Essential Tango Orchestras / Composers

Tango and Chile con Carne

How do you dance tango?  That depends first on the music, of course, but as you get to know the orchestras, tangueros/tangueras find that they dance differently to each orchestra as well. 

If tango were food, we would more readily see the phenomenon of changing the way we dance as NOT being "advanced."  Even beginners dance differently, but just don't know why. 

Let's look at one "dish" -- the most recognized tango of all time, the Cumparsita (little parade).  Let's call the Cumparsita a dish of chile con carne.  Each orchestra makes the chile con carne differently.  Biagi, for example, plays a lot of accents on the upbeat like no other composer/orchestra does. 

Here is a good list of the best known orchestras but don't forget the new recordings of the old stuff and totally new tangos being written!  Later, I plan to add some of the best new orchestras.  A good way for a type of music to die is to have dead musicians as the only icons of that music.  Support the new musicians!  Musicians are writing new and wonderful tangos that are recognized at the Latin Grammy Awards.  Do you know about them too?

Angel D’Agostino

Alfredo De Angelis

Juan D’Arienzo

Rodolfo Biagi

Miguel Calo

Francisco Canaro

Julio De Caro

Alberto Castillo

Lucio Demare

Edgardo Donato

Roberto Firpo

Osvaldo Fresedo

Pedro Laurenz

Francisco Lomuto

Orquesta Tipica Victor

Ciriaco Ortiz

Astor Piazzolla

Osvaldo Pugliese

Enrique Rodriguez

Carlos Di Sarli

Ricardo Tanturi

Anibal Troilo