Our DJs

Avik Basu - Ann Arbor, MI

Avik began his tango journey in Ann Arbor in 2002 and has since become a highly sought after DJ, playing at many of the major tango events in North America. Some of his more interesting adventures include DJing Monday night at Salon Canning, teaching tango to a Bollywood actress in Mumbai, and touring the U.S. with tango band Trio Folias. Avik's musical selections are grounded in the Golden Age classics, but he also enjoys pushing the boundaries of the familiar (in small doses) and offering dancers a chance to explore something new.

Carol Horowitz - Montreal, QC

Carol can be often found Dj'ing at the milongas she runs in Montreal, and when schedule permits, she loves to travel to marathons and festivals around North America. She's Dj'd at the Abrazo Marathon, East Coast Marathon, San Francisco Marathon, Tango Magic, Los Mujeres Marathon, and the Philadelphia Tango Festival to name a few. A DJ with a keen sense of energy and flow, she is able to facilitate an electric atmosphere that keeps everyone on their feet tanda after tanda. A classically trained dancer who worked for several years in contemporary dance, Carol was introduced to tango through friends, falling immediately in love with the creative and improvisational aspects of the dance. A passionate teacher, Carol is co-founder/manager of Studio Tango Montreal, a centerpiece of Montreal's vibrant tango scene that boasts 10 permanent teachers on staff. Aside from teaching and managing the Studio's regular activities, Carol has produced countless workshops with visiting guest teachers as well as many larger events, including the Montreal Summer Tango Fling, Bailongo Montreal Tango Festival held annually in May and La Fete, an annual New Year's holiday time string of milongas.

Derek Tang - Los Angeles, CA

Derek is one of the most requested DJs in Los Angeles and has played at festivals and milongas throughout the country. He is a teacher, organizer, and has competed in several Tango competitions throughout the years; winning the SoCal Tango Championship in 2016 and placing first in the Vals and Milonga categories at ATUSA. Derek is known for his tremendous energy as a DJ and dancer.

"The music is an essential ingredient to creating a magical evening. My responsibility as a DJ is to create the energy that will allow every dancer to express themselves to their fullest abilities."

Georges Naassan - New York, NY

Georges Naasan has been dancing tango since 2002. His journey debuted in Lebanon, at a time where there was no tango community or milongas to attend. He took classes with traveling teachers and taught what he learned at the American University of Beirut. Along with a few friends, he founded the first milonga in Beirut and ran it for a few years before he moved to the United States in 2007. He continued to develop his tango skills with various teachers that travelled to Cleveland and later to the Bay Area. In the summer of 2014, he was the recipient of the gold medal in Argentine Tango at the Gay Games. He started DJing in 2015, and became one of the bay area’s prominent local DJs. He has travelled for DJing in various US cities including San Diego, LA, and New York. He was invited to DJ at the Beirut Tango Marathon, Portland Tango Festival and Tucson Tango Festival, among others. Georges moved to New York City at the end of 2019. He has learned much of his tango dancing and DJing skills from various mentors that he met along his journey and to whom he is ever grateful.

Melina Mistral - Montreal, QC

Introduced as a dj in the local milongas of Montreal, Melina pierced the international and festival/marathon stage first in the USA, to eventually expand out to Europe. Her experience and versatility as a social dancer in both roles, as well as a professional teacher and performer, have made her very sensitive to the dancer's and the ronda's energy. She believes in a balance of fun, sweet, power & drama, keeping in mind the venue, the event, the time of day and the dancers.

Rainier Pereira - New York, NY

Rainier Pereira is a seasoned tango professional with an impressive 14 years of experience in the world of tango. His journey began at the age of 19 when he first started dancing tango, and he has since honed his skills in various roles, including performer, teacher, DJ, and milonga organizer.

Rainier's professional journey includes winning a national championship in his native country in 2011, showcasing his extraordinary talent on a grand stage. Following this accomplishment, he also founded and organized his first milonga and tango school, fostering the growth of the tango community.

In 2014, Rainier relocated to Buenos Aires, where he immersed himself in the world of tango for almost a decade. During his time in Buenos Aires, he secured further recognition by becoming the champion of the prestigious "Inter-Milonga" competition in 2015.

Subsequently, he joined the esteemed DNI Tango School and dance company, where he dedicated over 3,000 hours to teaching students from around the world. Rainier's artistry has graced the stages of renowned milongas in Buenos Aires, and he has embarked on multiple European tours.

Since 2021, Rainier has been sharing his passion for tango in the United States while also founding TangoApp (tangoapp.ar), a revolutionary resource for the global tango community.

Ramu Pyreddy - Washington, DC

Ramu fell in love with tango music in 1999 and started dancing in 2000. To share that love and budding passion, in 2000, he started the Michigan Argentine Tango Club at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 23 years later, he still remains deeply in love (if anything it has only grown stronger). Along the way, he has become one of the most knowledgeable and sought after tango DJ's in the US. He has DJd at countless events - milongas, festivals and marathons - all over the US, in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and India. For the last 12+ years, he has been the host and resident DJ at Milonga Zandunga, one of DC's popular weekly milongas, known for it's outstanding music. As a DJ, Ramu plays mostly music from the Golden Age and has a strong preference for the Big Four Orchestras.

Tommy Smith - Boise, ID

Tommy has a passion for traditional tango music and DJing, and he believes understanding the mind of the social dancer is the key to great DJing. To educate and motivate beginning DJs, progressing DJs, and those interested in tango music, he offers semi-regular DJ workshops. Festivals he has DJ'd at include Montana's Tango Uprising, Salt Lake City Tango Festival, Mountain Milonga, CONNECT, Tango on the Rocks, and Washington DC’s Tango Holiday.