El Puntazo TangoDj

05/06/2026

..:: 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗛 𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗢𝗦 ::..

This tanda started as a rabbit hole 🐰

Tangos in French, recorded by Argentine orchestras in Paris in the 1930s are a fascinating - and kind of rare - corner of the tango repertoire.

When I first heard and fell in love with the recording I wanted to build around ("𝘓𝘢 𝘮𝘦́𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘶" by 𝗥𝗮𝗳𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗼), I quickly realized this wasn't going to be a quick job.

So I did what I always do when I hit a puzzle like this:

🔍 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆- I started researching and deep listening across everything that could potentially match the target recording.

For this tanda specifically, I went through recordings from six orchestras: Rafael Canaro, Manuel Pizarro, Mario Melfi, Miguel Orlando, Auguste-Jean Pesenti and Felice Verrecchia.

About 55 recordings in total, listened to at least once. The shortlisted ones, many more times than that 😅

✂️ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 - keeping only pieces with at least one clear matching element (energy, era, texture, phrasing, singer voice timber, etc.)

🕺 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 - sets of 4 recordings, and yes, danced on them - even alone in my living room

🧪 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 - in a practice or a friendly milonga, always dancing the tanda during the test

💬 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 - actively asking for reactions, then reshuffling, replacing what didn't work

🔄 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - iterating until something truly works, sometimes only in particular scenarios

When I was happy with tanda, the actual sourcing process started: find the 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 of the 4 selected recordings! And, no surprise, it was all Japanese CDs!

This is exactly the kind of case study we'll dig into during "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝗗𝗝" - my upcoming workshops for tango music lovers and aspiring tango DJs who want to understand not just what to play, but how to think about it.

More details about the workshops here: https://www.facebook.com/LaMiradaSG

I hope I'll see you there and, in the meantime, 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆!

Note: in case clicking on the thumb below doesn't work, use this link: https://youtu.be/PLsPIYUC7FY?si=ZEogG0Ck23OHHff1

Four sweet and little rhythmic tangos to dream of exotic places aft...

30/05/2026

🎧 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝗗𝗝 🎧

Have you ever wondered why some milongas feel impossible to leave, while others never quite come alive?

Beautiful music is only part of the answer. Behind every 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 milonga is a DJ making hundreds of decisions: selecting the right orchestra for the right moment, creating emotional and energetic flow, reading the dancers in the room, managing transitions, and adapting to what is happening on the dance floor.

Tango DJing is a craft that combines musical knowledge, emotional intelligence, technical skills, constant focus on dancers enjoyment, and experience.

As our tango communities grow, there is increasing interest in understanding what happens behind a successful milonga.

The workshop is designed for people who would like to explore that side of tango more deeply: dancers, aspiring and active DJs, organizers who wish to gain insights into the role of the tango DJ.

Topics include:

✓ Building effective sequences of tandas and cortinas
✓ Understanding orchestras, styles, and musical periods
✓ Creating and maintaining energy throughout a milonga
✓ Reading and responding to the dance floor
✓ Sound quality and practical DJ considerations
✓ Common challenges and real-world DJ decisions

Whether your goal is to DJ at a milonga or simply deepen your appreciation of tango music, this workshop will provide practical tools and a structured approach to the art of tango DJing.

📝 Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dP0tOr0beSqEK6vyOONlyucPwu02wM_2gYuQ5obpbAQ/edit?chromeless=1

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or La Mirada SG directly.

28/04/2026

I don't know about masterclass LOL, but we definitely had fun from start to finish!
Enjoy