Tango dancers, instructors, and DJs often seek recommendations regarding the selectin of tango music. Listed below are CDs that contain a high proportion of tango music that is played in the milongas of Buenos Aires, the Gold Standard for acceptability of tango music for dancing. CDs are also recommended based on high fidelity.
Information on tango orchestras are available on Keith Elshaw's ToTango webpage.
The table below is a list of recommendations for a DJ's essential collection. Some orquestas (e.g., Lomuto, OT Victor), recording types (e.g., Biagi with Ortiz vocals, Di Sarli with Duran vocals), or time periods (De Angelis 50s) have not been included although there is music from these orquestas played in Buenos Aires milongs, because these are not considered the essential core of a DJ's collection. Experinced DJs will probably want to expand their collection beyond what is listed below.
For dancers with more limited demands for a diverse collection, a collection of the 10 most recommended CDs have their title in boldface.
Orquesta |
CD Title |
Series |
Comments | Source |
Biagi, Rodolfo |
Solos de Orquesta |
EMI Reliquias |
Contains the best Biagi instrumentals, mostly from the 40s. | |
Calo, Miguel |
Al compas de corazon |
EMI Reliquias |
Contains the best of the Calo orquesta - the vocals with Raul Beron. | |
Canaro, Francisco
|
La cumparsita |
Living Era |
This is a rare gem containing some tangos and milongas not available elsewhere, mostly with vocals by Roberto Maida. |
|
Sus exitos con Ernesto Fama |
EMI Reliquias |
Contains most of the best of vocals with Ernesto Fama. | ||
Roberto Maida canta sus exitos |
Contains some of the best of the well-known tango vocals with Roberto Maida. | |||
Quinteto Don Pancho: Viejos tangos de mi flor |
Instrumentals from Canaro's Quinteto Pirincho. | |||
Canaro Milongas 1 Canaro Milongas 2 |
ToTango Restorations |
These 2 CDs have the best collection of Canaro milongas. | ||
D'agostino, Angel |
Angel D'agostino - Angel Vargas |
RCA Victor 100 An~os |
Best collection of D'agostino orquesta with Vargas vocals, but may not be available. | |
D'agostino - Vargas Volumen 1 |
Solo Tango |
If the RCA Victor 100 An~os is not available, this is the next best collection of D'agostino-Vargas | ||
D'arienzo, Juan |
De pura cepa: 1935-1936 |
RCA: El Rey del Compas |
The RCA: El Rey del Compas series is a chronological journey through the years of the D'arienzo orquesta. The first 2 volumes have the best music for dancing, with a variety of tangos, milongas and valses, mostly instrumental. | |
El esquinazo: 1937-1938 |
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6: Juan D'arienzo, vol. 2 |
Lantower: Grandes del Tango |
This 2 CD set is a good complement to the El Rey del Compas CDs above. It contains a variety of tangos, milongas and valses from the late 1930s to the late 1940s, all with vocals by either Alberto Echague or Hector Maure | ||
De Angelis, Alfredo |
Los duos de Carlos Dante y Julio Martel, vol. 2 |
EMI Reliquias |
The De Angelis orquesta is renowned for its valses with duets by Carlos Dante and Julio Martel. This CD contains the bet of them, as well as some good tango s. | |
Demare, Lucio |
Sus exitos con Raul Beron |
EMI Reliquias |
Demare's best tangos for dancing are those with vocals by Raul Beron. This CD contains most of the good ones. | |
Di Sarli, Carlos |
Carlos Di Sarli |
RCA Victor 100 An~os |
This CD contains most of the great Di Sarli tango instrumentals from the mid 1950s. | |
12+1: Carlos Di Sarli |
Lantower: Grandes del Tango |
This 2 CD set contains some of the best tangos with vocals by Roberto Rufino and Alberto Podesto from the 1940s, as well as a good selection of milongas and valses with vocals and some tango instrumentals. | ||
Instrumental, vol. 2 |
BMG Tango Argentino |
This CD contains the best collection of 1940s instrumentals on one CD, although there are some from the 1950s as well. | ||
Donato, Edgardo |
1933/1941 |
Coleccion 78 PM |
These 2 CDS contain a great collection of tangos, milongas and valses, both instrumental and with vocals by Lagos, Morales and Gavio. | |
1938/1942 |
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Fresedo, Osvaldo |
Tangos de Salon |
BMG Tango Argentino |
This CD contains most of the divine tangos from the 1930s with vocals by Roberto Ray. | |
Serie de Oro |
PROFOA |
This CD contains most of the best instrumentals from the 1930s. | ||
Laurenz, Pedro |
26: Pedro Laurenz |
Lantower: Grandes del Tango |
These 2 CDs contain most of the best tangos, milongas, and valses with vocals by Casas and Podesta, as well as a few instrumentals. | |
Pugliese, Osvaldo |
2: Osvaldo Pugliese |
Lantower: Grandes del Tango |
These 2 CDs contain almost all of the great instrumentals from the 1940s. | |
Pugliese, Osvaldo |
Instrumentales inolvidades, vol. 3 |
EMI Reliquias |
This CD has best collection of instrumental tangos from the 1950s. | |
Rodriguez, Enrique |
Tangos con Armando Moreno |
EMI Reliquias |
These 2 CDs contain the great tangos from the 1940s with vocals by Armando Moreno. | |
Tangos con Armando Moreno, vol. 2 |
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Tanturi, Ricardo |
Tanturi - Castillo |
Solo Tango |
The first CD is the best collection of tangos with vocals by Alberto Castillo. However, it may not be available. An alternative, listed second, contains most of the same tangos. | |
Tanturi 1 (Castillo) |
ToTango Restorations |
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Tanturi 2 (Campos) |
ToTango Restorations |
This CD contains the best collection of tangos with vocals by Enrique Campos. | ||
Troilo, Anibal |
Yo soy el tango |
Troilo en RCA Victor Argentina |
The Troilo en RCA Victor Argentina series is a chronological journey through the recordings of the Troilo orquesta. The first 2 CDs contain the best tangos for dancing, from 1941-42, including both instrumentals and vocals with Francisco Firoentino. | |
Tinta roja |