DJ‘s - Encuentro Elegante Seattle!
Oct 4th, 5th & 6th, 2024
Welcome to the 2024 line up for the Encuentro Elegante Seattle
Here are your DJ‘s from around the world, each one bringing you something special.
Former DJ's 2023 Former DJ's 2022 Former DJ's 2021
Vania Rey – Austin, Texas USA
Vania began DJing tango in 2008 in NYC, and over the years she has witnessed a constant evolution both in her musical preferences and in her DJ style.
A tango teacher since 2002, her greatest strength as a DJ has been to stay conscious of that development, because it permits her to relate to and play for dancers
with wide spread of experience and skill levels. Aside from hosting/DJing a monthly Milonga in Austin, TX, she travels regularly to teach and DJ tango around the world,
thus far having had the opportunity to play for dancers in Buenos Aires, and all over North America and Europe.
Yatma Diallo – Milan Italy
Currently in Milan, Italy I was blessed in my tDJ journey. “I learned to DJ with Osvaldo Natucci, who is my mentor.
He was a friend of Troilo and I follow his DJing philosophy”
Yatma is a fabulous dancer, tango instructor, semifinalist of the Tango World 2021 from Buenos Aires.
He is a TDJ with serious professional training as a sound engineer, who has energized tangueros at various milongas
and events in the USA, Africa, and Caribbean as well as all over Europe (Italy, Greece, Turkey, Netherlands, Belgium,
Slovenia, Latvia and Romania. We welcome Yatma Diallo, El African Bien Milonguero”, an Italian DJ of Senegalese origin,
whose repertoire is based on the “Golden Age of tango music”, but who always follows the vibe of the people for whom, with respect, as he says, plays music for.
Kimberly Scola – Cleveland, Ohio USA
Tango found Kim in 2012, and she quickly became hooked on the music. After receiving encouragement from Cleveland organizers and DJs,
she started working in her own community. Along her DJ journey, she trained with Hernán Prieto and Susan Miller, which greatly influenced
her technique and style. She has been working consistently as a regular host and guest DJ throughout North America. Kim’s style is best
characterized as one that creates a positive, upbeat vibe with a focus on the subtle beauty and diversity of the music. Her mission is to
play inspiring, trustworthy sets so that you can dance your best tandas. She has a strong traditional influence in her selections.
Luis Cono, – Chile/Sweden
Originally from Chile/Sweden, currently residing in the city of Malmö, Sweden for many years. My tango journey started over 20 years ago starting with dancing then as a DJ.
Traveling year around from Santiago Chile, to all over Europe I have DJ’d many festivals, Milonguero’s Encounters, Encounter’s, Marathons, and Local Milonga’s.
Working as an event organizer along as a Tango DJ, I have developed my style of Tango DJ who works without a playlist, improvising everything directly in the Milonga.
I enjoy and strive to put a lot of energy in the curtains. For me, each Milonga is unique and my proposal as a Tango DJ is and sincere with the dancers.
Robert Hauk – Portland, OR USA
He began to be a tango DJ in the late 1990s, always focused on the classic music from the golden age of tango dancing, mid 1930s to the early 1950s.
For many years he hosted the Monday milonga in Portland, first at the now long gone Viscount Ballroom, then for the early 2000s at the PPAA, unfortunately
also long gone. He has also DJed at many tango festivals around the country.
He loves Golden Age tango music, and how each orchestra has its own trademark sound, and how each singer has a distinct style. The arrangements are
tight and rhythmic, the melodies are beautiful and the emotion of the music is strong and deep. This is perfect music for dancing. Each tanda should
call dancers back to the floor even if they are tired, to dance with another partner until the last tanda of the milonga.
Luis Cono, – Chile/Sweden
Originally from Chile/Sweden, currently residing in the city of Malmö, Sweden for many years. My tango journey started over 20 years ago starting with dancing then as a DJ.
Traveling year around from Santiago Chile, to all over Europe I have DJ’d many festivals, Milonguero’s Encounters, Encounter’s, Marathons, and Local Milonga’s.
Working as an event organizer along as a Tango DJ, I have developed my style of Tango DJ who works without a playlist, improvising everything directly in the Milonga.
I enjoy and strive to put a lot of energy in the curtains. For me, each Milonga is unique and my proposal as a Tango DJ is and sincere with the dancers.
Vania Rey, – Austin, Texas USA
Vania began DJing tango in 2008 in NYC, and over the years she has witnessed a constant evolution both in her musical preferences and in her DJ style.
A tango teacher since 2002, her greatest strength as a DJ has been to stay conscious of that development, because it permits her to relate to and play for dancers
with wide spread of experience and skill levels. Aside from hosting/DJing a monthly Milonga in Austin, TX, she travels regularly to teach and DJ tango around the world,
thus far having had the opportunity to play for dancers in Buenos Aires, and all over North America and Europe.
Vincent Lam, -Vancouver, Canada
Vincent has been dancing tango for 17 years. He started to DJ in 2012, in the Pacific Northwest and has since traveled extensively to Encuentros, Marathons and Tango Festivals throughout the world. He favors Traditional Tango and always mixes his high energy sets with a sense of fun and romance. Vincent enjoys photography and travel, but of course, all revolving around tango.
Yatma Diallo – Milan Italy
Currently in Milan, Italy I was blessed in my tDJ journey. “I learned to DJ with Osvaldo Natucci, who is my mentor.
He was a friend of Troilo and I follow his DJing philosophy”
Yatma is a fabulous dancer, tango instructor, semifinalist of the Tango World 2021 from Buenos Aires.
He is a TDJ with serious professional training as a sound engineer, who has energized tangueros at various milongas
and events in the USA, Africa, and Caribbean as well as all over Europe (Italy, Greece, Turkey, Netherlands, Belgium,
Slovenia, Latvia and Romania. We welcome Yatma Diallo, El African Bien Milonguero”, an Italian DJ of Senegalese origin,
whose repertoire is based on the “Golden Age of tango music”, but who always follows the vibe of the people for whom, with respect, as he says, plays music for.
Ashvin Iyer, -San Francisco, CA USA
Ashvin has completed 4 DJ tours of Buenos Aires, playing at close to 30 events at the world’s most iconic venues such as Sunderland,
Salon Canning, El Beso, Marabú, Villa Malcolm and Lo De Celia. As of his 3rd tour, Ashvin had played twice at Porteño y Bailarín,
once at Balmaceda, three times at Parakultural, four times at Gente Amiga, and multiple times at other popular milongas. As such he
is becoming a recognized DJ in Buenos Aires and is gaining respect among peers and organizers there. Ashvin has been DJing for 11 years
and his strength is a rhythmic mix. He is as adept at following the crowd as he is leading it.
Most often his tandas stand out for
being unpredictable and deeply evocative.
Paola De Venezia -Noci (Apulia- Italy)
Known as PAOLA De Venezia - from Noci (Apulia- Italy). Paola is a Tango dancer who has lived and worked in Argentina. As a music lover, particularly of tango music,
she has become one of the most admired and popular Tango DJ‘s in Italy and throughout Europe. Paola is known for creating the energy that keeps tangueros dancing.
Her care and sensitivity inspires and stimulates the enthusiasm of the dancer which is essential in a Milonga. Paola has DJ‘d in various Tango milongas and most importantly,
Encuentros Milongueros and Marathons throughout Italy and Europe.
She is also one of the organizers for NOCITANGO, Encuentro Milonguero TanGOaGOGO (Verbania- Italy), Avventura Milonguera Peace & Love in Noci (Ba-Italy)
Jae Youn -Durham, NC
Jae is the founder of Tango Utopia in the greater Raleigh/Durham area. She is recognized as one of the premier teachers, dancers and DJ's as well as
the organizer of the monthly Milonga Utopia and the weekly practicas.
As a DJ, Jae loves the challenge of keeping dancers on the floor to the very last tanda. Her sensitivity to the energy of a milonga influences her
music selection. Her music library is focused on the traditional masters, and this is also reflected in her musical choices. She has been invited
to DJ at festivals, milongas, marathons and encuentros around the US and Europe.
Andy Stein, -Newport News, VA
In support of the tango community during the pandemic, Andy provided virtual milongas on Zoom each Saturday in place of the evening milongas in Europe and USA:
Virtual 6 Milonga, Tandas Around the World and Milonga as a Service (MaaS).
Andy DJ'd at US Encuentros and Tango Marathons and is the organizer of the Newport News Encuentro (E+).
Vincent Lam, -Vancouver, Canada
Vincent has been dancing tango for 16 years and spinning tunes in the Pacific Northwest and at 33 Encuentros, Marathons & Festivals
throughout North America, Japan and Europe for the past ten.
He favors traditional tangos, mixing his tunes with a sense of fun and romance. Vincent enjoys
photography and travel, but of course, all revolving around tango.
Vivian Konstantakos, -Port Townsend, Wa
Vivian started her first steps in the tango arena almost two decades ago and has been Dj‘ing since 2009. She has been very active in the tango scene of Seattle before the pandemic both in dancing and Dj‘ing.
Vivian describes her Dj‘ing as her love affair with the dancers. She loves to be present with the whole floor, being right there with them at the moment. Therefore, she creates her milongas on the fly, being only one song ahead of the dancers, trying each time to tune in with the dancers and create the magic.
The PNW has her heart, and she is happy to call Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula home.
Ashvin Iyer -San Francisco, CA.
Ashvin recently returned from an impromptu DJ tour of Buenos Aires, invited to play at the world‘s most iconic venues such as Gricel,
Salon Canning (Parakultural), El Beso, Villa Malcolm and others. Ashvin deejays primarily in the rhythmic style of Golden Age tango music.
He believes in keeping the mood generally happy, and that tango flow for dancers happens from song to song as much as over periods of time.
For this reason, his tandas are considered unpredictable. He is as adept at following the crowd as he is leading it. What makes his work stand
out is the depth of emotion he manages to evoke from his dancers.
Ashvin is also invited at tango festivals worldwide to give seminars on the art of DJ-ing.
Marcelo -Rosensaft, Israel
Marcelo was born in Uruguay and has been living in Israel since 1977 where he has been DJing since 2011. He is considered to be one of the best DJs in the area. He is not only a DJ, but also a devoted ‘milonguero’.
Since 2014 Marcelo travels to North America frequently, several times a year. His main tango DJ home in the US is NYC but he‘s also DJed with success in the San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia, Denver, Boston, Vancouver, Seattle, DC, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and more. In NYC, where he visits regularly, he has played his music in most of the milongas and is appointed again and again. The same has been happening lately in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2018, Marcelo started DJing in larger events. As he becomes more known among the event organizers and the milongueros, he is getting more and more invitations.
Two turning points in Marcelo‘s DJ carrier are his appointment as the official DJ of the ATUSA championship in 2021 and his DJ appointments in Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the beginning of 2020 at eight well-known milongas.
His music is very traditional and well balanced. People cannot stop dancing and as he gets to be better known in the USA and Canada, more and more people attend milongas because he is the DJ. Though he starts with a pre-arranged playlist, he makes sure that the music matches the situation on the dance floor and the ambiance of the milonga. When possible, being the DJ does not prevent Marcelo from dancing a lot during the milonga while feeling the dance floor.
In support of the tango community during the pandemic, Andy provided virtual milongas on Zoom each Saturday in place of the evening milongas in Europe and USA: Virtual 6 Milonga, Tandas Around the World and Milonga as a Service (MaaS) tinyurl.com/milongas.
Andy DJ'd at US Encuentros and Tango Marathons and is the organizer of the Newport News Encuentro (E+).
Jae Youn -Durham, NC
Jae is the founder of Tango Utopia in the greater Raleigh/Durham area. She is recognized as one of the premier teachers, dancers and DJ's as well as
the organizer of the monthly Milonga Utopia and the weekly practicas.
As a DJ, Jae loves the challenge of keeping dancers on the floor to the very last tanda. Her sensitivity to the energy of a milonga influences her
music selection. Her music library is focused on the traditional masters, and this is also reflected in her musical choices. She has been invited
to DJ at festivals, milongas, marathons and encuentros around the US and Europe.
