I have previously written about the role of the DJ at a milonga, so this is not a new topic to write about, but a particular experience changed my perspective. Back then, I suggested that a good DJ should cater to the best dancers, even at the expense of newcomers with not much knowledge of music, that in the long run it would be more beneficial to forgo short term profit by catering to nuevo/electrotango seekers and create a true tango community. Though I still stand by this, someone told me something this past Wednesday that made me realize one needs not choose one or the other. I DJed for the Sebastian Missé and Andrea Reyero's farewell milonga, and by the end of the night I received many compliments about the music... indeed, people kept dancing until nearly 3 in the morning, which is almost unheard of for a weekday. The visiting teachers, the organizers, a visiting DJ from abroad, and some of the city's best dancers came to thank me for the music, which was flattering. But for me, by far the most moving comment was made by a tanguera who has only been dancing for 3 months or so. She told me that it was the first time that she enjoyed the music so much. Of course, I always take these comments with a grain of salt, but that night, especially that one comment, it seemed genuine, especially since she was having such a great time dancing to many great tandas.
Beginner tangueros have it tougher, of course... The aforementioned tanguera was able to have a wonderful time because the guys she danced with were able to make her enjoy the simple and beautiful music. But once they go past that learning curve, it's the right way to have a virtuous cycle for the tango community. The point is that the role of the DJ is not to show off what an extensive music collection you have by playing obscure orchestras and obscure songs; you play what will rock the floor through the whole tanda. At the same time, you implicitly educate the community on what is good dance music.
A DJ caters to the best dancers because the truly best dancers of a community love the staple orchestras. For this week's farewell milonga, I had begun preparing about a month in advance by asking the visiting teacher's sister (whom I have previously met) through e-mail what music she thought they would enjoy the most. Her reply was simple and true: They like the best orchestras. Play the more light hearted music at the beginning of the milonga, like Tanturi-Castillo and Canaro. For the milonga's peak, play the best of the best, Di Sarli-Rufino, Di Sarli-Podesta, D'Arienzo-Echague, D'Arienzo-Maure, Calo, Tanturi-Campos, D'Agostino-Vargas, Troilo-Fiorentino... and the killer tandas, like Pugliese, Di Sarli-Duran, for later in the evening. Nothing specific in her answer, really, but it applies to most good dancers. Experienced dancers have a defined taste for the music they like, but for the most part, they can be included in the above list, which by no means is meant to be comprehensive. You won't see an experienced dancer going to the DJ booth asking when Piazzolla is coming up... because I will tell them it's coming soon if they so wish, as a cortina, with all due respect to Piazzolla as a musician. But anyway, this is a non-issue in this community.
You can play the staple orchestras week in, week out, without being repetitive, because most of them have rich enough scopes for DJs to explore without going too far and seeming like they're deliberately playing music nobody knows.
As a side note..... people, the DJ booth is the DJ's personal space. Please do not come in unless you are going to give me a massage (especially with a happy ending). I promise I'm not watching porn while I DJ. And more importantly, I promise there are some amazing tandas coming up, and this is a pledge I make as a DJ. There is no need to peak into the booth to see what is going on. And also, please refrain from speaking loudly near the DJ booth. One of the duties of the DJ is taking care of the sound system, and this can't be done properly if all you hear is meaningless chit-chat.
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