TangoClub

TangoClub's Top 10 of Tango Music

So you are lost in the maze of tango music? There are literally thousands of songs out there and it is not always easy to find the good ones to start your private collection. And yes, you should have a private collection because only by listening to the music over and over again will you absorb the rhythm, the phrasing and the melody and therefore become a better dancer.

Here are some of TangoClub's favourite songs, grouped by genre and rhythm so you can find your way around more easily. There is so much beautiful music that narrowing this selection down to 10 meant we had to be highly subjective. In order to acquaint you with a range of orchestras, we have never listed more than two songs by one artist in each category although one could easily find 10 beautiful Canaro milongas or D'Arienzo valses.

While we are always happy to point out names of songs and orchestras, please, do not ask us to copy music for you. Most of these songs are either available through iTunes New Zealand or you might want to have a look at online traders such as TangoCD.com (great facilities for listening to songs but sometimes a little unreliable with orders) or Amazon (less listening facilities but very fast delivery). Both stock a good selection of CDs which are otherwise quite hard to get.

Milonga

Vals

Tango

Tango Nuevo

Alternative Tango

Music that was not originally conceived as tango music but has all the ingredients for dancing tango to it, is usually referred to as Alternative Tango. Different people interpret this in different ways, depending on how far you are willing to depart from the mantra that tango music must be from the 1940s and from Argentina. What every alternative song should have is a consistent danceable beat and the right tango atmosphere, the rest is up to your imagination.

Tango Orchestras

While there are more Golden Age Tango Orchestras than one could be expected to remember, it might pay to have a closer look at some of the big names in tango music. Todo Tango has an impressive list of biographies and stories about all major orchestras.

If you want to have a look at some of the maestros at work, take a look at the YouTube clips of some of the great orchestras:

Watch in YouTube
Juan D'Arienzo: Loca.

Watch in YouTube
Ángel D'Agostino: Tres Esquinas (sung by Ángel Vargas).

Watch in YouTube
Aníbal Troilo: Quejas de Bandoneón.

Watch in YouTube
Francisco Lomuto: El Alma del Bandoneón.

Watch in YouTube
Miguel Caló: Los Tangos.

Watch in YouTube
Edgardo Donato: Después del Carnaval.

Apart from the classic orchestras, several contemporary orchestras have emerged over the last decade that have given tango music new impulses. Some of them continue in the tradition of the "Golden Age" orchestras, others, such as Otros Aires re-interpret tango by blending it with high-energy electronica and downbeat ambient music.

Watch in YouTube
Otros Aires: Milonga sentimental.