycle.  Keeping a sense of continuity
while reducing tension can be accomplished by using recordings with less
intensity in a given direction or by reducing continuity in rhythmic and
dramatic intensity.  For instance, I might start a cycle of six tandas
with a tanda of smooth Di Sarli instrumentals, continue with a tanda of
lyrical or softer rhythmic tangos, and then play a tanda of milongas. 
Such an approach builds some intensity, but much less so than progressing
from softer rhythmic tangos through harder rhythmic tangos to milongas.

After the milongas, I might use a tanda of softer rhythmic or lyrical
tangos (whichever didn’t precede the milongas).  I might follow the
tanda of lyrical tangos with either softer rhythmic tangos or dramatic
tangos before concluding with a tanda of valses.  I might follow the
tanda of softer rhythmic tangos with either lyrical or harder rhythmic
tangos before concluding with a tanda of vals.

If I work toward more rhythmic intensity with the tangos—lyrical to
softer rhythmic or softer rhythmic to harder rhythmic, the tanda of vals
will soften the tension and provide a sense of variety.  If I work
toward more dramatic or romantic intensity—lyrical to dramatic or softer
rhythmic to lyrical—the tanda of vals will heighten romantic intensity
and release much of the dramatic intensity that has been built.  But,
progressing from lyrical to dramatic tangos or softer rhythmic to lyrical
tangos will build less dramatic intensity than progressing from the powerful
Di Sarli instrumentals to dramatic Pugliese.

The Dancers and the Music

Any strategy is less effective when conducted in isolation from the dancers. 
When DJing, I watch the dancers and adjust to what they seem to want. 
I watch to see what music pulls them out on the floor.  I also try
to get out on the floor to experience the effect of the music first hand
to make sure that I am not being too intellectual and isolated from the
dancers, but I never dance to the point where I am spending the evening
dancing rather than DJing.

I watch to see if the dancers are connecting to the rhythm of the music. 
If they seem to be having trouble, I will play music with simpler and clearer
rhythms such as Di Sarli, 1930s Canaro, D’Arienzo, and Caló with
Podesta.  Playing these orchestras helps educate the dancers to the
basic rhythms of tango music, and it improves their ability to dance to
the more complex pieces that build tension and draw them more deeply into
the music.  When the room seems full of beginners, I typically end
up playing more music with simpler and more obvious rhythms.

I also watch to see how much tension the dancers are willing to accept. 
If the dancers seem willing to accept more tension, I will push it farther. 
If they seem to be at the height of tension or unwilling to accept much
tension, I will find music to release or soften the tension.  In general,
I try to create greater tension as the evening progresses.

On some nights, I find playing more of the harder and softer rhythmic
music is more appropriate.  One those nights, the dancers will accept
rhythmic tension but not dramatic tension, and lyrical music or a little
bit of Pugliese can create a very strong impact   On other nights,
smooth, lyrical and dramatic music is more appropriate.  On those
nights, the dancers will not accept much rhythmic tension.  I find
myself reaching the later Pugliese recordings, and I often play at least
one tanda of modern tangos.

Finding the Groove

The tanda I actually choose at moment of time depends greatly on the current
mood on the dance floor.  Are the dancers feeling lazy?  Are
they crazy?  Are they listening?  Are they getting tired? 
Are they bursting with energy?  Are they connecting with the rhythm.

It also depends on my intentions.  Do I want to kick them to unknown
heights?  Do I want to calm them down, because some of the dancers
have become reckless?  Do I want to make them listen?  Do I want
to put more drive in the ronda?  Do I want to ready them for the evening
to end?  Do I want to suggest that the milonga can continue indefinitely?

Watching the dancers and developing an intuitive feel for the energy
in the room, I keep all of these strategies in mind while I select the
next tanda to play.  I find that by pursuing these strategies, I am
able to give the dancers a stronger impression of having spent a full emotional
evening dancing, and they go home a happy tired, whenever the evening ends.

Alternative Strategies for Programming an Evening’s
Music

Although most DJs work at pleasing their dancing audience, not all take
the strategy of building a mood that takes the dancers deeper and deeper
into the music.  Some play music for an audience whose composition
shifts over the evening.  Some play music in a wide mixture of styles
during each hour.

At a milonga that I attended a few times in another city, the DJ relied
heavily on the more dramatic music from Pugliese, Caló with Beron,
DeAngelis and tango shows early in the evening.  In mid-evening, he
shifts the mix toward the simpler social dance rhythms of DiSarli, Canaro,
and Caló with Podesta.  Moving toward the end of the evening,
he shifted the mix toward music, such as D’Arienzo, Biagi, and Lomuto,
that has the ric-tic rhythm that is favored by those who dance the close-embrace
styles of tango.  A friend who attended this milonga regularly explained
that this DJ is playing music for people who want to dance theatrically
early in the evening.  And, when he starts playing serious social
dance music, those who are into theatrics go home and leave the dance floor
to those who want to dance socially.  Personally, I did not find dancing
at this milonga very satisfying, but I am glad that those who dance theatrically
went home early.

Another strategy is to play tango music in a wide mixture of styles
during each hour, keeping the music in tandas, but mixing the orchestras
in the tandas of vals and milonga without much regard to style.  A
milonga where the DJ uses this strategy feels like the top 40 hits of tango—fun,
but without the development of an intense mood that draws the dancers deeper
and deeper into the music.

Another strategy, which does not preclude others, is to make a special
effort to accomodate beginners early in the evening by playing music with
simpler and clearer rhythms and by relying less heavily on the use of tandas.

Whatever the strategy, DJs who watch the dancers are provided with instant
feedback about how they are doing.  If half of the dancers sit down
and leave the dance floor nearly empty, it may be an indication that the
music is not inspiring enough for the moment.  If the dancers seem
to be struggling with the rhythm, it may be an indication that the dancers
need music with simpler and clearer rhythms.  If the floor is crowded
with people who are dancing well (by the community’s standards) and dancers
walk off the floor with big smiles at the end of a tanda, it is an indication
that the DJ is doing something right.

Closing an Evening of Dancing

When the DJ at a milonga in Buenos Aires plays the tango classic «La Cumparsita,»
dancers know the milonga is ending and the evening is coming to a close. 
At milongas in Buenos Aires, DJs typically play at least two versions of
«La Cumparsita» to end the evening.  Dancers often dance the first
version with whoever is nearby and reserve the second for someone special. 
Sometimes DJs will play more than two versions of «La Cumparsita.»

Many DJs in North America have also adopted the practice of playing
«La Cumparsita» to close the evening.  The practice helps educate
their dancers to the social codes of milongas in Buenos Aires.

Many orchestras have recorded «La Cumparsita,» and some have recorded
it more than once.  Consequently, the DJ has a wide range of excellent
choices in every style including old guard, harder rhythmic, softer rhythmic,
smooth, dramatic, transitional and nuevo tango.  In selecting which
version of «La Cumparsita» to play, the DJ should consider what most of
the dancers would appreciate hearing and dancing to at the end of the evening. 
Do most of the dancers tend toward the close-embrace styles of tango, or
to salon-style tango?  Would many like the challenge of dancing to
the jazz elements of new tango?

Acknowledgments

In writing this guide I have drawn on the thoughts and words of Susan Brown,
Dan Boccia, Victor Crichton, Sharna Fabiano, Robert Hauk, Lisa Penninger,
Dave Schmitz, Tom Stermitz, Florencia Taccetti, Ruddy Zelaya and Thorsten
Zörner.  I also am indebted to the numerous DJs who played music
that inspired me to dance all night long and all the dancers who have given
me feedback—either verbally or through their dancing.