Django Tango is the DJ persona of Steve Morrall. Django Tango is a tango DJ with a passion for the dance. He is a lifelong musician who plays tango piano and bandoneon for dancers, a tango dancer and tango instructor. He plays tango music that over the years dancers have told him they want to dance to and not what he thinks they should dance to.

By carefully watching the dance floor, he sculpts the music intuitively to dancers' moods and energy levels. His collection of music has been acquired over the last 19 years and includes tracks ranging from the earliest tango recordings to the latest traditional and non-traditional orchestras and ensembles. Steve uses a tanda projection system showing information abouth the current track, including the date and the singer, and the genre of the next tanda.

Normally, music is played in tandas, sometimes with, sometimes without a cortina. A tanda is a selection of three or four tracks in the same genre, with the same structure. This format allows dancers
to choose a dance partner that they like to dance to certain orchestras or genres with. If the first track of a tanda inspires someone to dance, the remaining tracks in the tanda follow the same style. A cortina (curtain) is a short track which separates the tandas with a musical 'curtain'.  A cortina signifies the end of a tanda and is a signal that the music is about to change. It gives dancers who understand the code of tandas time to take their partner back to their seat, say their thank you and listen for the start of the next tanda's theme to decide if they want to dance or rest.

As well as playing classics of the great orchestras from the golden era of tango, Steve sometimes plays neotango and contemporary music that over the years people have voted to dance to with their feet and voices.

Without a spanish speaking heritage, dancers in the UK often miss out on a vital stimulus in tango - an understanding of the lyrics. As well as playing authentic tango music, he will sometimes play songs from our own culture that have clear and outspoken 
lyrics or melodies that touch the soul and spirit of tango and help us to dance what we feel through the words as well as the music.

Music is assembled in a playlist which follows a dynamic curve. The process is similar to writing a story with an intro-duction, a development, a climax and a finale. A wrongly placed track by Pugliese can be like releasing a lot of bulls in a shop full of red china. Used as a high point in a playlist, it can be sublime.

Django Tango attended a tango DJ workshop at El Corte in Nijmegen in 2003 where participants were asked to design the perfect tango event. Django's group came up with a proposed location, music playlist, dynamic content, ambience lighting and venue layout that Eric Jeurissen (El Corte's owner) selected as the 'venue he would most likely go to'.

Tangueros visiting us from all over the world comment on Steve's choice of music. "I have been to milongas where the music is like uninspired wallpaper." says Brian, a local tanguero.

"By comparison, Django Tango's music is as stimulating as an art gallery."

As with anything in life, you can have too much of a good thing, so it is vital to watch the dance floor and provide dancers with well timed breaks from the tango classics so they can clear their 'dance palette' and recharge their energy levels.

Some DJs think that you can put a CD on and let it play for a few tracks and sit back and do nothing.

"I have been to milongas where the poor choice of music has had such a profound effect on me I have wanted to leave, having driven for over an  hour", says Steve. 

In Argentine tango the music IS the dance. You have to feel it course in your veins and move your spirit. This is art and craft of a good tango DJ.

Steve is currently using the following software:
Library: iTune (Mac OS)
Playlist manager: Embrace
Tanda display: Beam

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