Starting a milonga in BA has brought out a bit of the Blanche Dubois in me… in that I am trying desperately to hide the fact that I have no idea what I am doing!  And, at 11:00, when the milonga was as empty as a kosher deli in the Gaza Strip, I, like Blanche, was ready to me carried off the nuthouse.   Scott and Niki saved the night when they showed up for their despartido party, bringing about thirty tango dancing friends with them.  They are a couple of dancing Aussies who have been living in BA for a year, and tomorrow go back to the land of Koala’s and a stable economy.   Dancing with Niki is what tango is all about, and Scott is the only dude I actually enjoy dancing with.  Suerte, amigos.

By 1AM the place was hopping, just as I was running out of fingernails to chew.   However, this did not put an end to my suffering.  I don’t know what is worse… have a milonga that is empty, or one full of people who will critically question my choice in music every time I play some nuevo tango, and as this milonga plays primarily nuevo tango, I was constantly second guessing, and defending (if only to myself at times),  each decision I made.  It was nervewracking.

This would not be so bad has I even the faintest clue about how to put together a decent playlist.  My DJing career began two weeks ago!  I was informed last night that legally I could not even call my milonga a “milonga”.  Wha!?  Yes, the government of Argentina actually has an official set of requirements that a milonga must meet in order to call itself a “milonga”… such as a very limited selection of non-tango songs can be played.  Just like Champagne laws of France and the Pizza Laws of Italy (that’s right. Italy has Pizza Laws… the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (p.s. If you live in NYC, this is the only place that has actual DOC pizza, as far a I know)) If you break these laws, you are no longer classified as a “milonga” and become a “boliche” (night club), to which there are severe buearucratic consequences.  So the quenstion is, what constitutes a “tango” song?  Do the artists, such as Gotan, Otros Aires, Tanghetto, etc., have to be registered “official” tango orchestras in the eyes of the government?  These are all questions for the Milonga de Otros Buenos Aires Legal Division.  I mention it here simply to share how absolutely clueless I am about playlists and “official” milongas.  Other issues were raised as well… “You can’t follow electro with a Vals!  It must be a tango!“, “Did you just play Troilo from 1930 AND 1950 in the same tanda!?“.  I have no idea if these people were just making this stuff up on the fly, or if these are actual “dos and don’ts” on playlist etiquette.  So where is the “Dummies Guide for Nuevo Tango Milongas”?

At one point I tried cheat and simply used a playlist from a Nuevo Tango club in Germany.  I quickly adopted a new motto: “When in Buenos Aries, don’t do as the Germans do” (I know, it seems pretty obvious).  But all was not lost!  As luck would have it, Jessica, who had read this blog, decided to come by and see what was up.   A small, attractive, Canadian living in San Francisco, visiting BA with her partner, and, most importantly, the first Nuevo Tango DJ I have ever met.  Finally, someone who a ctually knows something about this!   Of course, she is leaving in a few days   but she was more that willing to “give me a clue”, and again, like Blanche, I am quite happy to relie on the kindness of strangers.

M3U Playlist