The music of the milonga today is programmed differently from the way it was in the 1950s during the “golden age of the milongas,” (1948-1960) even though mostly the same recordings are used. The format of tandas was changed in the 1970s. Today, the common format is two tandas of tangos (alternating rhythmic and melodic), four valses, two tandas of tango, a tanda of milongas, etc., with only one tanda of latin (salsa, cumbia, merengue) and one tanda of jazz in the course of six hours. About three years ago, the city government restricted the milongas to playing only tango, vals, and milonga, but that law was changed to allow once again for other music.

By questioning milongueros, I learned that there was a wide variety of dance music played in the milongas during the 1950s. The milongas of Buenos Aires originally included other dance music, including foxtrot, rumba, bolero, salsa, and jazz. In the 1940s, recordings were made on 78rpm vinyl discs that had to be carefully turned or changed for each dance. The deejay announced the orchestra, singer and titles for each tanda. For example, “vamos a bailar a Anibal Troilo con Francisco Fiorentino–Yo Soy El Tango, Toda Mi Vida, Cachirulo, Milongeando en El Cuarenta—two vocals with the same singer and then two instrumentals. The first three tangos I’ve mentioned were recorded on the same date—March 4, 1941—an example of how deejays carefully programmed a tanda for consistency of style and rhythm thereby providing a high quality of music for the discriminating tastes of the milongueros. They selected their partners according to the tanda.

The milongueros went to the milongas where they could hear the recordings of their favorite orchestra. In the 1950s, there was competition among the milongas. The milongueros wanted to hear different music each night of the week. The deejay’s knowledge and music collection was key to a milonga’s success.

The cortina music was played very low while dancers were returning to their tables, and it continued for five minutes in order to allow dancers to rest, smoke, retire to the ladies’ or men’s rooms, or have a drink. The atmosphere of the milonga was certainly more relaxed than it is today. People dressed elegantly. Men always wore suits and ties, even in the summer months when there was no air-conditioning, so they needed time to rest. It’s common today for deejays to play 30-45 seconds of different music for each cortina at a high volume like nightclubs. There is no thought of resting after a tanda these days where the milonga is more like a gymnasium for a workout. Sweat on the brow and the perspiration-soaked clothing proves it.

There is tango for the milonga, tango for dancing (i.e., Osvaldo Pugliese), and tango for listening (i.e., Carlos Gardel). A deejay has to know the difference in order to provide quality tandas for a milonga. The orchestras of the milongueros are Anibal Troilo, Ricardo Tanturi, Miguel Calo, Carlos Di Sarli, Angel D’Agostino, Pedro Laurenz and Enrique Francini/Armando Pontier. The orchestra of Osvaldo Pugliese performed for large dances every Saturday night at Salon La Argentina on Rodriguez Pena. The orchestras of Osvaldo Fresedo, Lucio Demare, and Julio De Caro performed regularly in the downtown cabarets where there were two orchestras alternating half hour sets between tango and jazz. The orchestras of Rodolfo Biaggi, Juan D’Arienzo, and Roberto Firpo were popular in the provincia of Buenos Aires. Of course today, the music of these orchestras and others are included in tandas at the milonga.

July 9, 1935–

Two years ago Juan Carlos was a co-organizer of Tanguisimo, a milonga held on Wednesdays in Lo de Celia.  Today he is living in a geriatric center in Villa Ballester after suffering a stoke a year ago.  He is unable to walk or even talk and is undergoing intensive rehabilitation.  I waited to speak with someone who visited him on his birthday before writing about him.  I tried to reach family at his cell number, but it is no longer in use.  A couple years ago he had a heart attack and returned to the milongas in a very short time.

Juan Carlos is a warm and gentle man who always had a smile for everyone.  I had the pleasure of many tandas with him on Sundays in Lo de Celia.  His recovery will take time.  I just hope that he will be able to return someday to the milongas where he is missed.

July 17, 1930–

I had the pleasure of dancing with Hector at the opening of a new milonga in Salon Sur on April 3, 2008. I swear his legs and feet disappear when he turns—he is so smooth. His wife is enjoying a dance with him on the patio of a friend’s house (12/16/00).  Hector and his brother Ernesto are incredible dancers.

(July 14, 1944–)

I don’t know much about Tito, and I’ve never danced with him.  I do know that he was a regular at Club Juvenil on Saturday nights and at Club Gricel on Friday nights where this photo was taken in 2001 during a champagne toast to Tito.

Ricardo Franquelo, Juan Topalian, and Ernesto Delgado

This photo and bio of “Chino” Perico was retrieved from the Academia de Estilos Tango Argentino website when the program was in existence for four years until November 2007.  I filmed him dancing an exhibition with Ada Peloso in Salon Canning several years ago.  I wanted to include him in my dedication to the milongueros.

(July 8, 1932–)

I started dancing with Jorge in the milonga Viejo Correo the year I moved to Buenos Aires. He is a graceful dancer and a gentleman. He competed two years ago Campeonato Metropolitano finals in La Rural. He gave it another try this year with another partner, but only made it as far as the semifinal round.

This is another option used in the milongas. There are men who don’t use any movement of the head. Once eye contact is made, an almost imperceptible movement of the lips is made—bailas?—that is, do you want to dance? You read his lips and then respond with a facial expression or movement of the head. His invitation is worth accepting.  This form of invitation is used by milongueros.

The command.

The milongueros are the best dancers—la crème de la crème– and carefully select partners. They wait for their favorite orchestra or a tango that inspires them. They may not dance a complete tanda. It’s all about being patient and knowing which orchestra is their favorite, and then being ready to make eye contact at just the right moment. It happens in a split second and so subtly that no one else sees the invitation. Their invitation is done by the movement of the lips—bailamos or vamos. There is no movement of the head. It could be a wink of an eye. When they’re ready to dance, they give the command. Any woman is grateful she was chosen. The milongueros want to see a woman dance before they invite her because it’s important to them to dance well or not at all.

And then there are the milongueros. Their names aren’t familiar in the tango world. You have never seen them in your city giving workshops. They never perform or teach. They are dancers in the milongas. They have been dancing since they were teenagers. They have a simple style and always dance the music.

Most who study tango are learning to dance socially rather than to perform on stage. Most of what is taught in classes or workshops isn’t relevant for dancing in a milonga, but few know the difference. They dance stage choreography in the milongas because that’s all they have learned.

One has a unique opportunity when visiting Buenos Aires to experience the real tango. One can see a different tango in the milongas close to the center of the city. The milongueros dance simply to the music they know and love. They have danced tango that way for decades. It is a different experience for anyone who finds it.

I learned lots of figures when I studied with Argentine teachers. Years later I found a different tango in the milongas of Buenos Aires, that it is about feeling and not the steps. Gradually, my dancing changed as I danced with the milongueros. The milongueros are gems of tango and a vanishing species.