I wish to thank the D.Js of Sydney for the time and effort they go to to produce a playlist.

Those dancers who have spent time in Bs.As know that at traditional Milongas the D.Js play predominantly Golden Age, knowing that their knowledgeable critical audience will not get up and dance to less familia pieces.

At a Sydney milonga the D.J may only play one or two Golden Age the rest would never see the light of day at a traditional milonga in Bs.As

In Sydney we get up and dance to these tanders, for if we did not we could be sitting out all night, often going home feeling deprived of what could have been.

I would love to know from Sydney D.Js how they see their Sydney audience?

No dance form apart from tango with DJs requires a tanda. Have you heard of "live music". I musician would need a lobotomy to play 2 consecutive pieces in the same tempo and style, even in the Golden Age. Live bands then and now focus on variation not repetition. Promoting dead musicians is an insult to the thousands of tango musicians around the world extending the artform. Pushing Play on a CD would be preferable to any DJ in Sydney or elsewhere because also in CD production, variation is essential. DJs and tango dancers don't seem to understand fundamental principles of musicality. Live music first, Spotify or CDs second when the band has a break, DJs with their tandas from dead musicians can go home. DJs playing living musicians varying every piece in style, rhythm and tempo - mimicking a live performance - can stay.

Hi David, I can only speak for myself here, when I DJ I play 98% Golden age music with one tanda of modern versions of traditional music by musicians who are currently alive (generally towards to end of the evening). I am referring to Orchestras that are popular in the milongas of Buenos Aires such as Romantica Milonguera, Sexteto Milonguero, La Juan Darienzo, Los Herederos del Compas, etc.)

I also play music that is widely known, occasionally I might experiment with a more obscure tango, depending on the audience, but it's always Golden age music.

I like the fact that no matter where I am in the world I can enjoy listening and dancing to music that is predominantly from the late 30s, 40’s and early 50s, it's what brought me to dance in the first place - the music is always first for me whether I’m dancing or DJing.

While I understand Robert’s point of view, I prefer to follow the traditions of the majority of milongas with DJs, by playing music that is structured into tandas with clear cortinas, as it’s a language that all tango dancers understand regardless of where they are in the world.

-- 1/06/2021 11:41:58 AM: post edited by Tangomagic.

I totally agree with you Robert, live music is the best and should be encouraged at all levels, especially modern Tango musicians from around the world extending the artform.

I am always interested in the term "traditional" and in this case that of the majority of milongas with DJs. Because if you really wish to be truely traditional then you would be dancing to the style of the lower class people in Montevideo of Uruguay, where public dances were held in warehouses and people dance a "range - more than one" style of dance. Now days that would mean you would dance not only tango at a milgona but salsa and rock n roll. My first ever milgona I attended was in Darwin some time ago, where the organisers were from a range of dance school such as ballroom, salsa etc they had to join together to have enough people to attend to create the event. It certainly made an interesting night.