“The compass of a tango reigns unchallenged, / high-flown, fierce, from Buenos Aires, / compelling every one!” Christian’s metric version of “A Song of Standing” (Canción de rango)
Playing records at milongas is the art of choosing the right song for each moment, non-stop, relentlessly. The DJ is the heart of the milonga, interpreting the organizer’s mind and pumping musical vigour to the body of dancers.
Tango social dances (“milonga”, “practica” or even “practilonga” in Europe) tend to be quite conservative regarding musical taste, structure and etiquette, so engaging DJs mostly play tango hits from the 30’s and early 40’s in order to constantly compell their audiences to fill the dance floor.
Christian is also a producer of tango music for dancing. He has recently created “Alas de Tango” in Buenos Aires and “Roving Tango Trio” in London. He loves exploring new bands and playing them at certain milongas, usually the ones that he organizes. If you yould like to hear something new, Chris can surely mix it in!
When the organiser allows, Chris also likes to play 3 tangos instead of 4 in each tanda. This dynamic allows him to play a wider variety of orchestras and the dancers to change partners more often. Tanda dividers (“cortinas”) match the vibe of the previous and following tandas, serving as smooth transitions rather than separators.
Christian played music in Buenos Aires milongas for five years before moving to Cambridge in 2019. He used to organise, and often DJ at, El Recreo, Tango a Pan y Agua, La Comedia Tango, Bichito Tango and El Látigo. Other milongas which regularly required his DJ sets were Domilonga, Maldita Milonga, Sin Gomina, El Fierrazo and Milonga Amalia.