Elmira
Luis Bravo's Forever Tango
Recorded live from Teatro Coliseo Podesta (BsAs, December 2007), the soundtrack is a keeper. The long-running Forever Tango debuted in 1990 in San Francisco, and has since traveled round the world. The album features 11-member orchestra under direction of Victor Lavallen (bandoneon). |
Paris OtonalSexteto Mayor
Sexteto Mayor is a classic. The sextet managed to combine the superb artistry with financial success. Its main claim to fame in the world is participation in 1989 show Tango Argentino. It is considered to be a start of world-wide revival of interest in Argentine tango. This album contains the rich arrangements of classical tangos. They might be a little too rich for dancing socially.
My favorite track is not tango at all -
La Peregrinacion |
self-titledLa Fonda Tango Club
Very danceable tango electronica - tango and milongas. Some of the tracks are arrangements of older pieces, some are brand new. |
Ole Amund GjersvikCombo Tango
Norwegian composer and bass player directs quartet Combo Tango (Norway). Gjersvik composed all pieces on this album - they are in tradition of Argentine tango tinged with European-style tango and jazz. More than half of the tracks are for dancing - milongas and especially beautiful melancholic valses. |
Tango for ExportHoriacio Salgan y Ubaldo de Lio
One of the albums which is almost always in my mp3 player. Horacio Salgan (piano), is one of the greatest tango musicians of the 20th century, recorded this album with Ubaldo de Lio (guitar). Ubaldo de Lio was a member of Quinteto Real. A must-have album. |
Nuestros 30 Mejores TangosQuinteto Real
You can not dance tango unless you hear the music. You've arrived as a dancer if you can dance to Quinteto Real. This album is a MUST-HAVE of any tango collection. You can never get tired of this music. Quinteto Real was directed by Horacio Salgan, an iconic figure in Argentine tango. Perhaps, Salgan to tango is what Miles Davis is to American jazz. Salgan assembled the stellar cast for his quintet - Pedro Laurenz (band), Enrique Francini (one of the most spectacular tango violinists) and Ubaldo de Lio, guitar. The recordings were produced in the mid-60s-early 70s, when the Argentine tango was in decline. But, hey, only the really good music can survive tough times. |
TangosHugo Diaz
Hugo Diaz is THE soul of the Argentine tango. His harmonica, recorded in the 1970s, sounds every bit modern today. I am glad that the albums of this tango master were reissued - so many of my fellow dancers could not get hold of them. I love to dance to them and I love to listen to them, especially if my mood is lightly blue. Aside from Tangos, there is another one - Hugo Diaz in Buenos Aires. Both albums contain classical tango tunes. If you are really bent on building a well-rounded collection, this album is a keeper. |
Los Grand ExitosFulvio Salamanca
There are not many recordings by Fulvio Salamanca. The piano virtuoso died very young. This CD of the beautiful tango standards is a great addition to the dancer's collection. |
Corazon GuitarreroJuanjo Domínguez
Amazon.com MP3Juanjo Dominguez is always mentioned among the top tango guitarists in the world. This CD is a collection of Gardel's tangos. Very, very polished. |
Mis Tangos PreferidosJuanjo Domínguez
Amazon.com MP3
The compilation of traditional tangos performed by Juanjo Dominguez, one of the best tango guitarists. Like all his recordings, this one is modern & elegant. |
Mis Tangos Preferidos, vol. 2Juanjo Domínguez
Amazon.com MP3
The second CD in two volume set. Contains a great version of Afiches. A must-have album. |
Tango para todo el MundoOsvaldo Montes, Annibal Arias
The duo (guitar, bandoneon) of old masters - Osvaldo Montes and Annibal Arias - recorded the old standards and a couple of their own compositions. The true masters of the traditional tango. |
Finnischer Tango, vol 2M.A. Numminen
The Finns did not warm up to the tango until the WWII. That's when the Finnish tango was born. The Finnish tango is a derivative of the Argentine tango with a healthy doze of the Russian romance and German march music. This album contains the great modern interpretations of the classical Finnish numbers, mostly songs. Great for dancing, because the arrangements are reminiscent of the Argentine tango, i.e. without annoying drum beat, so typical in the European tangos. |
TangoD'Cote
TANGOSTORE.COMTango on sax sounds very cool! All the arrangements on this CD (traditional and nuevo) continue the tradition of orquestas tipicas. |
A Don Juan-En VivoLos Reyes del Tango
Something new to dance to! Los Reyes del Tango is the modern group which plays in the style of D'Arienzo. Great CD to dance to! |
Bordoneo y 900Juan Jose Mossalini
Juan Jose Mosalini is a bandoneon virtuoso who created a full tango orchestra in France. This CD is a collection of traditional and nuevo tangos in modern orchestral arrangements. Rich sound - I am never tired of hearing their arrangement of classical La Bordona. Mossalini was a friend of Piazzolla and shared Piazzolla's vision of new tango. |
ClassicosEl Arranque
Amazon.com MP3
One of the first CD produced by the great El Arranque, the recipient of Konex prize and other prestigious prizes. Just like the title says, it is the collection of the classical tangos - some are instrumental, some are songs, performed by Ardit, one of the most respected male tango singers of the younger generation. |
CabuleroEl Arranque
Amazon.com MP3
Another collection of the traditional tangos, recorded by El Arranque. Some of the arrangements are great to dance to, if you have a good ear for music. |
MaestrosEl Arranque
The award-winning orchestra El Arranque recorded the tango nuevos written by the older generation of the Argentine musicians. It is not tango for dancing, but listening to the collection like this one will greatly improve your musical appreciation as a dancer. |
Cuesta ArribaEsteban Morgado
Esteban Morgado, a master guitarist, arranger and director, organized his quartet in 2000. Cuesta Arriba was their first CD and it won Gardel Prize in 2003 (Quartet won another Gardel in 2006). Those are one of the coolest, the most imaginative and cosmopolitan tango arrangements. They sound appealing even to those who are indifferent to tango. The dancers can brave to dance to some, but mostly it is for listening. |
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It is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Very suitable for the end of
the evening at milonga.
Connaire, Rob
Rob "made a lucrative detour" as a union carpenter in his life.Now he is back
to what he loves the most - music.
He is a selfless promoter of the good music,
especially tango music by the artists who live in USA.
He was very kind to write and to record a great radio essay Tango Rants for Tango Tales.
While we were selecting the music for his show, he introduced me to many excellent
artists/albums,
which I, due to my blissful lack of musical sophistication, have never
heard. Here are some of them:
AnheloJose Cura
Jose Cura is an Argentine tenor (opera). Anhelo is his first crossover disc. Anhelo means " intense, suffocating desire". This collection emphasize the ballads (its subtitle is Argentine Songs) - some like folk songs and and some are instrumental cuts, one of which Cura composed himself in a neo-classical style. |
Tracing AstorGidon Kremer
World-class violinist Gideon Kremer recorded with Kremerat
Baltica, a group of young musicians from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. |
Eternal TangoHector Del Curto
In his home of Buenos Aires, Del Curto was already making a name for himself at 17, named The Best Bandoneón Player Under 25. He organized the 10-member Eternal Tango Orchestra. This CD has the variety of recordings - solos, with the orchestra, with Pablo Zegler, duo with his wife, cellist Jisoo Ok (Del Curto jokes that he chose his wife by ear). |
Ponele la FirmaBernardo Monk
Ponele la Firma by Bernardo Monk (an Argentine-born jazz/tango musician from Boston) Rob: "Damn, I keep buying this CD and giving them away! And there’s a reason: Mr. Monk is a musician with joy and passion and a great sense of humor. No, it’s not Pugliese’s orchesta tipica, but is every bit as real. And the musicianship throughout this recording is exceptional, kudos to him for attracting such talent and creating a terrific gift to music and to tango." |
12 Tangos - soundtrackLuis BordaRob particularly admired the musical innovations of the soundtrack to the movie 12 Tangos by Luis Borda. It is a hard-to-get item, but try through this European site. |
1939-1965Roberto Rufino
Rob did not talk about Roberto Rufino specifically, but judging by his music selection for his radio essay, he likes Rufino's singing very much. |
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