Over the span of two weeks, I had attended more than 20 milongas and practicas. This time I had paid extra attention to the music/tandas that various DJ played. And I also took a private course with one of the well known DJs in Buenos Aires/world. I was not overall impressed by what I’d heard.
If people here complain about hearing the same music every night, well, don’t think there is much difference in Buenos Aires either. In fact, I’ve heard some well known DJs playing the same tanda at roughly the same time of the night different nights. If you go to traditional milongas, you better love the music of Troilo, Di Sarli, D’Arienzo, Canaro and Pugliese. These are five predominant orchestras that are played a few times a night.I was told that a lot of milongueros only respond to these orchestras. They would sit through other orchestras.
Very few DJs I’d listened to had created coherent energy throughout the night, especially at traditional milongas. And it seemed to me that nobody cared, as long as it was the same music, people got up and danced. Whatever format that DJs from this side of the world use: 2 tango, 1 vals, 2 tango, 1 milonga; 4 tango, 3 vals and 3 milonga in one tanda, there was hardly any format here. The first night I was at El Beso from the beginning, I heard four tanda of tango before one tanda of vals. Very often, I heard five tango, four vals or four milongas in one tanda. In a few cases, five milonga tracks were played before the cortina came up. Imagine that you happen to be dancing with a bad milonga partner at one of these five milonga set. Image may be NSFW.
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The DJs who played at the new milongas seem to play more variety of orchestras, but few meshed the music well. My last Thursday night at Villa Malcolm, my favorite young portena was there. She saw me, greeted me and asked me if I wanted to dance the next tanda. I told her that it was probably my last tanda with her this time, I wanted to dance with her when the music of the tanda was very good. Well, I’d waited almost three hours for the good music to come. I almost ran over to the dj and thanked him for finally putting on some good music so I could have one of my tandas of the trip. Image may be NSFW.
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There were some DJs I loved to listen to: Mario at Nino Bien, Sunderland and La Marshall, Hugo at Practica 8/milonga 10, and Horacio at La Viruta. Horacio often surprised me pleasantly with his ingenious way of mixing orchestras and different period. I was dancing to four of Di Sarli 50s vocal, which were my favourites, one Friday night at La Viruta. Just as I thought the tanda was over, he put on the ” Esta noche de luna” Di Sarli con Rufino 1943. I couldn’t help but smile at it. It worked for me!
All in all, I am getting very confident with my DJ skill and music selection. After all, I am playing a lot similar tandas like the ones of the good DJs in BsAs do. What I have learned this time: Don’t be inhibited by rules and formats (although I am still reserved about playing six milongas in one tanda.) , follow my own instinct, feel free to experiment. There is no big deal. If it works, great! If not, then try something else. Music should be fun to listen to and dance to.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
