A Note on Mixtapes:
As the best mixtape makers know, the order, the number of songs, the theme of the mix tape are all essential. 

So here’s the breakdown:
45 songs. 3 for each month.  (30 Pop, 15 Tango.) 
 Plus the yapay, the lagniappe, the free nectarine and wink from the fruit vendor when you buy three kilos of assorted fruit.

15 Months in Pop

1. Flo Rida - Club Can’t Handle Me                            Morning dance song. 
2. Cee-Lo Green – No One’s Gonna Love You           The Boedo Apartment.  
3. John Mulville - The Leaving of Liverpool                  End of January.  
4. Carbon Leaf - Changeless                                      All of February.  
5. Roberta Flack - Reverend Lee                                 Do you know Roberta Flack?  
6. Ryan Adams - Wonderwall                                     Talking the Blue Rose. 
7. Tom Waits - Martha                                                My first room in Guevara.   
8. Rachael Cantu - Devil’s Thunder                              Skating in a rink too small.  
9. Joss Stone - Right to Be Wrong                                Stretching in Contempo class. 
10. Mumford & Sons – Winter Winds                           On repeat for months. 
11. Adele – Turning Tables                                          Singing loud when no one’s home.  
12. Kanye West – Lost in the World                             Over dumplings. 
13. The Black Keys - Tighten Up                                  Feminist arguments over a music video? Yes.
14. Labi Siffre - My Song                                            A pick me up morning song. 
15. Wye Oak - Civilian                                               Thank you, Walking Dead trailer. 
16. Lady Gaga – The Edge of Glory                           Cheto Recoleta Party at 1 a.m.  
17. Mac Miller – Missed Calls                                    Telling it like it is. 
18. Natasha Bedingfield – Strip Me                            Tango Pop.  
19. Mika – Any Other World                                      “I tried to live alone but lonely is so lonely, alone.”
20. Noah and the Whale – L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N         Driving down 9 de Julio, coming back from beach. 
21. Journey- Don’t Stop Believing                                The Yapay. And the cap on every Karoke night. 

Pop from Porteños 

1. Los Adolescentes -- Me Tengo Que Ir                   A radio favorite. 
2. Los Piojos – Pacifico                                              My BA band.    
3. Grupo 5- Te Vas Te Vas                                       Cochabamba 958. 
4. Onda Vaga – Mambeado                                    First concert at Konex. 
5. Chino ft. Nacho- Mi Niña Bonita                           Dancing in Godoy.     
6. Silvio Rodriguez- En Busca de un Sueño                 Local cover concert with Piper. 
7. Calle 13 – No Hay Nadie Como Tú                       A youtube godsend from Sofia. 
8. Shakira – Esto es Africa                                         I declared linguistic success when I understood this.
9. Ha Ash- Te Dejo en Libertad                                 The nuances of “I love you.” 
10. Bryan Adams - Todo Lo Que Hago Lo Hago Por Ti      This song pretty accurately sums up the experience of living abroad: things you thought you knew changed enough that you can either be upset or just laugh.  

Tango Tandas

A Note on Tandas: In the milongas, the songs are played in “tandas,” which is a set of three or four dances that are linked by a similar theme, composer, or style (waltz, tango, milonga).  My mix is arranged into “tandas” to honor this tradition. 

The Classics
You often learn the sound of the song before you learn its name. I suppose the same can be said of one’s dancing partners.  

1. Sexteto Milonguero- Tres Esquinas               A reminder  these songs written from the city's corners. 
2. Carlos Di Sarli- Bailemos                             Raúl always started classes with a smile and “Bailemos.” 
3. Sexteto Milonguero – El Cielo y Tu              A force to watch live. 

Waltz & Milonga
What a year in BA taught me: Over tango, I actually prefer Milonga. Consistently. 

4. Biagi- Dichas Que Vivi                                One of the few waltzes I like. 
5. Canaro- Milonga Criolla                            My speed of music. 
6. Soha – Mil Pasos                                        Pop + Milonga Beat? = Sold.   

Yearning Tangos
“El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar.”  (“Tango is a sad thought danced.”) –Enrique Santos Discépolo

7. Di Sarli – Bahia Blanca
8. Garcia -Tristeza Marina
9. Alfredo De Angelis- Remembranza

Tango Nuevo
The tango I loved was really dancing tango to non-tango music. This is my tanda.  

10. Gotan Project – Érase Una Vez                Tango music, for me, at its sexiest.
11. Xaris Aleksiou –To Tango Tis Nefelis          Proof that tango can be danced to basically anything. 
12. Otro Aires – Otra Noche en “La Viruta”    BA Highlight: Dancing to Otro Aires playing this in La Viruta. 

Top Three Tangos
Enough said.

13. Lomuto - Si Soy Asi                                   The gist of the song: “I am this way. Deal with it.” 
14. Biagi, Rodolfo – Sentimento Gaucho         Spent a class on the piano solo. So fun.  
15. Alfredo de Angelis – El Huracán               The end of this song mimics its title. Brilliant.