It's been a while since I published my recent set, and as there's not been much new music I can review, I guess now is as good a time as ever.
The occasion was the regular Monday milonga at Klub Joe in Prague. There were only a few couples for the first hour or so. I decided to open with a mixed tanda of Rodio and Malerba that went like this:
- Esta noche en Buenos Aires | Antonio Rodio, Alberto Serna
- Embrujamiento | Ricardo Malerba / Orlando Medina
- Rosa celeste | Antonio Rodio, Alberto Serna
- Remembranza | Remembranzas | Ricardo Malerba / Orlando Medina
I followed with a mixed instrumental tanda of Tanturi and Donato of late 1930s:
- Tierrita | Ricardo Tanturi
- La tablada | Edgardo Donato
- El chamuyo | Edgardo Donato
- Gallo ciego | Ricardo Tanturi
As I've recently got my hands on a CTA album of Lucio Demare, I played some Demare valses afterwards. To be sure, Un vals | Se fue - as beautiful as it is - did not quite fit, but the night was still young:
- No nos veremos más | Lucio Demare / Raúl Berón
- Al pasar | Lucio Demare, Raúl Berón
- Un vals | Se fue | Lucio Demare, Raúl Berón
I figure the time was right to issue marching orders and delivered an early 1960s D'Arienzo:
- 14 de diciembre | Catorce de diciembre | Juan D'Arienzo, Horacio Palma
- En la madrugada | Juan D'Arienzo, Horacio Palma
- Una carta | Juan D'Arienzo, Horacio Palma
- El vino triste | Juan D'Arienzo, Horacio Palma
After that, my dancers could slow down a little to express themselves more lyrically:
- Tiburón | Domingo Federico, Mario Bustos
- Tango argentino | Domingo Federico, Mario Bustos
- Justo el 31 | Domingo Federico, Mario Bustos
- Mandria | Eduardo Del Piano, Mario Bustos
Thank goodness for TangoTunes to have published Federico's work also from 1950s! I did not have any of these tracks in acceptable quality before purchasing them there.
The first milonga tanda ended up being the first contemporary tanga - a mixed affair - and if I remember correctly, I got some claps after that:
- Reliquias porteñas | Colectivo Tango Esquinas
- Nácar | Sexteto Andiamo
- Negrito | The Alex Krebs Tango Sextet
As you will see shortly, I stayed more on the romantic side for the rest of the evening. First came Mr. Lomuto with Mr. Omar:
- Los ojos más lindos | Francisco Lomuto, Jorge Omar
- Eramos tres | Francisco Lomuto, Jorge Omar
- Nostalgias | Francisco Lomuto, Jorge Omar
- Adiós, muchachos | Francisco Lomuto, Jorge Omar
I wanted to play Gobbi's Adiós, corazón again, so I did:
- Adiós corazón | Alfredo Gobbi, Tito Landó
- No me supiste amar | Alfredo Gobbi, Tito Landó
- Tu angustia y mi dolor | Alfredo Gobbi / Tito Landó
- Historia de un amor | Alfredo Gobbi / Tito Landó
Having already made a good impression with Roberto Caló's valses before in this venue, I tried this mix:
- Manos adoradas | Roberto Caló, Alberto Santillán
- Mi barrio duerme | Roberto Caló, Enrique Campos
- Que nadie sepa mi sufrir | Roberto Caló, Jorge De La Peña
I then had to add some punches and staccatos and invited Mr. Biagi to the floor:
- Tus labios me dirán | Rodolfo Biagi, Alberto Amor
- Pudo ser una vida | Rodolfo Biagi, Alberto Amor
- Como el hornero | Rodolfo Biagi, Alberto Amor
- Seamos amigos | Rodolfo Biagi, Alberto Amor
With milongas coming up very soon, I did not want to release the energy too much, and included this instrumental Tanturi tanda that starts with his awesome rendition of Recuerdo, quite contemplative and intricate, and ends with a rather urgent version of Lágrimas:
- Recuerdo | Ricardo Tanturi
- Mariposita | Ricardo Tanturi
- Adiós pueblo | Ricardo Tanturi
- Lágrimas | Ricardo Tanturi
I could then sweep the dance floor with the 1958-1961 D'Arienzo milongas:
- Baldosa floja | Juan D'Arienzo, Jorge Valdez, Mario Bustos
- Chiquita y bonita | Juan D'Arienzo, Jorge Valdez, Horacio Palma
- El ABC del amor | ABC del amor | Juan D'Arienzo, Horacio Palma, Jorge Valdez
In the last half hour, I closed with two romantic tandas from the 1950s in a row:
- A la luz del candil | Carlos Di Sarli, Jorge Durán
- Sonatina | Carlos Di Sarli, Jorge Durán
- Whisky | Carlos Di Sarli, Jorge Durán
- No la maldigas por Dios | Carlos Di Sarli, Jorge Durán
-- CORTINA --
- Cascabelito | Edelmiro D'Amario, Ángel Vargas
- Mi dolor | Edelmiro D'Amario, Ángel Vargas
- Cicatrices | Edelmiro D'Amario, Ángel Vargas
- Cuartito azul | Edelmiro D'Amario, Ángel Vargas
I agonized quite a bit before deciding on the last tanda, not quite being sure if that was the right move or not. And I still don't know. But sometimes you gotta make a call on the spot with not so much time to weigh the pros and cons, so there's that.
And then, when I realized I failed to announce the last tanda, I played a Cumparsita as a surprise. And then another.
- La cumparsita | Pedro Láurenz
- La cumparsita | Tángalo, Susana Bishop
Yes, it was a tease and a sort-of-a-joke with my dancers, and it seemed to be just fine with them, although not so much with the bartending staff who reminded me there was no way in hell we'd ever go over the finish time again in the future. So there's that, too. Respect the floor, and respect the bartender!