The Signature of Tango

Music plays a crucial role in tango. Mediocre, unfamiliar, eccentric, or outlandish music has never produced a beautiful tango. Well-performed tangos are always danced to excellent, classic tango music, an indispensable source of inspiration that brings the dancers’ skills into full play. Good classic tango music excites the dancers, stirs their emotions, kindles their creativity, generates synergy, and leads to what Argentinians call duende—an elated state in which dancers perform exceptionally well. Without good music, even a master’s abilities are limited.

There are tens of thousands of tango songs on the market, but only a small fraction are high-quality, danceable pieces. The remainder are either of mediocre quality or composed for listening rather than dancing. CD makers are well aware of this and mix tracks strategically to avoid selling just a few songs. As a result, a cassette with twenty tracks may contain only a couple of good, danceable songs, with the rest being subpar. Argentinians who grew up immersed in tango culture know their music. They might buy a CD for one or two good songs and discard the rest. American tourists, however, often buy a CD and play every track. Lacking adequate knowledge of tango music, they collect tango songs as indiscriminately as they collect tango steps. Many even favor novel, rare, or exotic pieces, ignoring their undanceability.

Experts agree that familiarity with music is essential for an exuberant tango experience. Argentinians play only well-known classic tango music in their milongas, avoiding even unfamiliar tango songs, let alone outlandish or alternative music. Playing such music disservices tango—it is peculiar, lacks the richness and depth of classic tango, and transforms the dance into a hybrid form catering to the tastes of foreigners. This, however, alienates the milongueros, who are the mainstay of the milongas. In Argentina, these seasoned dancers are held in high regard, receiving discounted admission, the best seats, and their favorite Golden Age music in the milongas.

Classic tango music is the signature of tango, created and developed alongside the dance and for it. People recognize and associate it with tango the moment they hear it, as there is a profound sentimental bond between the two. In fact, tango dance and classic tango music are two aspects of one thing called Argentine tango, inseparable as body and soul. While tango can technically be danced to other music, it does not remain intact when done so. One could dance tango to the music of Beijing opera, but that would no longer be tango.

Alternative music from different cultural backgrounds lacks the rhythmic structure and sentimental richness of classic tango music. The latter is passionate, multi-layered, dynamic, sentimental, and moody, enabling dancers to interpret and improvise freely (see The Characteristics of Classic Tango). Any music that shares this rhythmic structure and emotional depth will be recognized as tango, not as alternative music. By definition, alternative music is the music that lacks the structural and emotional intricacy of tango, therefore is not the best music for tango dancing. It appeals only to novices with underdeveloped taste, individuals seeking novelty for its own sake, and those who cater to such preferences for commercial gain.

Those who love tango more than money can contribute significantly to the art form in one simple way. A three-hour milonga typically consists of 15 tandas, or 60 songs. By carefully selecting the 600 best classic tango songs and playing them repeatedly in our milongas—just as the Argentinians do in the milongas of Buenos Aires—we can transform our tango culture and elevate the quality of our dance in ways we cannot yet fully imagine. After all, tango is intrinsically connected to its music. The better the music, the more enjoyable the dancing, the more fulfilled the dancers, and the more successful the milonga. (See My Two Cents on Music Selections.)