Re: [TANGO-L] Building a tanda

[Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown @DAL.FRB.ORG>]

Adapted from my webpage: Playing Music for Milongas: The DJ's Role
http://www.tejastango.com/milongas_djsrole.html

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
"La Rayuela" and "La Tupungatina."  Another pair of
candidates for the second and third spots are "Raza Criolla" and "Pelele."
  The overall effect is like a hammock, which I find better contributes to
the evening's intensity.

For some examples of tandas, see my Annotated List of Tandas:
http://www.tejastango.com/tandas.html


When playing music early in the evening, I try to keep the whole evening
in mind.  I typically start 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.  I start that right from the beginning.

If the milonga has light attendance during the first hour or so, sometimes
it can become a bit difficult for the dj and dancers to get into a groove.
 When this happens, I often try to keep it steady, playing good music with
strong rhythms, good fidelity and sufficient variety.  With so much good
tango music, I never hold back on the good stuff, but I typically avoid
playing the late-night selections, such as later Pugliese, early in the
evening.  I also try to determine whether many of the dancers are
relatively raw beginners who might be pushed off the floor if I played
milonga, vals or something that is rhythmically complex.  If I recognize
the dancers as knowing the music reasonably well, I will ask what they
would like to hear a that moment.  If there are more women than men, I
will dance a lot to help get the milonga going (assuming it is possible to
dj and dance), and if there are more men than women I dance very little.

As a milonga that has been slow to fill up gets going, I often find it
necessary to kick up the energy, and I reach for a very high-energy tanda,
which invariably proves to be D'Arienzo.

It might be tempting to try to use the highest-energy tandas from the
beginning to compensate for light attendance, but I find variety is more
important in keeping the dancing going.

With best regards,

Stephen Brown
Tango Argentino de Tejas
http://www.tejastango.com/