Hi Victor,
I agree with Andreas' comments. If you're just starting out, I'd suggest
sticking with the formula of sandwiching two weaker pieces between the two
strongest pieces. Also, watch that the tempo goes consistently from slower to
faster or faster to slower. The latter is done in the context of lowering the
energy over several tandas to give the dancer an intense, heart-wrenching
moment for them. The kind that makes them want to die in the arms of their
favorite partner.
One of the things you may want to think about is that as you're playing, you're
training the dancers ears as to what good music is. So the more you play the
usual suspects, the better.
Tandas for alternative music can be a little tricker and I often adjust on the
fly according to what's happening. I prefer to use either playful music (like
Somewhere over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole or those Beatles-esque
tunes) or ballads. Our weekly milonga takes place where there's a dance floor
with adjoining bar area. If the bar crowd is loud, I can't do the ballads.
To give you an example of what to think about using energy, something like
Andrea Bocelli's Corte Partiro is a piece I always play last (#4). It's also a
piece whose ending is so powerful, that I'll bring it out as a special treat,
especially when the Italians are out. It's a piece where my goal is to have
everyone out on the floor and everyone in the room absolutely quiet.
Preceeding that (as #3) might be Piazzolla's Tanta Anni Prima, which doesn't
have a strong beginning but finishes very intensely and prepares people for
Corte Partiro. By itself, Corte Partiro can be difficult. Set it up right,
and the entire room, including non-dancers, is intently concentrating on
Bocelli's voice and there's this collective suspension and sigh.
So what do I do for #1 and #2? That depends on what's happening. If I think
the crowd needs help transitioning to something slower paced, I'll play "Breath
(2am)" by Anna Nalick as #1 and then "Tango to Evora (Nefeli's Tango)" by Haris
Alexiou, which is a local favorite, as #2. If the crowd is already prepped,
I'll have #1 as Tango to Evora and #2 as "Arms of the Angel". Since the weekly
milonga is mostly attended by beginners and intermediates who are not
particularly musically savvy, I find the alternative pieces like these to be
very effective in signalling them to find the partner they came with.
If by the end of #2, it doesn't look as if I can get what I want for #4, I'll
abandon ship and go toward something lighter. I might end up including "Fly me
to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra as #4.
This is what works here. Hope it helps in your tanda-building process.
Trini de Pittsburgh
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