Michelle McRuiz has been a tango DJ for 12 years. She has danced Argentine tango for 15 years and has done some form of dance since the age of 9. Michelle combines her deep love for golden-age tango music, innate musicality, and trustworthy ear to create tandas that flow, build energy, and keep pulling dancers back onto the floor. She DJs regularly at milongas and practicas in Albuquerque and has been a popular DJ at festivals, marathons, encuentros, and various milongas in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, California, Texas, Idaho, Washington, and England.
Kim came into the tango world in 2012 and promptly began to be interested in the music. After receiving encouragement from Cleveland organizers and DJs, she started working in her own community as a guest DJ. She completed a series of DJ seminars with Hernán Prieto, which greatly influenced her technique and style. She has been working consistently since then, both locally and in other nearby communities. Kim's style is best characterized as one that creates a positive, upbeat environment, yet also highlights the subtle beauty and diversity of the music. She definitely has a strong milonguero influence to her sets. Kim's favorite part of DJing is connecting with dancers through the music.
Some of the highlights of her career include: ESO! Tango Marathon (Buffalo), Toronto Tango Experience, Cleveland Tango Bowling Marathon, and Encuentro Milonguero Asheville.
Vincent from Vancouver, Canada has been dancing tango for 17 years and spinning tunes both digital and vinyl records in the Pacific Northwest at Encuentros, Marathons & Festivals throughout North America, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands and Japan for the past nine. Vincent favours traditional tangos, mixing his tunes with a sense of fun and romance. Vincent enjoys photography and travel, but of course, all revolving around tango.
Jae is the founder of Tango Utopia in the greater Raleigh/Durham area. She is recognized as one of the premier teachers, dancers and DJs 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 encuentro milongueros across the country and in Europe.
Read more about Jae and all the Tango Utopia happenings at tangoutopia.com.
Paul Akmajian (Albuquerque) has been dancing tango for almost 25 years and DJing for the last 18. In addition to being a regular DJ in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, Paul has DJed nationally and internationally at numerous major festivals, marathons, and encuentros, including Portland, Denver, Albuquerque, Tucson, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Chicago, Baltimore, Charleston and many places in between. As a DJ, Paul works hard to keep everyone energized and dancing by playing the highest-quality, most familiar, time-tested and dancer-approved music from the Golden Age of Tango.
While dancing tango and DJing took a break during the lock down days of the pandemic, Paul took the opportunity to return to his roots as a fine artist and started painting again. You can view his work at: akmajianart.com
DJ Sabelotodo (Wiseguy) is the alias of Kristof Elst. Kristof started out in tango as a dancer but his background as a performing musician meant he was soon taken by the simple and yet complex nature of tango music. He started collecting tango music at an early stage and started playing local practicas and milongas and has expanded ever since.
Kristof focuses on traditional tango music from the 1920-1950's. Music is played from his vision as a performing musician where the music is meant for the dancers. He has a keen eye and ear for the energy on the dance floor. Cortinas are an integral part of the set and help in setting the flow and ambiance of the evening. He is also the organizer of a local milonga in his hometown of Amersfoort, NL and has organized his first tango event in 2022, together with his life partner Maria.
"DJing is the only time I get to dance with everyone on the floor and it brings me a great deal of joy to share my musical ideas with the dancers."
As a DJ Kipp's focus is on providing the best possible mix of traditional tango tunes designed to inspire the dancers as they dance to the music that was played in Buenos Aires during the 1930's, 40's and 50's.
Kipp DJs traditional milongas and practicas regularly in New Mexico for various organizers: The Tango Club of Albuquerque and Las Puertas located in Albuquerque; she also DJed for the long established Milonga Leona at El Meson in Santa Fe as well as the Aldea Milonga in Santa Fe. Kipp has had the privilege to have DJed at various events including the Albuquerque Tango Festival; the Encuentro del Mar in Port Townsend, where she will return in 2023 and Utopia in Charleston, Encuentro Encanto NM 2022, and the LA Encuentro in 2023.
In Europe Kipp has DJed at El Corte's Summer Daze, Nijmegen, NL, Vida Mia Encuentro in Tenerife in 2020 and 2022, El Encuentro Que Faltaba, Amersfoort, NL 2022. Kipp will be DJing at Warm Embrace, Antwerp Belgium in September of 2023.
