Two set lists from the Midlands

Two DJs from the Midlands well-known for sharing their set lists have kindly agreed I can show them here too. It is a wonderful thing when DJs share the list of music they played at milongas. It is the only way really. It shows generosity of spirit, confidence and a lack of concern in trying to protect or hoard ideas, which is never a good plan and in some way never really works out long-term. 

"Sharing ideas and ressources about Tango-DJing" can sometimes be not genuine sharing, but a commercial tag-line:  you pay for the musical and DJ knowledge in workshops in the same way that you sign up for dance classes. The number of these DJ workshops being offered by various maestros has risen but of those I have spoken to who have attended these sorts of things few have found them very useful, finding informal mentoring or just trial, error and experience more useful.

Being defensive and secretive about sets is in any case ludicrous because this music and the way it has been commonly combined for decades is far from a secret.  If you know what the track is by listening, the chances are you are not going to need any help to make tandas.  And if you don't, tools like Shazam make finding the name of a track you hear in the milonga easy. No doubt some version of these tools - if one doesn't already exist - will soon be able to be set on "long play" to record track after track making whole sets available to all. Tango DJs who don't share had better prepare for that scrutiny but those who already do will swim easily in the new waters. 

Besides, DJs who share let interested dancers who are not local know the kind of music they play, meaning those who enjoy the same kind of music can more easily decide whether to travel to find each other for dancing that music! 

Geoff and Clive's sets have some lovely traditional tango tandas and tracks. 

In Geoff's set has I would really enjoy dancing the tango tandas by D'Arienzo (first tanda), Caló, Lomuto, Tanturi, both Rodriguez tandas, first De Angelis tanda, Biagi, second Canaro tanda and I liked the tracks in the last Troilo tanda.

For me, it is less about the combination of the tracks but first and foremost are there three or four tracks together that I really want to dance - not just move to - but dance?   Give me the tracks first and the subtleties afterwards.   When there are more DJs playing great track after great track then let's talk about a set that's balanced between rhythmic and softer tracks, or how the tanda opens, develops, closes or how a DJ acts responsibly when it's a Saturday night at a popular venue and the floor is heaving and they don't drive the tempo up and up.  Well known DJs do this which they call things like "energizing" the dance floor, as though they were musical wizards, but for me it's more like smoke and mirrors.  It just creates miserable floor conditions and a stressed out ronda with dancers mimicking that irresponsibility, which is how you sometimes find the DJ will also dance.  These things are all linked.

I would've also enjoyed the first Di Sarli and the Fresedo (after the opening tracks) but contrarily it was the opener, El Entrerriano in the second De Angelis tanda that I liked best of that tanda. I thought La Viruta and Independiente Club by Gobbi were great and I liked the Pugliese too except Tierra Querida which I feel outstays any welcome it might have.  But then I am not a fan of the other nostalgic, patriotic songs Patria Mia by Laurenz and Adios Pampa mia in the Troilo version, nor the Canaro.  I would tolerate the Biagi better if there weren't already so many better tracks from which to choose. The Troilo and De Angelis vals from Geoff's set are famously popular. Many do like the Quinteto Pirincho milongas but they're not my own favourite for dancing. The QP vals are sweet and inoffensive but I like my Argentine vals more...Argentine, whatever that means or at least, less European than say Maria Esther. And generally I prefer anyway, faster tracks for vals. I think the QP vals have their place, like the QP milongas, I'm sure, just not too often for me.  To finish the set my guess is that Geoff's La Cumparsita was Troilo's classic 1943 version.

In Clive's set the Donato vals, Mendocina reminds me of something Ricardo Vidort said, talking about his childhood, when tango was on the radio and people would whistle or sing it everywhere. He said they used to call De Angelis the orchestra of the calesitas, but this Donato track also reminds me of the merry-go-round, most of all in the last thirty seconds. 

I really like the Biagi instrumentals, the D'Agostino, the Troilo vals. The Troilo instrumentals and the D'Arienzo-Echagüe are fantastic for me. The Caló tangos were nice and the Laurenz just lovely. I quite like the Tanturi, though I prefer the instrumentals and I prefer the singer Castillo to most Campos. I like the Di Sarli 1955 La Cumparsita. 

It is great when more and more traditional tango music spreads across the country.  It means that, especially when there are social dance weekends, there are more milongas to travel to and more dancers who enjoy dancing that music, to meet.