Over the months, a few people have asked where to start when beginning their own collection of tango music. I decided to approach Siempre Tango’s two resident DJ’s…and Siempre Tango’s new, third DJ who will be joining the ranks in 2006…to each make their suggestions for the 10 cd’s they believe to be the essential basics for a tango enthusiast. So here they are…we begin with suggestions from Siempre Tango’s inaugural DJ.

From Patricia Petronio:

So you’ve got yourself the soundtracks of the movies The Tango Lesson and Tango – both of which are a good way to get a sense of the diversity of tango music – but you’ve played them to death and want more. You’ve visited Zival’s online tango CD catalogue and found the range absolutely mind-boggling. Well, selecting the 10 tango CDs listed for a starter’s collection is a hard call, but I hope my recommendations will help you find your way through the maze of traditional tango CDs. I’ll qualify this list with the fact that my preferences do change. And remember, these have been selected with my tango DJ hat on – in other words, what inspires people to dance in the salon. There are lots more CDs with awesome music more suited to simply listening to, but that’s another story…

• Miguel Caló, Al compas del corazón, Reliquias (Lyrical, seductive and gently rhythmic)

• Fancisco Canaro, La melodía de nuestro adiós (Simple rhythms and some irrestibly romantic tangos & milongas)

• Angel D’Agostino y Angel Vargas, Tango 1943-63, Archivo RCA (Softly rhythmic and romantic tangos)

• Alfredo de Angelis, Instrumentales inolvidables, Reliquias (Dramatic & energetic tangos)

• Carlos Di Sarli, Sus primeros éxitos vol. 3 (Great selection of lyrical tangos with some lovely milongas)

• Astor Piazzolla, Sur or Zero hour (I can’t decide between these two albums from the pioneering genius of modern tango)

• Osvaldo Pugliese, Ausencia, EMI (Great selection of his earlier and later, more orchestral, styles, finishing with the gorgeous vals Desde el alma)

• Los Reyes del Tango, La ventana (Irresistible interpretations of energetic D’Arienzo classics by a current BsAs band)

• Ricardo Tanturi y Enrique Campos, Una emoción (A combination of rhythmic and heart-wrenchingly lyrical style)

• Anibal Troilo, El inmortal Pichuco (Earlier Troilo soft rhythms guaranteed to get you moving)

This is just the beginning of a serious tango collection, and very much a matter of personal taste. For more recommendations visit the Tejas Tango website.

Thanks Pat – I will add the lists from the other two DJ’s soon….