Milonga Nuestra playlist, November 2015

November is a month rich in tango history dates. Great tango orchestra directors Francisco Canaro, Francisco Lomuto, Alfredo De Angelis, Federico Scorticati were all born in November. But trying, as I often do, to celebrate all of them by showcasing additional interesting tandas turned out to be hard in a 3-hour milonga. Because the only way I could do it was by excluding several other great orchestra favorites, and in the end I remained undecided if it was worth doing...

01. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Ataniche" 1936 2:32
02. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Union Civica" 1938 2:28
03. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Champagne Tango" 1938 2:25
04. "Sting - Windmills Of Your Mind" 1999 0:24
Francisco Canaro, the most prolific of all the tango directors, was born on November 26, 1888. Much has been written about Canaro's rags-to-riches path, which started from his first violin fashioned out of an empty oil can, and about his many bands and projects. My first Canaro tanda for the night is from his 1950s instrumental quintet named after Francisco's childhood nickname. I already wrote about his quintets, and about Pirincho the bird, last year...
05. Quinteto Pirincho - Instrumental "Rodriquez Peña" 1959 2:36
06. Quinteto Pirincho - Instrumental  "El chamuyo" 1950 2:51
07. Quinteto Pirincho - Instrumental "Alma de bohemio" 1959 2:29
08. The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19

Francisco Lomuto, a pianist and composer, was born on November 23, 1893. His musical career has been strongly linked to Francisco Canaro, his 5 years older mentor and onetime employer. Neither had any formal musical education. Both grew up in large, poor families. It's often told that Lomuto composed his first tango at the age of 13, and dedicated it to Salvarsan (a.k.a. Compound 606), a syphilis drug. Of course tango of the early 1900s was never more than one step away from indecency, but this much-retold story of "El 606" isn't really correct. The drug wasn't even discovered until Lomuto was 17, and the tradition of the humorous tangos about doctors and medicines didn't start until the First Ball of the Clinical Residents (Baile del Internado) in 1914 - pioneered by Canaro (read more about it here). And indeed Lomuto's other earliest composition are dated 1915. Francisco Lomuto convened his first orchestra in 1923, and, following Canaro again, he soon diversified into jazz (and added a really powerful winds section, so unusual for a tango orchestra), and then into theater musicals, but always retained the old-guard sensibilities and its steady beat.
09. Francisco Lomuto - Alberto Acuña y Fernando Díaz  "A su memoria (vals)" 1931 2:48
10. Francisco Lomuto - Carlos Galarce "Un vals | Se fue" 1944 2:26

Lola Cruz,
"Damisela Encantadora"

I occasionally play this Lomuto's unusual, habañera-scented vals, but haven't retold its story yet. Actually there are two real stories in one, a story of sisterly love and a story of a beauty and ruin. The vals was composed by famous Cuban pianist, Ernesto Lecuona, who was first taught and supported by his equally talented older sister Ernestina. An early marriage stopped Ernestina's musical career and she invested everything into her kid brother. Nearly 30 years later, after all Ernestina's children grew up, Ernesto invited her to try touring together - and soon her career took off again, and then she visited Argentina for the first of many times. But she didn't just promote her own compositions, she showcased her brother's work as well, and that's how "Damisela encantadora" entered the world of tango. The vals was a part of Ernesto's zarzuela play, "Lola Cruz" which premiered just the year before. Lola Cruz, a Cuban beauty of a mythical stature, was known "the Pearl of Yumurí Valley" (where the Lecuonas hailed from, too). Poets, musicians, and painters fell all over themselves to immortalize young Lola. She married a rich and influential landowner and arts patron, José Manuel Ximeno, and moved in to a 60-room palace. But soon, the Ten Year's War, the first salvo of Cuba's protracted fight for independence, broke out. The Ximenos were ruined; then Lola's husband died suddenly, but she wouldn't stop supporting charities, selling off her increasingly meager possessions, growing old back in her parents' modest house...
11. Francisco Lomuto - Jorge Omar  "Damisela encantadora (vals)" 1936 2:58
12. Bonobo  "Flutter 1 (cortina)" 2003 0:23
13. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "Así era el tango" 1944 2:49
14. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "Shusheta (El aristocrata)" 1945 2:47
15. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "A Quién Le Puede Importar" 1945 3:11
16. "Sting - Windmills Of Your Mind" 1999 0:24
These vocals with Jorge Omar are my 2nd and final Lomuto tanda. Thought to play a milonga too and just couldn't fit it in :)
17. Francisco Lomuto - Jorge Omar  "Nostalgias" 1936 3:05
18. Francisco Lomuto - Jorge Omar  "A la gran muñeca" 1936 3:01
19.  Francisco Lomuto - Jorge Omar "La melodia de nuestro adios" 1938 2:20
20. Zhanna Aguzarova "Cats" 1987 0:21
The two earliest, slowest milongas which marked the rebirth of the milonga genre in 1933 - and a milonga remix of an old tango which was reportedly the first tune little Canaro extracted from his oil-can violin.
21. Francisco Canaro - Ernesto Famá  "Milonga Sentimental" 1933 3:10
22. Francisco Canaro - Ernesto Famá  "Milonga Del 900" 1933 2:54
23. Francisco Canaro - Ernesto Famá  "El Lloron" 1941 2:14
24. Bonobo  "Flutter (slower cortina)" 2003 0:29
Alfredo De Angelis, a pianist and tango composer born on Nov 2, 1910, put together a tango orchestra in 1940 and started recording only in 1943. His is a prolific orchestra, but often considered to be second-rate, "just good for the dancers" whatever it should mean. I often play De Angelis's late, dramatic instrumentals, and his great valses, but I find it harder to build a worthwhile tanda with vocals. Here's my newest attempt, yet again not 100% satisfying me... 
25. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental "Pura mana" 1943 2:47
26. Alfredo de Angelis - Floreal Ruiz "Marioneta" 1943 2:49
27. Alfredo de Angelis - Floreal Ruiz "Dejame asi" 1943 3:01
28. "Sting - Windmills Of Your Mind" 1999 0:24
29. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos "Se Va La Vida" 1936 2:44
30. Edgardo Donato - Romeo Gavioli "Amando En Silencio" 1940 2:51
31. Edgardo Donato - Romeo Gavioli, Lita Morales "Yo Te Amo" 1940 2:50
32. The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
Three great valses from the tie when "OTV" was directed by Federico Scorticati, a virtuoso bandoneonist (born Nov. 6, 1912). I already mentioned some details of his bio, but I didn't add that, by his own admission, Scorticati couldn't stand the administrative chores and was happy to quit OTV to become the leading bandoneon with Di Sarli and Lomuto. We'll hear his amazing bandoneon solo with Di Sarli's orchestra a bit later...
33. Orquesta Típica Víctor - Lita Morales "Noches de invierno" 1937 2:47
34. Orquesta Típica Víctor - Ángel Vargas "Sin Rumbo Fijo (vals)" 1938 2:18
35. Orquesta Típica Víctor - Mario Pomar  "Temo" 1940 2:55
36. Bonobo  "Flutter 1 (cortina)" 2003 0:23
I rarely get a chance to play Canaro with Famá, because Roberto Maida sang many more popular tangos. But I gotta try playing both tonight...
37. Francisco Canaro - Ernesto Famá  "No me pregunten porque " 1939 2:54
38. Francisco Canaro - Ernesto Famá  "Tormenta" 1939 2:38
39. Francisco Canaro - Ernesto Famá  "Te quiero todavia" 1939 2:54
40. "Sting - Windmills Of Your Mind" 1999, 1999 0:24
41. Miguel Calo - Alberto Podesta  "Si tu quisieras" 1943 2:44
42. Miguel Calo - Raul Beron  "La abandone y no sabia" 1944 2:50
43. Miguel Calo - Alberto Podesta  "Yo soy el tango" 1941 2:46
When the cortina pulsates with rock, you may guess that alternatives are coming...
44. Victor Tsoy  "Blood Type (cortina)"  0:36
45. Color Tango  "La luciernaga"  2:19
46. Miguel Di Genova "Amor Que Se Baila" 2005 4:10
"Amor Que Se Baila" is an outlandishly long for a milonga, so I'm evaluating the floor as it plays, then decide to add the third track to the set...
47. Otros Aires  "Los Vino`" 2010 2:43
48. Bonobo  "Flutter (slower cortina)" 2003 0:29
49. Cirque Du Soleil "Querer" 1994 4:35
50.  Carlos Libedinsky "Otra luna" 2002 3:43
a less known track of this set, this Dutch song sings of sadness of singing tango.The Al Sur project was part classic tangos, part Piazzolla, part their own compositions
51. Van Esbroek - Sexteto Tango al Sur "Lied Van Welk Verdriet" 1989 3:27
52. Bonobo  "Flutter 1 (cortina)" 2003 0:23
Possibly a wrong order of tandas here - it may be harder to sustain the energy of a small block of alternative tandas past as lyrical a tanda as the previous one; once it's over, a "wake-up call" of high-drive classic tangos may work much better than an energetic but still kind of amorphous alternative tanda:
53. 5Nizza "Soldat" 2003 3:13
54. Soha  "Mil Pasos" 2008 4:07
55. Javier Alvarez  "Por que te vas" 2001 2:55
56. The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
57. Alfredo de Angelis - Carlos Dante y Julio Martel "Soñar Y Nada Mas" 1944 3:04
58. Alfredo de Angelis - Carlos Dante y Julio Martel "Flores Del Alma" 1947 3:00
59. Alfredo de Angelis - Floreal Ruiz "Mi novia de ayer (vals)" 1944 2:36
60. Bonobo  "Flutter (slower cortina)" 2003 0:29
Final Canaro tanda for the night. Alas, no time for his valses, slow and fast, and many more flavors of tango music...
61. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida "Envidia" 1936 3:18
62. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida "Solo una novia" 1935 3:23
63. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida  "Invierno" 1937 3:25
64. "Sting - Windmills Of Your Mind" 1999 0:24
65. Rodolfo Biagi - Andrés Falgás "La Chacarera " 1940 2:24
66. Rodolfo Biagi - Andrés Falgás "Son cosas del bandoneon" 1939 2:44
67. Rodolfo Biagi - Andrés Falgás "Cielo!" 1939 2:31
68. Zhanna Aguzarova "Cats" 1987 0:21
Two of the three milongas are Uruguayan, but this Ángel Sica's piece which I haven't played before comes a bit too light...
69. Cuarteto Roberto Firpo - Instrumental "Milonga del 38" 1938 2:12
70. Ángel Sica - Instrumental "Milonga Oriental" 1942 1:57
71. Emilio Pellejero - Enalmar De Maria "Mi Vieja Linda" 1941 2:26
72. Bonobo  "Flutter (slower cortina)" 2003 0:29
and here we find Federico Scorticati again - in the only Di Sarli's recording of then-half a century old El Choclo, prefaced by the words of Di Sarli himself professing the love of his life, the eternal love to the music of tango. The Lord of Tango had just 5 years left to live when he embarked on his project of remixing the oldest tangos, and he probably already sensed that the time was running short... Carlos Di Sarli never liked giving to big a role to the bandoneon before, but now he broke his rule to allow Scorticati to play an extensive solo segment.
73. Carlos Di Sarli - Palabras de Carlos Di Sarli "El Choclo" 1954 3:00
74. Carlos Di Sarli - Instrumental "Milonguero viejo" 1955 2:48
75. Carlos Di Sarli - Instrumental "Nueve Puntos" 1956 3:27
76. "Sting - Windmills Of Your Mind" 1999 0:24
77. Osvaldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel "Farol" 1943 3:23
78. Osvaldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel  "Corrientes Y Esmeralda" 1944 2:49
79. Osvaldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel  "Rondando Tu Esquina" 1945 2:49
80. Alla Pugacheva "Million Scarlet Roses" 1982 0:19
81. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental  "Mi dolor" 1957 2:51
82. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental  "Pavadita" 1958 2:50
83. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental  "Felicia" 1969 2:47
84. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental  "La cumparsita" 1961 3:33
85.   "silence"  0:06
86. Goran Bregovic  "This Is A Film (feat. Iggy Pop)" 2003 4:18
87. Carolina Chocolate Drops & Luminescent Orchestrii  "Knockin'" 2011 5:28
88. Apocalyptica  "Nothing Else Matters" 1998 4:46

Being a tango non-profit

Table of contents

1. Summary
2. The dance clubs used to operate under IRS Sec. 501(c)(7), what changed?
3. Today, a typical dance club is a 501(C)(4) nonprofit. What is it supposed to do to comply with this designation?
4. Being a state corporation helps
5. Accounting and tax forms.
6. State and local taxes
7. Bylaws details

Summary

In the past, it seemed so logical for the social dance clubs to operate as "social clubs for members" (a 501(c)(7) nonprofit). The reality turned out to be a whole lot more complicated, with tons of burdensome rules which the IRS started to enforce. So a typical 2015 nonprofit dance club is chartered under a different IRS category, as an "organization promoting social welfare" (501(c)(4)). A "social-welfare" designation requires a club to concentrate on educational and community-empowerment activities. Organizing social dances becomes a secondary goal, and membership discounts are limited. But it isn't too hard to comply with the 501(c)(4) regulation, to minimize paperwork, and to stay tax-free.

The dance clubs used to operate under Sec. 501(c)(7), what changed?

The 501(c)(7) status requires the social functions (such as milongas) to be open only for members and their invited guests, rather than to the broader public (some dance clubs do operate like that, especially when their purpose is to provide social venues for the membership, rather than to teach, and to demo to, the general public). The biggest problem of the 501(c)(7) dance clubs was lax separation between income from admitting members and income from admitting guests - quite naturally, they just charged everybody admission! But in fact the moment a 501(c)(7) club receives more than 35% of its revenues from non-members, it's to lose its exempt status (A 501(c)(7) organization has to file an accounting with the IRS if more than 15% of its gross income derives from non-club-members. ) 

A 501(c)(7) may get around the nonmember income problem by framing admission fees as suggested donations, and then, if it is done carefully, it may not matter who donated, a member or a non-member ... but the IRS views the suggested donations schema as a dirty trick and tends to pay special attention to such claims. In 2006, the IRS cracked down at another practice of 501(c)(7) dance clubs - signing up guests as members right at the events. The problem was that membership in a 501(c)(7) must be restrictive, and when anybody from the street can just walk in and join the club right away, that's against the IRS rules (admittedly the member selection criteria may be as simple as having attended a class). 

A San Diego club was instructed that their rules were too lax in that they didn't prevent guests from attending without an invitation from a member. Every visit by every guest must be documented in the books. That's a major paperwork hurdle. Even worse, a 501(c)(7) organization is not allowed promote its social events to the general public

A typical 2015 dance club is a 501(C)(4) nonprofit. What are we supposed to do to comply with this designation?

501(c)(4) is for organizations promoting social welfare of whole communities.

Under IRS Revenue ruling 66-221, a 501(c)(4) organization may conduct social activities such as dances, and may derive most of its income from such activities, if the purpose of these activities is to bring the community together and to raise funds for betterment of the community

However ruling 68-46 explains that if most of the club's expenses go towards venue rentals / paid staff / food / drinks for social activities, then it's inappropriate for a 501(c)(4) organization. Noncharitable purposes are OK for a 501(c)(4) - but only as long as they don't become its main purpose. By definition, socializing and recreational activities are _not_ social welfare and may be the means but never the ends of a 501(c)(4). But educating the broader public on how to do a specific activity better already becomes a social welfare role (Rul. 66-179). So it is a good idea to run educational workshops under the aegis of the club. Tango practicas / practilongas, milongas with included classes, festivals where admission includes classes, and educational shows also count as social-welfare activities.

Ruling 78-131 OK'd encouragement and development of public interest in a form of art as a worthy goal for  501(c)(4) organization - but the public was admitted for free to the respective art shows (although sales were made & commissions were charged). Basically it didn't matter that some money exchanged hands, because the broad goal of serving the community has been met by the show's community orientation and participation.(I read it as, "not limited to members", but they later explain that some services may even be limited to members as long as making this service available to a narrow group of people still benefits the community as a whole, for example when you train teachers or organizers).  (The art show organization in question was also helped by using volunteer effort, and by providing exhibition space free of charge for grade school students) So we may need to grant discounts to the disadvantaged, and/or to underscore the community work done for free.

Having a show where the participants pay a fee, where a fee is paid to a promoter, and/or where newsletters are supported by commercial ads, are generally contrary to "serving the community" as they are no different from conducting commercial business with the general public. Note that Ruling 67-109 allows charging nominal admission fees as needed to defray operational expenses. In Club Gaona. Inc. v. United States, 167 F. Supp. 741 (S.D. Ca. 1958), promotion of regular public dances qualified as social welfare, but the Club's downfall was its accumulation of massive funds which it then invested and lent out, rather than directed for community benefits (Gaona was a Mexican American club, unincorporated during much of its history, with operational expenses level at about 50% of the revenues, which they tried to justify by their sending gifts to the US servicemen, but it turned out to be a pittance). So we may prefer to show that our admission fees are not much higher than needed to defray operational expenses - hopefully not twice over the expenses.

Regarding the question of membership discounts: The IRS has provided guidance "that Membership in the organization is open to any interested person or business enterprise in the community and the benefits of its activities were extended to both members and nonmembers on equal terms." (Rev. Rul. 75-386) (but reserving some benefits to the members for the specific purpose of training and empowerment of community organizers and volunteers is OK). And giving free membership with a purchase of a discount card / coupon book should be OK too.

Also if a festival served the community by showcasing the history and traditions of this community, then it superseded the admission considerations (Ruling 68-224) Sounds like it may be a good idea to honor both local and ethnic cultural history at our events?

Open membership (w/o rejecting applicants) is a good sign. Providing scholarships not restricted to members lines up very well, too.

Unrelated business activities aren’t federally taxable if they are “not regular” (defined as occurring for specific windows of time during specific events, maybe a week or two in duration, once or twice a year). So perhaps a dance club may sell shoes or photographs or snacks during a special festival - or even at a county fair booth - without arguing if it is an activity related to its goals. But if the sales are occurring all year round then it must be “substantially related” to the purpose of the organization. A dance club wouldn’t be allowed to sell tulip bulbs all year around without taxation - it’s only OK on an infrequent / irregular basis. Selling merchandise with a club logo or accompanied by a booklet about the club activities might make almost any kind of business “related”.  Anything is substantially related to our purpose if it has a picture of tango on it! Technically unrelated activities, when run by the volunteers to generate funds for the organization, are also generally considered “related” - only having >15% paid staff (except incidental employees) is a disqualifier. Compensating volunteers for the actual out-of-pocket expenses is fine - just can’t compensate them for the time worked.

Of course more recently, there has been an outcry of condemnation of Section 501(c)(4) since it also covers such big political players as the NRA or the Sierra Club, which are allowed to lobby and campaign without disclosing donors. So who knows, perhaps the rules of the game will change again in not-so-distant future

Being a state corporation helps:

It is true that certain unincorporated associations can get federal tax exempt status. But, even unincorporated nonprofits still need to submit their bylaws / articles to the IRS when applying for the exempt status - and anything unincorporated won't shield its members from liability, too.

Accounting and tax forms.

Both 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(7) organizations had to file an accounting with the IRS if their gross income exceeded $25,000, but until 2008, the IRS didn't require any tax returns for nonprofits with smaller incomes. Then, the IRS set up a simplified electronic filing (990-N) for nonprofits with smaller incomes. The new form is simple - it just has a checkbox that your gross receipts are under $50,000 (as increased in 2010), and no more numbers - but the need to file something with the IRS made the smaller clubs more aware of possible mismatches between the IRS code designations and the actual club practices, accelerated the transitions from 501(c)(7)

State and local taxes

Sale taxes may still apply, depending on state rules, both for merchandise / food and sometimes also for the event tickets which include food or entertainment. There may be additional state restrictions on types of merchandise, locations and frequency of the events, etc. For example, in Utah, soliciting money / fundraising may require registration with the state which costs $75 annually, and only 501(c)(3)’s have blanket exemption from sales taxes. Admissions to dances and concerts (but not to the lessons or educational events) is subject to Utah sales tax. However, isolated or occasional sales in Utah aren’t taxable.

What needs to change in the bylaws to reflect a 501(c)(4) designation?

Many tango clubs bylaws contain vestiges of their 501(c)(7) history. They may need to be amended for better match their current 501(c)(4) status.

In particular, a Purpose Statement befitting 501(c)(4) should start approximately as follows:

Promote interest and involvement of the public in music, dancing, and culture of Argentine Tango in the [area/community] as a means of education, artistic fulfillment, socialization, recreation, and physical activity, by holding, hosting, sponsoring, organizing, and otherwise encouraging Argentine tango classes, practice sessions, workshops, demonstrations, and social events, and by collaborating with musicians and other dance organizations in joint projects designed to encourage the growth of Argentine tango dancing in the regional communities. Share listings in its newsletters and upon its website for instructors, educational and social opportunities to advance the development of the culture of Argentine Tango.

(Some recommend making a specific reference of the Section of the IRS Code we strive to operate under, as one of the purposes: "to qualify under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code"; it's also possible to add a reference that we ought to be bound by this section of the IRS Code in the contracts section. Our state further suggests adding “to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the Utah Revised Business Corporation Act“

The criteria for membership: The only criteria should be payment of dues: open to any person upon payment of annual dues as established by the Board of Directors

Another interesting clause is in regard to disposition of assets. The more generic wording would be, “In the event that it becomes necessary to dissolve the corporation, any assets held by the corporation shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c) 4 of the Internal Revenue Code"

The Big 5 Orchestras: a DJ Survey

A few months back I decided to apply statistical analysis to the perennial battle of opinions about "the most important tango orchestras", using data from Ron Weigel's survey of BsAs milonga scene, and from Tango Tecnia survey. After sifting through the forest of numbers, we ended up almost exactly where we started - knowing that D'Arienzo and Di Sarli are indeed the two top tango orchestras, but one can't tell with statistical confidence who deserves the 3rd, 4th, and 5th places. (We also discovered that a mixed tanda ranks near the top of milonga and vals charts, and that Canaro's is a top-ranking milonga orchestra).

"Super" Sabino Cirulli, Venice

In this post I add an additional data trove - DJ SuperSabino's 3 years' worth of interviews with 80 great tango DJ's. There is a lot more in these informal interviews than the dry numbers - there are DJs coming-of-age stories, statements of artistic position, attitudes towards dancers, organizers, other DJs, and insufferable music, professional secrets shared or hidden, even a question about groupies and sex which makes almost everyone blush.

But for the sake of statistical analysis, I'll concentrate on the numbers (and then add a few music discoveries from these interviews in the very end).

Among the SuperSabino's respondents, over 1/3rd were his compatriots, and most of the rest were elsewhere in Europe; even some Argentines were more like European expats, such as Felix Picherna. But when asked about the regional differences in tango music preferences, most were quick to point out that these "geographic" differences fade in comparison with differences between tango subcultures, and even with the waves of music fashions and evolutionary changes in the musical tastes of the tangueros over the years. Some even said that it is the cortinas which should reflect the national specifics, not the tandas!

"Nordic" was Denmark (3), Sweden (2), and Finland (1). "Eastern Europe" was
Hungary (3) and Croatia, Greece, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine (1 ea.)

The DJs were asked which 3 orchestras must always be played at the milongas. kind of gauging their perceptions of what is "proper". Of course Di Sarli and D'Arienzo stood out in a statistically significant fashion. And these two were the only orchestras about which the majority of the 80 DJs agreed. But Canaro and Troilo (each supported by 40% of the DJs) also lead the rest of pack in a statistically significant way. So one may say that there were "Big 4" orchestras perceived to be indispensable - D'Arienzo, Di Sarli, Canaro, and Troilo. The 5th couldn't be defined though, as Pugliese, Biagi, and Fresedo were in statistical dead heat. And then the next question - what did the DJs actually like themselves - muddied the waters...

Di Sarli and D'Arienzo still lead the pack, but now with fewer than half of the DJ supporting them, and within the margin of error of Pugliese and Troilo. But while Pugliese definitely belonged to the top tier, Troilo wasn't significantly ahead of Canaro or Biagi.

Lastly the DJs were asked to describe their "calling card" tandas, something which could distinguish themselves or give them some bragging rights. The lists were thick with hard-to-get and unusual records, but they also strongly represented the best, richest orchestras. D'Arienzo and Di Sarli led the choices of the instrumentals and were significantly ahead of the rest of the orchestras.

The "built-to-impress" vocal tandas were distributed much more evenly. D'Arienzo, Di Sarli, and Troilo were formally tied but not statistically significantly ahead of the next 8 runners-up, not even of Demare or Enrique Rodriguez. It looks like a good singer was a great factor for making the playing field even - those orchestra leaders must have known what they were doing when they were offering top peso to the vocalists!
The two oldest high-ranking instrumental-tanda orchestras which built their fame even before vocals started to rule tango-for-dancing - Canaro and Lomuto - virtually disappeared in the vocal-tanda chart (left with a tanda each), while Calo, Laurenz, and Rodriguez surged ahead.
Interestingly, 6 out of 9 vocal Troilos where with Fiorentino (vs. 2 Marino's); of 9 vocal D'Arienzos, 3 were with Echague and 3 with Maure; and 4 out of 7 Fresedos, with Roberto Ray.

In a perfect parallel to the trends shown by Weigel's BsAs survey, the "showcase" vals and milonga tandas also tended to be mixed (21% of valses vs. 29% in Weigel's chart, and 31% of milongas vs. 22% in Weigel's chart), with Canaro ranking very strong in milongas, and D'Arenzo and Biagi, in valses.

and finally, a few surprising unusuals from the DJ's responses.

Juio Sosa, 1948

Bonavena ca, 1930

Como pichón enamorado (Manuel Buzon) - 1942

Milonga nueva (Jose Tinelli, 1938)

Milonga Sin Nombre playlist, October 2015

We were prepared for this, 24th Milonga Sin Nombre to be the last one, after the landlord communicated that they don't want to continue. But just hours before the event we heard that we are granted two more months - and possibly more after they reevaluate the experience after New Years. Lots of people said they wanted to come to bid farewell to the tradition of two years, so I had to supersize the empanadas works - and it also means that I had to select the music on the fly...

Almost midnight, and the Old North Church's floor is full...

001. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental  "El pollito" 1951 3:22

002. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental  "Don Juan" 1955 2:48

003. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental  "Viviani" 1956 3:01

I may have had far too little time to work on the tandas, but "at least" I cut all new cortinas for the night.

004. The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19

005. Quinteto Don Pancho - Instrumental "Alma en pena" 1938 2:46

006. Quinteto Don Pancho - Instrumental "El garron" 1938 2:27

007. Quinteto Don Pancho - Instrumental "Loca" 1938 2:57

Perhaps the most classic of the Odessa underworld songs, this klezmer-and-tango-influenced classic is known at least since 1920, in myriad remixes, but the original authors of "Murka" remain unknown.

008. Russian folk  "Murka"  0:20

My decision to play a trio of fav valses so early in the night (when the odds of an empty floor are so high) is totally vindicated - the floor comes alive!

009. Orquesta Tipica Victor - Lita Morales "Noches de invierno" 1937 2:47

010. Orquesta Típica Víctor - Ángel Vargas "Sin Rumbo Fijo (vals)" 1938 2:18

011. Orquesta Tipica Victor - Mario Pomar  "Temo" 1940 2:55

"Shumel Kamysh" ("Rustling reeds") is a classic Russian drinking song of old, another one with a totally murky history - some people repeat the Internet claims that it was originally written in by Fabre d'Églantine, a French songwriter and politician guillotined in 1794, but nobody has offered any proof...

012. Folk "Shumel Kamysh"  0:23

013. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "Mano Blanca" 1944 2:43

014. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "Ahora No Me Conocés" 1941 2:35

015. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "Ninguna" 1942 2:59

016. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19

017. Rodolfo Biagi - Andrés Falgás "A Mí No Me Interesa" 1941 2:43

018. Rodolfo Biagi - Andrés Falgás "Cielo!" 1939 2:31

019. Rodolfo Biagi - Instrumental "La Maleva" 1939 2:35

Alfredo Rubin, a Buenos Aires tango musician, organized Cuarteto Almagro in 1997 to bridge tango nostalgia with the allusions to the music of the day. In Cosmotango, he finds inspiration in the 2001 Space Odyssey to create a very Halloween kind of a sound:

020. Cuarteto Almagro Almagro Cuarteto "Cosmotango (cortina 2)" 2003 0:18

We just celebrated Laurenz's birthday by playing a lot of his tandas - but not a milonga tanda yet. Continuing the tribute to the amazing bandoneonist, orchetra lader, and composer:

021. Pedro Láurenz - Alberto Podestá  "Yo soy de San Telmo" 1943 2:31

022. Pedro Láurenz - Alberto Podestá  "Maldonado" 1943 2:04

023. Pedro Láurenz - Hector Ferrel  "Milonga De Mis Amores" 1937 3:02

024. Folk  "Shumel Kamysh "  0:23

And of course October is also Calo's birthday month...

025. Miguel Caló - Raúl Berón "Jamas Retornaras" 1942 2:31

026. Miguel Caló - Raúl Berón "Lejos de Buenos Aires" 1942 2:54

027. Miguel Caló - Raúl Berón "Que te importa que te llore" 1942 2:44

028. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19

probably the most experimental tanda of the night. "Una vez" is so powerful and romantic a tango, and OTV made so few recordings under Mario Maurano that it's just hard to make a tanda which serves this song well. I tried matching it with the same-year compositions and arrangements of perhaps the most notable tango romanticist, Raúl Kaplún, who then played violin for Lucio Demare. BTW Ortega Del Cerro (who got his artistic name because he hailed from the highlands of Mendoza) was just 16 years old, and sang "Una vez" on his first day of work with Victor!

029. Lucio Demare - Raúl Berón "Una emocion" 1943 2:42

030. Lucio Demare - Raúl Berón "Que Solo Estoy" 1943 3:03

031. Orquesta Típica Víctor (dir. Mario Maurano) - Ortega Del Cerro "Una Vez" 1943 3:22

032. Russian folk  "Murka"  0:20

033. Aníbal Troilo - Floreal Ruiz, Edmundo Rivero  "Lagrimitas de mi corazón" 1948 2:59

034. Aníbal Troilo - Floreal Ruiz, Alberto Marino  "Palomita blanca" 1944 3:21

035. Aníbal Troilo - Floreal Ruiz  "Llorarás llorarás" 1945 2:54

036. Folk  "Shumel Kamysh "  0:23

037. Carlos di Sarli - Alberto Podestá  "Tu el cielo y tu" 1944 2:59

038. Carlos di Sarli - Alberto Podestá  "Nada" 1944 2:45

039. Carlos di Sarli - Alberto Podestá  "La capilla blanca" 1944 2:55

040. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina"  0:19

041. Enrique Rodriguez - Armando Moreno "Llorar por una mujer" 1941 2:47

042. Enrique Rodriguez - Armando Moreno "Tango argentino" 1942 2:37

043. Enrique Rodriguez - Armando Moreno "Como has cambiado pebeta" 1942 2:37

044. Cuarteto Almagro Almagro Cuarteto "Cosmotango (cortina 2)" 2003 0:18

045. Carlos Di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "La Mulateada" 1941 2:22

046. Carlos Di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "Zorzal" 1941 2:40

047. Carlos Di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "Pena Mulata" 1941 2:27

048. Folk  "Shumel Kamysh "  0:23

049. Lucio Demare - Horacio Quintana "Solamente ella" 1944 3:15

050. Lucio Demare - Horacio Quintana "Torrente" 1944 3:10

051. Lucio Demare - Horacio Quintana "Igual que un bandoneon" 1945 3:02

052. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina"  0:19

Rhythmic early instrumentals of Di Sarli setting the stage for the energetic vals tanda after the lyrical sadness of Demare:

053. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "La trilla" 1940 2:21

054. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "Nobleza de arrabal" 1940 2:07

055. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "Catamarca" 1940 2:23

056. Russian folk  "Murka"  0:20

057. Rodolfo Biagi - Instrumental "Lágrimas y Sonrisas (Vals)" 1941 2:40

058. Rodolfo Biagi - Jorge Ortíz "Por Un Beso De Amor (vals)" 1940 2:44

059. Rodolfo Biagi - Alberto Lago "Amor y vals" 1942 2:48

060. Folk  "Shumel Kamysh "  0:23

I played so many rhytmic Tanturi records with Castillo's voice recently, time to return to Campos and to the dramatic sound:

061. Ricardo Tanturi - Enrique Campos "Que nunca me falte" 1943 2:42

062. Ricardo Tanturi - Enrique Campos "La Abandone Y No Sabia" 1944 2:47

063. Ricardo Tanturi - Enrique Campos "Oigo tu voz" 1943 3:07

064. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina"  0:19

065. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos "Me voy a Baraja" 1936 2:30

066. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos y Romeo Gavioli "Amando en silencio" 1941 2:52

067. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos "Lagrimas" 1939 2:50

068. Cuarteto Almagro Almagro Cuarteto "Cosmotango (cortina 2)" 2003 0:18

Continuing tribute to Calo: a great milonga candombe which I couldn't play earlier this month

069. Miguel Caló - Raúl Berón  "Azabache" 1942-09-29 3:05

070. Alberto Castillo  "El Gatito en el Tejado" 2002 2:37

071. Romeo Gavioli y su orquesta típica  "Tamboriles" 1956 2:56

072. Folk  "Shumel Kamysh "  0:23

A lone alt tanda for the night

073. Fool's Garden  "Lemon tree" 1995 3:09

074. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole  "Over The Rainbow" 2001 3:32

075. Souad Massi  "Ghir Enta" 2008 5:06

076. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19

077. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos, Romeo Gavioli, Lita Morales "Sinfonía De Arrabal" 1940 3:07

078. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos "El Adios" 1938 3:09

079. Edgardo Donato - Lita Morales, Romeo Gavioli "Mi Serenata" 1940 3:02

080. Russian folk  "Murka"  0:20

All three beautiful complex valses - as I danced it, I thought the 2nd one may have been a bit too complex / too long? But after quizzing dancers I understood that many people really enjoyed it.

081. Enrique Rodriguez - Roberto Flores  "Las Espigadoras (vals)"  2:47

082. Enrique Rodriguez - Instrumental  "Siempre fiel (vals)" 1938 3:38

083. Enrique Rodriguez - Roberto Flores  "Los Piconeros (vals)"  2:47

084. Folk  "Shumel Kamysh "  0:23

085. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "En la huella del dolor" 1934 2:48

086. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "Yo no se llorar" 1933 2:36

087. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "Nieblas del riachuelo" 1937 2:25

088. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina"  0:19

And the third "birthday musician" of October:

089. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Sus Ojos Se Cerraron" 1956 2:47

090. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Hasta siempre amor" 1958 2:57

091. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Queriéndote" 1955 2:49

092. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina"  0:19

The night moves towards a crescendo and instead of a possible milonga tanda, we get beat-and-suspense-packed 1970s D'Arienzos:

093. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Bar Exposición" 1973 2:33

094. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Zorro gris" 1973 2:03

095. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Este Es El Rey" 1971 3:10

096. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19

097. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental "Mi Dolor" 1957 2:51

098. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental  "Felicia" 1969 2:47

099. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental "Pavadita" 1958 2:55

100. Alla Pugacheva "Million Scarlet Roses" 1982 0:19

a bonus tanda by the popular request - we are no going past the official midnight closing time

101. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida "Condena (S.O.S.)" 1937 2:39

102. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida "Ciego" 1935 2:57

103. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida "Invierno" 1937 3:26

104. Alla Pugacheva "Million Scarlet Roses" 1982 0:19

105. Osváldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel "Rondando Tu Esquina" 1945 2:48

106. Osváldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel "Farol" 1943 3:22

107. Osvaldo Pugliese - Jorge Maciel "Remembranza" 1956 3:41

108. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental  "La cumparsita" 1951 3:49

109. Goran Bregovic  "Maki Maki" 2009 3:33

(109 total)

Milonga Nuestra Playlist, October 2015

Pedro Laurenz (1902-1972)
Wikipedia photo

I tried featuring three great orchestra leaders who were born in the month of October - Pedro Laurenz (Oct 10, 1902), Miguel Calo (Oct 28, 1907), and Donato Racciatti (Oct 18, 1918). Last year we already had a flyer celebrating Calo and Racciatti. The music of Pedro Laurenz may be even more important to my playlist-building than even Calo's, because it covers so much stylistic ground and so many epochs of tango history. Laurenz learned to play bandoneon in Uruguay as a teenager, and his first stint playing tango was in Montevideo together with another future superstar, violinist Edgardo Donato. Several years after returning to Buenos Aires, Pedro Laurenz was hired to Julio de Caro's revolutionary new orchestra, together with an unsurpassed genius of bandoneon, Pedro Maffia. These guys contributed an unbelievable lot to the complexity, beauty, and spirit of the tango music. The two Pedros also recorded a number of duet pieces - in fact the very first Argentinian disk of the Victor label featured Pedro Maffia and Pedro Laurenz. Laurenz established himself as a great composer and arranger, often in close collaboration with Maffia and De Caro. In 1937 Laurenz convened his own orchestra, which recorded on and off until 1953. As the things got tough for tango orchestras, Pedro Laurenz remained faithful to the tango, collaborating with Salgan in the original Quinteto Real with its 3 tours of Japan and then briefly assembling his own quintet to remix an album of his compositions in 1966, entitled "Pedro Laurenz interprets Pedro Laurenz".

01. Osvaldo Fresedo - Instrumental  "Pimienta" 1939 2:52
02. Osvaldo Fresedo - Instrumental  "Derecho viejo" 1941 2:31
03. Osvaldo Fresedo - Instrumental  "Arrabalero" 1939 2:32
04. "Nature doesn't have bad weather"  0:24
05. Juan D'Arienzo "Don Juan" 1936 2:28
06. Juan D'Arienzo "Ataniche" 1936 2:32
07. Juan D'Arienzo "El Flete" 1936 2:56
08. Carrapicho  "Tic Tic Tac cortina 2" 2007 0:18
Calo's vals super-hits
09. Miguel Calo - Raul Beron "El Vals Sonador" 1942 3:29
10. Miguel Calo - Alberto Podesta  "Bajo un cielo de estrellas (vals)" 1941 2:37
11. Miguel Calo - Alberto Podesta  "Pedacito de cielo (vals)" 1942 2:21
12. "Palolo - Charlie Wilson" 1992 0:27
13. Carlos di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "Cascabelito" 1941 2:34
14. Carlos di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "Canta pajarito" 1943 3:16
15. Carlos di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "Tristeza Marina" 1943 3:05
16.  "Nature doesn't have bad weather"  0:24
Earlier-period, dynamic tangos of Laurenz
17. Pedro Laurenz - Martin Podesta  "Al verla pasar" 1942 3:23
18. Pedro Laurenz - Juan Carlos Casas "Vieja amiga" 1938 3:13
19. Pedro Laurenz - Juan Carlos Casas "No me extrana" 1940 2:44
20. The Blues Brothers "Theme From Rawhide 3" 1980 0:20
Last October, I played Calo's super-hit candombe-milonga, "Azabache", in a mixed-orchestra tanda. I still find it counterproductive to mix together (so stylistically dissimilar) milonga pieces of Calo, so here we go with a mixed orchestra tanda again, this time featuring Calo's best classic milonga.
21. Miguel Villasboas "La Milonga Que Hacia Falta" 1961 2:18
22. Julio De Caro - Luis Diaz "Saca Chispas"1938 2:30
23. Miguel Calo - Raul Beron  "Milonga que peina canas" 1942 2:22
24. "Palolo - Charlie Wilson" 1992 0:27
25. Edgardo Donato - Lita Morales y Horacio Lagos "Carnaval De Mi Barrio"  2:23
26. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos  "Lagrimas" 1939 2:50
27. Edgardo Donato - Lita Morales, Horacio Lagos, Romeo Gavioli "Sinfonia De Arrabal"  3:09
28. "Nature doesn't have bad weather"  0:24
Beron or Podesta? Which of the two great voices rings the best in Calo's tangos?
29. Miguel Calo - Raul Beron "Jamás Retornarás" 1942 2:28
30. Miguel Calo - Raul Beron "Corazón, no le hagas caso!" 1942 2:57
31. Miguel Calo - Raul Beron  "Que te importa que te llore" 1942 2:44
32. Carrapicho  "Tic Tic Tac cortina 2" 2007, 2007 0:18
I used to say that "Mendocina" and "Mascarita" are so overplayed that these great Laurenz valses might as well be avoided ... but the winds of fashion must have shifted, and I don't hear them nearly as often now:
33. Pedro Laurenz - Alberto Podesta  "Paisaje" 1943 2:53
34. Pedro Laurenz - Carlos Bermudez y Jorge Linares "Mendocina" 1944 2:33
35. Pedro Laurenz - Juan Carlos Casas "Mascarita" 1940 2:53
36. "Palolo - Charlie Wilson" 1992, 1992 0:27
37. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "Recuerdo de bohemia" 1935 2:36
38. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "Vida mia" 1933 3:23
39. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "Sollosos" 1937 3:27
A rock cortina marks transition to a 3-tanda alternative block
40. Victor Tsoy  "Blood type (cortina)"  0:36
41. Haris Alexiou "To Tango Tis Nefelis" 1998 4:07
42. Jem  "Come On Closer" 2004 3:47
43. 5Nizza "Soldat" 2003 3:13
44. Zhanna Aguzarova "Cats" 1987 0:21
45. Otros Aires  "Milonga Sentimental" 2005 3:57
46. Otros Aires  "Rotos en el Raval" 2005 3:53
47. Otros Aires dos  "Los Vino"  2:41
48. Canaro - Hugo del Carril  "Marcha Peronista cortina"  0:16
49. Carlos Libedinsky "Otra luna" 2002 3:43
50. Shigeru Umebayashi "In The Mood For Love" 2001 2:29
51. Jean-Marc Zelwer  "La Rêve De La Fiancée" 1990 4:59
52. Carmen Piculeata  "Variation Corelli" 2013 0:28
The dramatic highlights of the mature period of Laurenz's orchestra:
53. Pedro Laurenz - Alberto Podesta "Garua" 1943 3:09
54. Pedro Laurenz - Alberto Podesta "Recien" 1943 2:43
55. Pedro Laurenz - Alberto Podesta "Todo" 1943 2:37
56. Carrapicho  "Tic Tic Tac cortina 1" 2007 0:17
Lomuto's rarely played valses have an unforgettable texture, and the Cuban-themed "Damisela encantadora" stands out especially strongly with its streaks of habanera beat. So Hans told me that I must have played this tanda before - and in fact I did in Missoula MT in May
57. Francisco Lomuto - Jorge Omar  "Damisela encantadora (vals)" 1936 2:58
58. Francisco Lomuto - Instrumental  "Noche de ronda (vals)" 1937 2:34
59. Francisco Lomuto - Fernando Díaz, Mercedes Simone  "Lo que vieron mis ojos" 1933 2:22
60. Zhanna Aguzarova "Old Hotel" 1987 0:22
Complex, rich, and danceable, the Quinteto Laurenz instrumentals may have been too much for the predominant skill level of the studio students - but there're so few of them now, and a few experienced leads and follows there too. The DJ's aim is to satisfy most of the audience, statistically speaking, but with so few people, the statistical turns into personal, and I'm getting queasy. Worse, I realize with a heightened clarity that the biggest reason why I organize, blog, and DJ may be selfish - simply to score more good dances for myself. That I might never get a kick just from helping to put together a good event - if I can't dance my fill there. So a deenergized milonga and my achy feet gradually make me feel dejected and tangicidal, and the quandary of choosing the strongest closing tandas just doesn't help. Will there be life after tango?
61. Quinteto Pedro Laurenz - Instrumental  "Orgullo Criollo" 1966 2:48
62. Quinteto Pedro Laurenz - Instrumental  "De puro guapo" 1966 2:48
63. Quinteto Pedro Laurenz - Instrumental  "Mal de amores" 1966 3:16
64. Zhanna Aguzarova "Old Hotel" 1987 0:22
Lone Racciatti tanda of the night
65. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Hasta siempre amor" 1958 2:57
66. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Sus Ojos Se Cerraron" 1956 2:47
67. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Queriéndote" 1955 2:49
68. Zhanna Aguzarova "Old Hotel" 1987 0:22
69. Osváldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel "Rondando Tu Esquina" 1943 2:48
70. Osváldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel "Corrientes Y Esmeralda" 1944 2:49
71. Osvaldo Pugliese - Jorge Maciel "Remembranza" 1956 3:41
.... and we travel full 40 years back in time, fro 1966 to 1926, for the Cumparsita, interpreted by the duo of the greatest bandoneonists just as they were launching the musical revolution together with De Caro.
72. Pedro Láurenz - Pedro Maffia  "La cumparsita" 1926 3:01
73. Mecano  "Hijo De La Luna"  4:29
74. Goran Bregovic  "This Is A Film (feat. Iggy Pop)" 2003 4:18
(74 total)