Episode 18

After writing my last few episodes, I realized there’s yet another topic worth exploring. We’ve already talked about how mixing styles is crucial to keep dancers excited and engaged — but recently, I’ve come to appreciate that even smaller details matter deeply.

For example: what if you just played an instrumental tanda — would you follow it immediately with another instrumental tanda? Probably not. Why? Because tango doesn’t just offer us melodies and rhythms; it offers us the voices, the singers, the poetry that brings the music alive.

The rise of singers in tango was transformative. Think of Troilo, who elevated the vocalist to the center stage, using the voice not merely as an addition, but as an equal instrument — creating masterpieces that still move us today. Other orchestras followed, enriching the genre with unforgettable vocal works. According to todotango.com, there are 545 listed tango vocalists — an astounding number that speaks to the sheer depth and richness of this musical tradition.

Of course, we can’t cover them all here. But let me take you on a little journey with just one beloved track dancers know well: La Bruja.

The version most of us know and dance to is the electrifying: 

•  Juan D’Arienzo – La Bruja with Alberto Echagüe (1938)

But listen to his later recording from 1959, and you’ll immediately sense a different drive and energy: 

•  Juan D’Arienzo – La Bruja with Mario Bustos (1959)

Both are wonderfully danceable. But if you want something more intimate, something to cradle you through a long winter night when you’re away from the dance floor, Angel Vargas comes to the rescue:

• Ángel Vargas – La Bruja (1955)

• Ángel Vargas – La Bruja (1939)

Would you dance to these softer versions? Maybe — perhaps at the very end of a milonga, when people are picking up their shoes and heading home. I bet some dancers would. But even more, these are the kinds of recordings you can savor in your car on the way home, letting them fill your thoughts and drift you into sweet dreams.

Because for me, as a DJ, it’s not just about what plays on the floor — it’s about the endless search for masterpieces, for rare gems, for voices and melodies that touch the heart. Every track I find, every version I uncover, becomes part of a greater mission: to honor the music, to care for it, and to share it with the love and respect it deserves.

That, above all, is what drives me forward on this beautiful, never-ending journey of tango.

#tango, #TangoArgentino, #tangodancer, #milonga, #milonguero, #tangodj