Tango DJ Services

You captured my porteña soul with your selection of music ... - Anonymous milonguera in Buenos Aires. Shahrukh was able to interpret the tastes and feelings of the dancers of Buenos Aires! ... We eagerly await his return ... - Gloria Garcia, organizer of several Milongas in Buenos Aires. If Shahrukh were to DJ in Buenos Aires, he would be the best ... - Nicolas Ferreira, professional DJ at Dandi & Plaza Bohemia in Buenos Aires. The best Tango music of the Congress ... it was just like being in Buenos Aires! Diego & Diana, tango maestros from Buenos Aires. more testimonials ...

Tango DJ Services by Shahrukh Merchant

Shahrukh is a featured DJ for the following Major Tango Festivals and Congresses

In addition, Shahrukh is possibly the only non-Argentine DJ to have been invited to DJ at the Milongas of Buenos Aires (Plaza Bohemia, Salon Dandi), and at Tango Festivals in South America (Argentina & Chile).

Tango DJ Services

It is difficult to capture all the elements that go into creating an evening of Tango music, as much of it is based on experience and intuition. However, Shahrukh's fundamental objectives in creating an evening of Tango music are:

The price varies based on needs and the travel and time involved. "No-risk" arrangements are possible under certain circumstances or for non-profit groups. Please call Shahrukh at 617-877-5666 or e-mail at tango@shahrukhmerchant.com to discuss your needs or to check his availability. Teaching+DJ workshop pricing packages available.

What to Look for in a Tango DJ

[This section reflects my own experiences based on dancing extensively in numerous Milongas in Buenos Aires and other places in the world, listening to thousands of hours of Tango music & Tango compilations by the best-regarded DJs in Buenos Aires, and what I find most pleasurable for dancing myself. But you will find most of these criteria widely accepted by the best dancers and Tango DJs. I would recommend that Milonga organizers anywhere consider this list of criteria, regardless of whom they are considering as a DJ for an important Milonga, or even in deciding whether or not to hire a DJ, or even if they are arranging the music themselves.]

Must be a Regular & Proficient Tango Dancer. It is virtually impossible to appreciate what comprises good dance music unless you actually dance to it, and have danced to it for a long time.

Must be a Tango Music Collector & Cataloguer. It is necessary to have ones own collection of a minimum of a few thousand Tangos to have the breadth and depth required to select a subset for a particular evening. Merely having the music is not enough (anyone can go and buy two hundred CDs and have a 4000-Tango "collection"); it is necessary to have listened to and catalogued all the songs that one might use, and to be familiar with the music (which can only happen after hundreds or thousands of hours of listening to it). (I personally have listened to every song in my collection in its entirety to determine its suitability to dancing, and catalogued each one on each of 5 rating parameters.)

Must Recognize the Role of a DJ as Different from a Tango-lover. The role of a DJ is not to play his favorite music; it is to play music that the dancers at the event will enjoy most. It is a happy coincidence when the two are exactly aligned (and generally better all around when the two are mostly aligned anyway), but it requires thinking about and understanding ones audience, and avoiding the temptation of playing something that only the DJ himself (and no one else) likes!

Must Appreciate the Seriousness of His Role to the Atmosphere & Success of the Evening. Good music, more than anything else, can make or break an evening. Music that gets interrupted in the middle, that is stopped and started, and that doesn't flow smoothly is jarring and disruptive. (I always have at least one backup for my music, and two sets of music backups in different formats for important evenings, to make sure nothing goes wrong.) The same applies to attentiveness to the music volume, to whether people are dancing or not to particular types of music, to the level of dancers, the available space on the dance floor, etc. At the same time, the DJ must realize that he is not the "star"; in fact, he has done his job best if no one actually notices him, because that means that everything went smoothly without a hitch, and that the music was successfully and fully integrated into the evening and the atmosphere of the dance.

Must be Technically Savvy. The DJ's toolbox these days includes digital players, computers, PC audio components, professional and semi-professional software for processing music digitally, digital signal processing, defect filtering, etc., in addition to the traditional "analog audio engineering" skills of mixing, equalizing, etc. To do it right requires a knowledge of these tools and equipment far beyond the typical computer-savvy user or hobbyist or stereo enthusiast.

Must Understand Tango Music Styles, Evolution & History. Tango music styles vary significantly from the early '30s to the late '50s (the golden age of Tango music) and then the more orchestral and modern music that followed it. Each has a place in an evening of dance—the musical style, the suitability to different parts of an evening of dance and the time period of that music are all intertwined in a manner that is more art than science. And it makes a difference to the flow and "feel" of the evening (see the next item).

Must be a Frequent Dancer in Buenos Aires Milongas. Why?? Why does a DJ have to dance in Buenos Aires to compile music in North America for a North American dance audience? Here is the best way I can explain this: Over the decades, "natural selection" in the largest, most competitive and discerning Tango market in the world (Buenos Aires) has weeded out the music that is unsuitable for dancing and preferentially selected those that are best for dancing. It has similarly preferentially selected those DJs in Buenos Aires who "get it." It would be folly to try to recreate this goldmine of knowledge and evolution from scratch; virtually every mainstream and popular Tango DJ outside Buenos Aires will start with some core material based on this and build from there. This does not mean merely aping a compilation that one buys from one of these DJs in Buenos Aires (although that's not a bad start for young Tango communities), since it still doesn't give you the same feel for what makes the music work as actually dancing through evening after evening of music by these "master DJs." It takes learning by active listening and developing the intuition. And then it has to be adapted somewhat to North American audiences who will not necessarily appreciate a song simply for its nostalgic value (if it is not that great for dancing), or would prefer not as high a percentage of vocals (which they don't understand), or who may like the occasional "modern" tanda (set) in the mix.

Must be a Demographer, Psychologist, Observer ... but must be flexible & intuitive also. A good DJ will not just play a preset list of "tried and true" tangos. He will start with a plan that is based on his knowledge of the expected demographics and "culture" of the Milonga he is preparing for (and customized for that Milonga), and then constantly observe the dancers' reaction. If there is a lull in the energy level, for example (for whatever reason), he may need to put on something uplifting that will pull people out onto the dance floor; if it is late in the evening and people are tired, he may need to choose something slower but still inspiring. Even after I plan a customized evening for a Milonga, I will make at least a dozen major changes on the fly during the evening just based on "energy-level management."

Must Appreciate His Role as a Crucial Element to Integrating a Major Evening. For major Milongas, there is often live music in addition to the music played by the DJ, and performances for which the music is selected by the performers (though usually played by the DJ). Live music and the efforts of musicians are always to be respected (notwithstanding that some people may prefer to dance to the recorded classics). The DJ is not there to compete with the musicians and other performers but to complement them. At the very least this means not repeating music that the orchestra played or that the performers used (or at least not till much later when it is no longer fresh in people's minds). It also means not cutting off applause or a standing ovation that an orchestra or performer may have received by starting "his" music prematurely. A DJ can have more control over an evening than just over the music that he plays, and this power should be used with humility and consideration (no one will thank him for this extra consideration because no one will notice it if it is done right ... but they will notice his failure to do these "little things"!).

Tango DJ Background & Testimonials

Shahrukh has visited Buenos Aires fourteen times and now spends almost half of each year in Buenos Aires. His Tango DJ-ing style is consequently strongly influenced by the music of the top DJs in Buenos Aires. He has had in-depth discussions about the finer points of music selection with some of the top DJs in Buenos Aires, and has access to the best of the collection of four of the top DJs (in one case exclusive access). He builds on this collection and selection using his own insight and knowledge of preferences of North American dancers, based on over 8 years of experience in organizing Milongas and teaching students.

Some major events for which Shahrukh has been the DJ (see comments from attending maestros and participants below):

Comments on Shahrukh's music at Plaza Bohemia & Salon Dandi (two traditional Milongas in Buenos Aires where he was invited to be DJ):

Desde mi ojo como musicalizador en las milongas porteñas, creo y afirmo que Shahrukh. investigó y se preocupé por saber, sobre el gusto de las orquestas. Más, apreciada en los bailes, tiene buen gusto. Sabe manejar los momentos musicales y le da matices bien logrados de manera de que el publico no pueda quedarse sentado. Me alegra y me satisface su trabajo. Creo que si trabajara en Buenos Aires, seria el mejor. Felicitaciones.
In my opinion as a professional tango DJ in the milongas of Buenos Aires, I firmly believe that Shahrukh has thoroughly researched and gone to great lengths to present the essence of the Tango orchestras. What is even more appreciated at the dances is that he has such good taste in the music. He knows how to handle the nuances of the musical energy and buildup of the evening in such as way that people cannot help but get up and dance. I am very pleased with his work. I believe that if he were to work in Buenos Aires, he would be the best. Congratulations!
- Nicolás Ferreira, Regular DJ at Milongas Salon Dandi (Shusheta) & Plaza Bohemia in Buenos Aires.

Quiero agradecer el trabajo de mi amigo Shahrukh, que pudo interpretar el gusto y sentimiento de los bailarines de Buenos Aires. ¡Shahrukh! te esperamos pronto para repetir estos hermosos momentos. ¡¡Muchísimas gracias!!
I want to thank my friend Shahrukh for his work; he was able to interpret the tastes and feelings of the dancers of Buenos Aires. Shahrukh! We eagerly await your return to relive these beautiful moments. Thank you so much!!
- Gloria Garcia, Organizer at Salon Dandi (Shusheta) & Plaza Bohemia in Buenos Aires

Your music found my porteña soul ...
- Anonymous milonguera at Plaza Bohemia, Buenos Aires

Muy buena la música. Pasé un momento muy agradable. Espero que se repita. Muchas gracias.
Really good music! I had a great time, and hope to do it again soon. Thank you very much.
- Martita, milonguera and organizer of milongas in the 1960s.

Me gustó mucho la música que pasaste y disfruté un montón bailando esas tandas. ¡¡Hiciste un trabajo genial!! Felicitaciones!! Supongo, bueno, me doy cuenta de que te encanta ser DJ, por eso debés ser tan bueno... ¡Qué suerte que te puedas dedicar! Nos vemos a tu vuelta.
I liked the music that you played very much and really enjoyed dancing those tandas (sets). You did a brilliant job!! Congratulations!! Well, I realize that you must really love being a Tango DJ ... that must be why you are so good. How fortunate that you can dedicate yourself to this! I look forward to seeing you on your return.
- Roxana Suarez, tango dancer and performer from Buenos Aires

Comments on Shahrukh's music for the Patagonia Tango Festival in Bariloche, Argentina (Apr-May 2005):

Shahrukh's participation at this festival is acknowledged on the home page of the Patagonia Tango Festival. Additional comments from this festival forthcoming!

Comments on Shahrukh's music for the all-night Milonga at the Las Vegas Tango Weekend (Las Vegas, September 2004):

Shahrukh is a true Argentine Tango DJ. He has really taken the music to heart studying all the history, various orchestras, etc and truly understands the proper way to mix the Tandas for the Milonga just as it is done in Argentina. As he is a great dancer himself his sensibility to the dancers in the Milonga when he is playing is key and he always keeps the crowd dancing. I have enjoyed great nights of dancing with Shahrukh at the “helm”! - Christy Cote, invited maestra, San Francisco, CA

The best Tango music of the Congress! For a Tango DJ we always recommend Shahrukh! - Diego & Diana Balzanza, invited maestros, Miami, FL & Buenos Aires

I just wanted to say you did a great job with the music Saturday night ... Much better than the DJ's out of N... They can't hold a candle to you. It was good to meet you and I hope our paths cross again soon. - Andrew Conway, President, Tango Society of Philadelphia

Comments on Shahrukh's music for the Milongas at the United States Tango Congress (Miami, May 2004):

Really good music!! - Silvia Grynt, invited maestra (with Guillermo Salvat), Buenos Aires

We liked everything [about the music]. It was just like being in Buenos Aires! - Diego & Diana, invited maestros, Buenos Aires

... muy buena musica bailable ... Kely Posadas, invited maestra (with Facundo Posadas), Buenos Aires

Everything was just right. Very well-paced. Good flow, very danceable, fun [and] lively. - JM, participant, Los Angeles

I thought the music was great tonight! Wouldn't change a thing. Loved the full orchestra sound. - Participant, Tampa, FL

Excellent choice of tangos. Good variations and selections. - YD, participant

Muy buena selección de música. Lo felicito. Muy buen sonido. - AE, attendee, Miami/Buenos Aires

Liked all of it ... liked it a lot. Keep up what you are doing! - Participant, New York

Very nice variety - everything was great! - VC, participant and Tango DJ, Tampa, FL

I am writing to compliment the music ... Shahrukh did an excellent job, both in the choice of music and creation of "a flow" to the evening. As a dancer who was there the entire evening, I was inspired throughout and came to the end of the evening pleasantly spent. - SS, Natick, MA

I Already Have Live Music ... Why Do I Need a DJ?

The presence of an orchestra adds greatly to the ambience of a Milonga ... and greatly complicates the logistics of the music as well! A DJ is actually more essential when there is an orchestra (and more still if there are performers). At the most basic level, there needs to be someone to be aware of when the orchestra is starting and stopping so there are no long lulls in the music that gives a sloppy appearance to the organization of a Milonga.

More subtly, and more importantly, is the selection of the music to complement that provided by the orchestra. At the most obvious level, the recorded music should not duplicate what the orchestra has played. This is almost impossible to plan in advance, and requires real-time adjustment by the DJ and the ability to recognize songs played by the orchestra. But this is just for starters. Most orchestras tend to play in one style of music, and perhaps two. However, dancers typically like to dance to all the styles of music of all the epochs of Tango (roughly speaking 7 to 10). To create a balanced evening, the DJs music selection be adjusted to de-weight musical styles already represented by the orchestra, and over-weight those that complement it.

Most people at a Milonga, even in Buenos Aires, will not consciously notice these subtleties, but it unquestionably changes the "feeling" of a Milonga for the better, and reflects positively on the event and its organizers.

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