[Tango-L] 50 "Essential" Tangos, etc.

[c.roques@mchsi.com]

Many of the tangos offered in the set aren't really that great, at least as dancing music.  Mostly they are a subjective selection of big hits, mostly vocal and not representative of what was and/or is played for dancing.  If you have a decent collection of tangos, I wouldn't bother getting these (although they are cheap) but if you don't, then add these to your collections, but don't expect great dance songs.

As to Bettina's assertion that the music is more eclectic these days, that is most likely true, but  I still think it depends on where you go and which night.  Many milongas have started that cater to the alternative crowd but there are still traditional ones.  I have never heard alternative music at Sunderland or Sin Rumbo (or Gricel, but that can also depend on which night you go.)  Some nights have different organizers who play for a different crowd so it is always good to check who is running it that particular night.  I know people who have gone to Bs. As. and never been to those milongas so their impression of what is being played is different.
One of the great things about Sunderland for those who looking for the classic tango is that it is not near downtown so many people don't want to travel out that far to dance unless they are hard-core traditionalists.   So you don't see many nuevo people there.  People dress up and the music is classic tango, as is the dancing.  It is well worth the trip, if only to watch the elegant dancers that go there.

There are still options for dancing either way, and hopefully people will always have that choice.  The old milongueros (and for the most part they are all older... there is really no such thing as a young milonguero) are dying off but there are still younger dancers who follow and teach the classic style.

Cheers