Music, Tango, & Dancing...

[Mark Celaya <mark @CLASSICTANGO.COM>]

Roger Pick brought up a very interesting subject for me & inquired about
tango music recorded after the 1950`s. I`ve often wondered how long we would
continue dancing to music recorded 50-70 years ago even though I still enjoy
it very much after listening to the same recordings many times over the past
10 years. The variety of styles helps tango music as a whole to endure. But
I am receiving more & more e-mails requesting advice regarding danceable
tango music recorded after the "Golden Age".

I possess close to a hundred CDs that contain tangos recorded after 1960,
many of which I feel are excellent for social dancing; I`m sure that there
are many, many more. Following is a partial list of what I like to use at my
gigs when I feel the need to bring the crowd "back to the future". As a
professional DJ, I try to recognize the mood of my audience as well as its
musical tastes. This gets more and more difficult as tango dancers in the
USA are becoming more sophisticated & particular about the music to which
they prefer to dance. I may begin the evening with these, fill in the middle
period, or end the evening with some of the following, once again depending
on the crowd & the mood.

Formost on the list are:
- "Argentina to the World"/Osvaldo Pugliese
COMMENT: Half of these were recorded in the 1970`s; the earlier ones are
from the mid to late 1950`s. All instrumentals.
- "El Rey Del Compas"/Juan D`Arienzo (arrangements)
COMMENT: 16 Superb instrumentals recorded in 1982 by D`Arienzo musicians
after his death.
-"Instrumentales Incomparables"/Hector Varela
COMMENT: Contains some great milongas & valses (1960`s).
- MIGUEL VILLASBOAS: 3 Wonderful CDs, all instrumentals, containing great
milongas & valses, 60 tracks in all; recorded in the 1960`s. (1) "El
Paisanito"; (2) "Una Noche De Garufa"; "Su Quinteto Bravo Del 900."
- "Esencia De Buenos Aires"/Baffa-Berlingieri - 20 instrumentals/good dance
rhythms.
- "Bien Milonguero" - volumes 1 & 2/Florindo Sassone - 40 excellent
instrumentals (1960`s).
- "Tangos Para Exigentes"/Sexteto Mayor (1970`s-1980`s), 20 instrumentals.
- "Tangos Para Bailar"/Sexteto Mayor (1999), 17 tracks.
- "Quinteto Francisco Canaro"/Antonio D`Alessandro (1995), 15 tracks,
instrumental version of "La Milonga de Buenos Aires".
- "Orquesta Especial Para Bailar Tango"/Alberto Di Paulo (1990`s), 12
instrumentals-Di Sarli syle.
- "Instrumentales Inolvidables"/Alfredo De Angelis (late 50`s - early 60`s),
20 tracks including a beautiful vals: "Lagrimas y Sonrisas".
- "Sus Ultimos Instrumentales"/Anibal Troilo (1960`s), 20 tracks.
- "Pa` Milonguear"/Sexteto Tango ~ ex-Pugliese musicians, 20 instrumental
tangos.
- 3 Great soundtracks (1990`s) loaded with arrangements by Pugliese, Di
Sarli, Canaro, D`Arienzo, & Troilo are: (1) "Perfumes de Tango", (2) "Una
Noche de Tango", (3) "Tango" (movie).
- 2 other soundtracks with a few tangos suitable for the milonga are:
"Forever Tango" & "Tango Argentino".
- "Frente a Frente"/Pedro Laurenz & Quinteto Real (1960`s), 20 tracks.

CONTEMPORARY GROUPS with excellent CDs:
- New York Tango Trio
- El Arranque
- Los Cosos de al Lao
- Nuevo Quinteto Real
- Color Tango (Pugliese arrangements)
- Los Reyes del Tango (D`Arienzo arrangements)
- La Gente de Tango (Di Sarli arrangements)

2 other groups that specialize in "turn-of-the-century" style tango are Los
Muchachos De Antes & Los Tubatango. They both have fun CDs that are crowd
pleasers. I think that their recordings may be from the 1990`s but I`m not
sure. Maybe someone has more info regarding these 2 groups.

As I stated earlier, there are probably many more recordings from post-1960
favorable for dancing which maybe some list members may care to add.

Happy Holidays to all,
Mark Celaya
www.classictango.com