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Why dance to neotango when there is so much wonderful traditional tango? Read this...

Check out the 42 tracks listed below.


Tango Djuke Box compiled by UK tango DJ Django Tango
for traditional, nuevo and neotango hits with new additions added regularly.

Tango UK is proud to be working with Apple iTunes Music Store as an affiliate. If you want to build your music library, here is a list of traditional tango, nuevo tango and neo tango music available on iTunes for you to try before you buy. Tango UK earns 2% commission on purchases which goes towards the cost of running this website - thanks.

Many of these tracks are played by our resident DJ, Django Tango at Tango UK milongas, so if you are looking for a particular tune - try here first. To hear these tracks you need iTunes (available for Windows and Mac computers as a FREE download and is used and recommended by Django Tango). Django also provides track notes and a tangobility rating for all of these samples to help you choose your favourite music. iTunes let you preview a 30 second sample of all these tracks for free. If you want to buy a track, it costs 79p to download. The quality is excellent AND you don't have to buy a whole album.

For those of you who prefer to buy their music on CDs and are frustrated with the pitiful choice of tango CDs in UK shops, here are some options: Michael Lavocah's online music shop backed by his encyclopaedic knowledge of tango, fast service and excellent prices. Further afield, try Danza y Movimiento in Germany. The site has a huge choice, audio preview, fast, inexpensive delivery and no import duty unlike CDs from Argentina or the USA. They also sell tango holidays like La Rogaia in Italy where Debbie and I are teaching in May 2008.

Notes for use: iTunes will open together with a 'loading' window in front of this page. To get back to this Djuke Box close iTunes and the 'loading' window. Enjoy! New to downloading music? Relax, iTunes is part of Apple Computer. I have bought over 100 tracks online with no problems.

Please email me with any track suggestions.

Let us know what you think:

"I just wanted to tell you how much I love your juke box section on your site. It's so useful and has saved me loads of time searching for pieces that I love (many of which I don't know the name of so that makes it hard!)"

"I found two "killer" tunes in his list that I had never heard. Any day I find a even one neoT tune I like is a good day for me. Thanks!!"

"The Tango Djuke Box is fab. I am like a child in a candy store grabbing all I can."

More about MP3, iTunes and iPods

TRACKS LISTED IN ORDER OF UPLOAD - MOST RECENT FIRST.

Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Massive Attack
Teardrop
Mezzanine
Neotango
Electronica 4/4 with vocals		 Originally weighing in at 5 mins 30 secs, this track was too good not to use as a late night neotango so I trimmed it to a more danceable 3 mins 36 secs using Audacity. The theme tune to 'House' starring Hugh Laurie, it has a resonant heart beat pace and a distinctive vocal. If you want more info on the trimmed version, email me at the address in the intro section. Django Tangobility rating 8/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Roby Lakatos
Tango to Evora
Live from Budapest
Neotango
Lyrical 4/4 tango		 I know three versions of this tango of which this version is the most unusual. Loreena McKennitt (also on iTunes) and Greek star Haris Alexiou have also recorded versions. This is much more 'gipsy' in its arrangement and, although it is long and has a more complicated rhythm, works well with dancers who know the other two 'simpler' versions. Django Tangobility rating 8/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Mi Tierra
Guitarra De Pasión
Guitarra De Pasión
Neotango
Lyrical 4/4		 Mi Tierra makes a charming milonga. Guitar, bass and simple percussion come together to provide an intuitive, if slightly long dance at 4min:32secs. Django Tangobility rating 8/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Cuarteto Almagro
Pantera Tanguera
Hemisferios
Tango
Dramatic themed tango		 If you haven't heard this before, you are going to love it. Cuarteto Almagro are a contemporary group from Buenos Aires playing tango with great respect for the genre, but interpreting modern, well known tunes, as well as putting their mark on some classics from the golden era. If you like this, listen to Cosmotango on the same album. Django Tangobility rating 9/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Norah Jones
I've Got To See You Again
Come Away With Me
Neotango
Slow 3/3/2 milonga		 This was one of the first non-tango tracks I played in a milonga in the summer of 2002. I love all of this album but only use this track for tango. It is a 3/3/2 milonga with yearning lyrics that touch a tangueros heart. Django Tangobility rating 9/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Natacha Atlas
I Put a Spell on You
Ayeshteni
Neotango
High energy spike		 This track carries a neotango 'use with caution' sticker. It releases a lot of energy - like a really good Pugliese tanda. I play it when I feel the energy on the floor starts to drift. I have a few Moroccan/North African tracks that I group together. I'll post some others soon. Django Tangobility rating 8/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Apocalyptica
Nothing Else Matters
Inquisition Symphony
Neotango
Late-night neotango strings		 This Finnish cello playing quartet provides a beautiful, if long, neotango (4:56) in the same genre as Los Cosos de al Lao's Oblivion. The pizzicato cello bass line provides a clear rhythmic structure while the melody soars and wraps us in its magic. Regularly gets feedback when played. Django Tangobility rating 9/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 The Weepies
Gotta Have You
Say I Am You
Neotango
Slow, lyrical, late-night		 A pensive ballad with a good walking rhythm. Good for playing as a transition to more complicated neotango rhythms. Django Tangobility rating 8/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Alison Moyet
Almost Blue
Voice
Neotango
Slow, lyrical, late-night		 Originally written and performed by Elvis Costello, this beautiful song is performed from the heart by Alison. I will never forget the amazing demonstration that Korey Ireland and Mila danced to this track at Tango Tangk 6. Some music makes you dance from the soul - I hope you will also find that this is one of them. Django Tangobility rating 10/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 John Powell
Tango de los Asesinos
Mr & Mrs Smith soundtrack
Tango
Powerful, dramatic tango		 John Powell has produced a very dramatic tango, full of texture and powerful musical expression that encourages role playing and drama in your dance. It is in the same genre as Roxanne from Moulin Rouge, but I think it is more danceable with a intuitive ending. Full marks for a convincing contemporary tango that respects the structure of traditional tango. Django Tangobility rating 10/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Gustavo A Santaolalla
De Ushuaia a la Quiaca
Ronroco
Neotango
Gentle late night neotango		 A track from the soundtrack of 'The Motorcycle Diaries' . Its true we all can have two lives - before and after tango. If you are in your after tango life, take a partner in your arms and let this sad lament take you on a journey. How does music do this? I don't know, perhaps its magic. Django Tangobility rating 8/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Roberto de Filippo
Corazon de Oro
Intimo
Traditional Tango (vals)
Beautiful solo bandoneon		 This track gets me every time. It is an incredibly simple rendering of Corazon de Oro (heart of gold) by bandoneon maestro Roberto de Filippo. It is a tribute to Filippo's virtuosity that he makes this beautiful vals sound so effortless and easy to dance to whilst playing confoundingly complicated phrases. Alas, I fear that we will probably never hear this standard of playing again. A te maestro! Django Tangobility rating 10/10


Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Yann Tiersen
Le Moulin
Amélie (Soundtrack)
Neotango
Beautiful Vals		 I love to dance and particularly enjoy 3/4 time valses. There is something utterly elemental and simply beautiful in swirling to a vals. This sad, haunting melody should disperse any feeling of joy - it is sooo melancholic - but curiously I often find myself on the verge of tears and yet full of joie de vivre. Perhaps its a black/white, light/shade, yin/yang tango thing. BTW, if you haven't seen the film it is a true classic. Django Tangobility rating 9/10


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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Dido
Who Makes You feel
Life for Rent
Neotango
Spacious music, emotive story		 This track provides the setting for a great tango dance. It has the perfect rhythm and pace, pensive lyrics and several melody themes with pauses. The pauses provide those moments of sustain to share with your partner. For a netango, this song is as danceable as a traditional tango. Excellent. Django Tangobility rating 10/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Various artists
Milonga Triste
Tango en Vivo
Slow Milonga
Late night slow music		 I refer to a 3/3/2 rhythm a lot in these track notes - 3/3/2 is a wacky way of playing 8 beats in a bar to get a lovely lilt in a milonga. This lovely piece is a slow milonga, and rather than go for the well known version from the Tango Lesson sound track, (by Hugo Diaz) I thought you might like to hear this laid back, almost jazzy rendering. Play it and count the 3/3/2 rhythm for luck. Django Tangobility rating 9/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Nitin Sawhney
Moonrise
Prophesy
Neotango
Late night neotango		 Performed by Nitin Sawhney with Cheb Memi, this neotango has a 3/3/2 milonga rhythm with a rich north african texture (thanks to Cheb's fantastic vocals). In isolation, this is about as far removed from tango as Vladivostoc is to Buenos Aires but then sometimes a milonga needs this sort of juxtaposition to make the most of the music. People love dancing to this song. Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Souad Massi
Ya Kelbi
Deb
Neotango
Late night neotango		 Souad Massi uses her French/Moroccan heritage to full effect on this wonderful song. With the rhythm of a slow milonga (3/3/2) we are moved to dance in a more fluid and african way. There are echoes of gipsy melodies and rhythms as she sings of love with her love of song. Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Mariza
Montras
Transparent
Neotango
Late night neotango		 There are some songs that are so beautiful that the dance becomes dream-like as you are carried on the wave of emotion the music creates. Awesome. It is a Fado from Portugal - sometimes I can hear a strong fado influence in traditional tango cansion. Tango is such a musical melting pot from around the world. Django Tangobility rating 9/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Alison Krauss
New Favourite
New Favourite
Neotango
Late night neotango		 I heard this on the TV programme 'Medium' and thought it had the Tango 'thing'. Its been aired a quite a few milongas now and gone down well. I think the words are particularly well suited to the politics of the Milonga. The percussion free arrangement with a clear 8/8 beat gives a good solid base for dance games. Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Hayley Westenra
Beat of your Heart
Pure
Neotango
Late night neotango		 This young New Zealander has a voice as cool and crystal clear as melted snow from Mount Ruapehu. It is a gorgeous song to dance tango to with beautiful lyrics and a mesmerising melody. Better still, for those of you who love to play with rhythm, the song develops a second counterpoint theme that repeats. Try and get your partner stepping on the offbeat while you stay on the beat. Top points for ooooh factor Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Holly Cole
I Want You
Temptation
Neotango
Late night neotango		 If you are new to the Djuke Box you probably haven't heard of Holly Cole. If you like this track, check out 'Trust in Me' (below). Sultry vocals from Holly, backed by excellent piano, drums and bass earn it a regular late night neotango spot with me. Django Tangobility rating 7/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Gotan Project & Sarah Vaughan
Whatever Lola Wants
Verve Remixed
Neotango
Gotan gets jazz funky		 This is the latest track that gets a rush of people to the DJ desk asking "who was that?" You can hear the flavour of the Gotan Project in the arramgement (particularly bandoneon player Nini Flores) but the clever mix with the original Sarah Vaughan vocals and the beat bandoneon is a long way from "La Revancha del Tango (2001)" . Popular exciting neotango. Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Faithless
Don't Leave
Forever Faithless
Neotango
Amost gospel tango		 This track is completely out of context on the album as far as neotango goes. If you hear any other track you would not think 'tango' but this one just fits the bill. It is one of those pieces that makes people want to dance. Every time I put it on I see people desperately scanning the room for the 'right' person to share the music with. Know what I mean... Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 The Stix
Breathless
Better Luck Next Time
Neotango
Cool 4/4 with 2 themes		 The Stix's Mark Hill (of Artful Dodger fame) is a local lad from the New Forest. Who knows, he may pass Bramshaw during one of our milongas and hear the sad cry of his track Breathless spilling out, little knowing that inside a group of tango dancers is dancing to his music. Nice one Mark! Django Tangobility rating 7/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Natalie Imbruglia
Leave Me Alone
Left of the Middle
Neotango
Drop dead sexy neotango		 In a slow milonga rhythm (3/3/2) Natalie's lyrics cut to the heart of tango passion. Whether you dance to the music alone or let the words get inside your head, this is neotango at its best. Django Tangobility rating 9/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Edgardo Donato
Papas Calientes (Hot Chips)
Tango The Orignals Vol 1
Tango Milonga
Upbeat traditional milonga		 Oh how I love the effortless, laid back way the orchestra makes this uplifting milonga sound. It is a tribute to their superb musical prowess. Note the juxtaposition between the almost comical cakewalk rhythm and the incredibly sad lament of the violin. This milonga always makes me want to dance regardless of the mood I am in or how much my feet ache. Django Tangobility rating 10/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Paul Weller
Black is the Colour
Studio 150
Neotango
Ballad, tango 2/4, lyrical		 Almost as much of a vocal surprise as Alison Moyet, (see below), Paul Weller sings his way into a tangueros heart. Like most of the traditional sung tangos, the story is of lost love and broken hearts and I play this as neotango so that dancers without a spanish speaking heritage can engage with the sentiment of tango as well as dancing to a heartfelt melody. Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Louis Armstrong
It takes two to tango
Satchmo Serenades
Neotango
Light hearted tango caricature		 This song never fails to make me and other dancers on the floor smile. Sometimes during a milonga, I can feel the energy on the dance floor wane, and playing a song like this is a great revitaliser. Lets do the dance of love - Oh yeah. Django Tangobility rating 9/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Lhasa de Sela
Con Toda Palabra
The Living Road
Neotango
Rhythmic haunting melody		 'With every word, with every smile, with every look, with every caress...." Lhasa sings words that touch the soul of a tango dancer. The rhythm is a slow 3/3/2 milonga (the same as Milonga Triste from the Tango Lesson). A little long so chose placement carefully. Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Quintago
Rio Sena
Quintago
Nuevo Tango
Dramatic with 2 storylines		 Some melodies catch the imagination and inspire drama in tango. This is one of those. Like Por una Cabeza from "Scent of a Woman" there are two themes, an intensely dark rhythmic stanza and a reply with a lighter melodic style. A contemporary tango band playing with traditional skills and style. Django Tangobility rating 10/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Holly Cole
Trust in Me
The Best of Holly Cole
Neotango
Lyrical 4/4 with pauses		 I love the words to this track. It is a remake of Kaa the python's song from 'Jungle Book'. A strange basis for a tango track you may think - but the cool piano playing, sultry rhythm and hypnotic message of trust works well. Its great to play with out of axis moves and lots of giros to coil the dancers around each other. Tangobility rating 9/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Fred Frith
Middle of the Moment
Middle of the Moment
Neotango Vals
Wacky 3/4		 Strident, driven 3/4 vals with a surreal melody. There is a surprise towards the end that gets everyone smiling. I don't have many vals time neotango tracks, and this one is a gem. Perfect timing for dancing either as a 3/4 or walking the walk in 4/4 time. A little long so chose placement carefully. Django Tangobility rating 7/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Madeleine Peyroux
Dance me to the end of love
Careless Love
Neotango
Lilting 4/4 jazz		 Discovered busking on the streets of Paris in her early twenties, Madeleine has a haunting voice that reminds me of Billie Holliday. I like every track on this album, but this one in particular goes down well in a milonga. Great for reviving energy levels and lifting the spirit. Django Tangobility rating 7/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Nitin Sawhney
Fragile Wind
Human
Neotango
Rhythmic ethereal		 "We're only fragments in the wind, falling from the sky without wings" . One of the reasons I play songs from our culture is to provide dancers who don't have a spanish speaking heritage a lyrical dimension - words that resonate with the sentiment of tango. Sawhney's melody and lyrics are mesmerising. Django Tangobility rating 7/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Osvaldo Pugliese
Pata Ancha
2 en 1
Traditional Tango
Rhythmic haunting melody		 Pata Ancha - 199 seconds of heaven. Pugliese's masterful arrangement balances strident rhythm with soaring melodies. The contention of these dynamics should not work, but Pugliese skillfully draws the listener into a dichotomy in which the melody describes moments of beauty over a turbulent, dark rhythm. Musically, this man is up there with the great composers. Django Tangobility rating 10/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Alison Moyet
Cry Me a River
Voice
Neotango
Slow, lyrical, late-night		 If you haven't heard Alison Moyet since her 'All Cried Out' days then this is going to be a real treat. Her husky vocals and superb backing musicians make a perfect slow tango track for late night neotango. Django Tangobility rating 8/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Bird York
In the Deep
The Velvet Hour
Neotango
Slow, lyrical, 2/4 with pauses		 I discovered Bird York through the film 'Crash'. This haunting melody had late night tango written all over it. If you enjoy this, check out other tracks by this artists shown below. Django Tango rating 7/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Carlos di Sarli
A la gran Muñeca
Tangos Instrumentales
Traditional Tango
Rhythmic, virtuoso tango		 Carlos di Sarli and his orchestra is one of the great 8 orchestras of the Golden Era of tango. This is one of my favourite tracks, and one that Peter and I play live as Tangamente. Tango at its best is as rich and varied as a symphony and here is a classic example of the genre at its best. Django Tangobility rating 10/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Maroon 5
Secret
Songs about Jane
Neotango
Rhythmic 2/4 with pauses		 In this track by Maroon 5, the rhythm is carried mainly by the instruments - not the percussion. With a less prescriptive rhythm, tangueros are free to explore more creative depth in the melody and lyricism. Django Tangobility rating 7/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 Gotan Project
Vuelvo al Sur
La Revancha del Tango
Neotango
Haunting beat bandoneon		 The only reason this track does not get a 10/10 for tangobility is its length of almost 7 minutes. I play an edited version which lasts just over 200 seconds. (Take a look at any traditional tango and you will find they rarely exceed three and a half minutes). Play tracks longer than this in a milonga and the dancers start to wilt. Django Tangobility rating 9/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 The Tango Project
Por Una Cabeza
The Tango Project
Traditional Tango
Light turns to darkness		 This arrangement of a traditional tango was made in the 1980s and launched to stardom by two films. 'True Lies' and 'Scent of a Woman' in which the stars dance a tango. I love the change of mood from a lyrical softness to staccato darkness. The themes repeat themselves, so if you miss the first transition as a dancer - hey, you get another go! Very dramatic. Django Tangobility rating 10/10

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Artist:
Track:
Album:
Genre:
Mood:		 DanzaMaligna
A Evaristo Carriego
Vale Tango
Traditional Tango
After Pugliese		 This dramatic rendering breaks the rules of time by lasting just over 4 minutes but makes up for this with a highly accomplished rendering in the style of Osvaldo Pugliese. The musicians don't just copy the masters style though. They have made the piece 'their own' with a contemporary rhythmic feel without sacrificing the original tango structure. Fantastic to dance to! Django Tangobility rating 10/10

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