Episode 19

In my TangoDJ series I shared my personal thoughts on mastering DJ skills. Some might ask: Why didn’t you talk about the software or hardware you use? Doesn’t that is important?

Of course — I completely agree! But I felt diving into technical details might be less engaging for many of you. Those topics deserve their own dedicated seminar. My focus here is the heart of it all: the content — the music itself — what fills the dance floor, what drives us to move, to connect, to feel.

Yes, how you play your music matters. But for me, it’s always secondary to what you play. That said, fidelity — the quality of the sound — is absolutely important.

These days, you can easily find a tango track on YouTube. But if you truly care about the richness, depth, and nuance of the music, you owe it to yourself (and your dancers) to seek out the best version you can find — for example, through TangoTunes.

Recently, I stumbled upon Ricardo Tanturi’s Alma en Pena (1946) and was excited to build a tanda around it. But when I listened closely, I was disappointed by the audio quality of the track. Eventually, I found a beautifully restored version on TangoTunes — and I purchased it without hesitation. The difference was astonishing.

Yet, sometimes we search for old gems and the high-quality version may be lost forever. Take, for example:

• Ariel Pedernera y su Quinteto Típico – Ventarrón (1951) 

Isn’t it stunning? But as you can hear, the sound is far from perfect. Still, that doesn’t stop me. I keep searching, listening, uncovering masterpieces — even those I may never play at a milonga — because they fuel my passion, they keep alive the endless, wondrous journey of tango music.

And so, dear readers, I leave you with this treasure:

• Ciriaco Ortiz – Soledad (1933)

For me, as a DJ, the music itself is the most precious and irreplaceable asset. It’s not just about filling hours with sound or creating a playlist — it’s about honoring the artistry, the emotion, and the stories that live inside each recording. Every track is a small piece of history, a gift passed down through generations, and it’s our responsibility to cherish it, preserve it, and share it with care.

This is why I search tirelessly for the best versions, why I spend hours listening, selecting, and dreaming. Because when the music fills the room, when the dancers connect and the floor comes alive — that’s when the true magic of tango happens. And that magic, to me, is worth everything.

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