Austin Tango DJ’s
Austin Live Tango Music
DJ’s
Index – alphabetical by first name
- Daniel R. Dávila
- Fil Cruz, Jr.
- John Turci-Escobar
- Juan Marcos
- Gustavo Simplis
- Monica Caivano
- Patrick Stallings
- Rosemary Ang
- Sandy Flippo
- Stephen Shortnacy
- Tim Hall
- Vania Rey
- Zoltan Hidvegi
Daniel R. Dávila
As a young child Daniel grew up listening to Golden Age Tango, Bolero and Charro music played on the AM radio stations such as KCOR “Epocas de Oro” in the 1960s and early 70s in San Antonio. Raised by his great grandmother, Doña Maria de la Luz Alfaro (b1902-d2005), Daniel was exposed at an early age to Tango often played from her now long lost 78rpm phonographs. His musical tributaries, however, began with Jazz, Mariachi, Gospel and Classical training on Clarinet and Guitar. Dance was a distant art amongst the diversity of arts he performs.
“Music has always been my first love. Little did I know I would (four decades later) dance and eventually DJ the Tango music I grew up listening to because of my Great Grandmother’s preference for Golden Age Exitos (hits). I have been blessed.”.
Today dancing Tango has joined his musical forefront and how better than to spend plentiful hours preparing and sharing the Tango music he dearly loves with his beloved community. In addition to DJing the Austin Spring Tango Festival and the Day of Tango Festival, Daniel has DJ’d well over 200 Milongas and Prácticas. He has also been a Latin Dance and Old School Dance DJ since the 1980s. He knows how to manage energy and emotion through his musical selections.
Fil Cruz, Jr.
My name is Fil Cruz Jr., and I love dancing Argentine Tango and exploring the dance’s rich musical heritage. Since 2006, when I began DJing at milongas and practicas throughout Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, I have seen how tango music has deeply touched dancers. As a DJ, I am perpetually on the search for those rare tracks, transfers, and new recordings that will inspire dancers’ connection and improvisation. Over the years, I have assembled an eclectic collection of both traditional, nuevo, and alternative tango music, which I craft into tandas that play to dancers and their energy. When I DJ, the milonga runs overtime. Come out and see for yourself: I hope to see you on the dance floor and at my weekly tango practica in Austin (on Sundays starting at 7pm at Tapestry *[link]*). For more information, please email me at filcruzjr@msn.com.
John Turci-Escobar
Juan Marcos
Juan Marcos has been dancing tango since the 1990s, then began teaching and DJing in 2008 (in Iowa, Oklahoma, Idaho, Texas, and Santa Fe, Argentina). He teaches milonguero style tango with special emphasis on tango embrace and musicality.
Gustavo Simplis
Monica Caivano
Patrick Stallings
Rosemary Ang
Sandy Flippo
Sandy grew up in a household dominated by classical music and dance. She was also encouraged to speak Spanish at an early age. Her interest in tango and the culture of tango arises from this background. On her first visit to Argentina, she met Mario Orlando, a prominent DJ in Buenos Aires, and she acquired much of her music from Mario, who continues to influence her approach as a “musicalizadora de tango.” In addition to tango, she dances Chacarera and Zamba, and her music collection includes many selections of Argentine folklore.
Stephen Shortnacy
Stephen Shortnacy has been a tango instructor and DJ in Austin since 2007. He is known for a dance style rich in musicality, dynamics, and smoothness (which earned him the “El Suave” nickname). For this reason Stephen prefers music from the “Golden Era” of tango, 1932 – 1952. The music from this time blends melody and rhythm using an assortment of instruments and singers allowing for a variety of dance interpretations, styles, and dynamic contrast. When including alternative and nuevo music for his playlist, Stephen prefers music that includes a walking beat, has contrast, and is a standard length of time (under four minutes). When DJing, Stephen creates tanda and cortina sets that generate a good ebb and flow to energize dancing throughout the milonga. More information about Stephen can be found at Corazon Tanguero.
Tim Hall
Vania Rey
A DJ since 2008, Vania has already DJ-ed at major festivals and milongas in Buenos Aires, the USA, Canada and Europe. She knows how to put together one good tanda after the other, in order to keep people energized and happy on the dance floor. A tango dancer herself since 2000, Vania likes a mix of lyrical and rhythmical elements in songs. For more information see the Vania Tango website.
Zoltan Hidvegi