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Finns are enthusiastic tangueros. Tango is even called “Finnish national music” here in the north of Europe and Finnish tango has existed for more than 100 years. Of course, the Finns compose their own tango.

The Finns also like the south of Spain. In Malaga there is now a real Finnish colony. So it is not surprising that the first article about the album “Tango Malaga” appeared in the print magazine Suomalainen Espanjassa. This is a Finnish-language publication aimed at Finns living in the south of Spain. There must be quite a few of them if they have their own newspaper …

So – Tango Malaga is Finnish tango and a little bit more, sung by opera tenor Harri Kaitila and produced in warm Spanish Malaga.

Life should not be taken for granted“, realized songwriter and producer Tapani Puranen in spring 2022. He had just begun to compose music for singer Harri Kaitila and suddenly got a cancer diagnose in Málaga, leading to an urgent operation and medical treatments. That changed the mood for the rest of the work. What if this was his last project?

The result is a collection of songs that reveal Tapanis experience with profound honesty.

Danza y Movimiento is happy to present this new expansion to its catalogue. Compiled by teacher, DJ, and translator Jake Spatz, each of these albums matches a volume in the Librotango series of books—-a bilingual presentation of tango lyrics in singable English translations. Aimed at veteran dancers and newcomers alike, the selections offer a mix of classic dance tunes and lucid renditions by solo singers, highlighting the role of lyrics in the genre.

The books themselves are available internationally through Amazon and other retailers. The translations convey the sense and follow the melody of the originals, and their extensive notes present research on the songs and their authors, detailing the role of stage plays and movies in Golden Age’s “industry of song.” Every book opens with a unique introduction on the themes and images of the tango, and also includes bios of all featured lyricists.

Tango professionals from all over the world present their 22 favorite titles. This is the motto of the latest series on the label of “Danza y Movimiento”. DJs, promoters, teachers and all those who are professionally involved with tango are part of the show.

The first edition of the new series includes 12 albums, compiled by tango DJs and promoters from the USA, Sweden, Great Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, Czech Republic and Montenegro.

What criteria did the tangueras and tangueros use to make their selection of titles? It is exciting to read what the respective motivation has been to present the recordings the way they can be heard now. Most of the compilations are danceable, but just not all of them.

DJ Biki from Utrecht has been inspired by her tango mentors – every single track is associated with a certain person for her. DJ Bianca Vrcan (La Montenegrina), like most others, had a problem: how to choose 22 works among more than 5000 recordings available for selection? Since she had sorted the database on which the selection was based alphabetically, she only got as far as “D”. So please don’t be surprised if the titles of her compilation all start with “A”, “B”, “C” or “D”.

El Hierro is located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the seventh and smallest of the main Canary Islands. Here, a project is currently being created for retreat and reflection, to breathe deeply and get in touch with nature. The island is sparsely populated, has no international airport and no wide sandy beaches. These are ideal conditions for people who want to take some time out, especially in this day and age. Our time needs people who are willing to stop and contemplate …

In this sense, we are in the process of transforming a former agricultural finca in the heart of the island. The soil offers ideal conditions to grow our own vegetables and fruits. The existing houses will be gradually transformed into foundations for a retreat alone, as a couple or even with children.