mercoledì 5 giugno 2013

Stefanie Clausen: I spend a lot of time thinking about a whole tanda, because sometimes a great song can’t give you enough if he is played in a bad tanda







Another great Tango DJ for our Gallery. Today we meet Stefanie Clausen and we discover her tangodjing philosophy, very romantic " I would prefer to talk first about my ideas of putting music before talking about my style: To be honest, I think that my idea of a milonga has been from the first moment the same like today; I have this image of a big ocean with its waves that come and go, the sky in different colors, the wind that blows, the small and big clouds... this flowing, never ending movements impress me a lot. As a professional dancer and singer I was always looking for the most natural flow for the body and I discovered that I felt better if the dj avoided harsh breaks. So, asking again for my style I would say I use easy rhythmical and relaxing romantical songs as a base, and demanding energetic or dramatic music as climaxes – and of course, I choose the songs in that way that I would like to dance each one of them myself! Sometimes I put some not so known tracks, but most of the time I try to make as many dancers as possible happy, so I am not scared of using hits". Good read, even if it would be appropriate to say good listening.

From the beginning :

I suppose that your first approach with tango, like for other dj, was with the dance. What inspired you to get into console and play music? A conscious decision or was the result of chance?
While dancing and teaching tango already since 1998, I discovered the djing quite late, in 2009. In that year I had already been to several tango marathons as a participant, dancing like hell until the rise of the sun and had so much fun... it was already that time when it was clear that a good musical choice of a dj can make your night! (I still wonder how it could work out in my first 10 years with not paying so much attention to dj and music ... I almost feel ashamed, but I remember no one around me cared about it  so intensively like everybody nowadays does – neither the dancers nor teachers)
So, as I just stopped my career as a professional singer I needed to put my love for music somewhere else and started to put in our local milonga just for fun, and so things develloped quickly.
           

What were your early taste of tango?
In 1998 it was of course Piazzolla, in 2009 (starting the djing) it was Canaro from the thirties, tons of it J

Do you remember your first like tango dj?
The first I payed attention to was Christos Pater, and I remember that his dj shifts made me having good dances.

The difficulty of the search for songs on cd often burned, the explosion of the Web and the consequent relatively easy to find in the music. Do you think this paradigm shift has changed the way of working of the DJ?
I imagine that it changed but as I started in 2009, this change already took place, I think.

When you build your performance? Long ago, during the journey to the milonga, or sudden moment by moment?
When I started djing, I prepared everything, like a whole playlist, because I wanted to have the perfect tracks, tandas, cortinas, flow in the milonga and as I knew quite often the location and the dancers with their taste, it worked for a while. It was also good to build up my music library, because I was looking all the time for new tracks. Nowadays it depends on my mood, sometimes I prepare some nice new tandas in advance, sometimes not. But I admit that I spend a lot of time thinking about a whole tanda, because sometimes a great song can’t give you enough if he is played in a bad tanda.


Have you ever played in a boring night? Have you you understand too late that perhaps the milonga could not give you the right motivation and you could not wait to finish?
Yes, of course, but fortunately I had not so often that experience. I think especially if there are not enough people in a milonga, it becomes a bit harder to create a good mood.

Do you accept whatever you offer or try to make a selection preferring location and fascinating evening with friends?
Right now I try to balance a bit, not to put too often the music, to stay „fresh“ – that means I put sometimes in local milongas and keep on travelling to some festivals and tango marathons, also to meet international friends, that’s a part which I really enjoy!

How would you define your style? It has evolved over time? And in which direction?
I would prefer to talk first about my ideas of putting music before talking about my style: To be honest, I think that my idea of a milonga has been from the first moment the same like today; I have this image of a big ocean with its waves that come and go, the sky in different colors, the wind that blows, the small and big clouds... this flowing, never ending movements impress me a lot. As a professional dancer and singer I was always looking for the most natural flow for the body and I discovered that I felt better if the dj avoided harsh breaks. So, asking again for my style I would say I use easy rhythmical and relaxing romantical songs as a base, and demanding energetic or dramatic music as climaxes – and of course, I choose the songs in that way that I would like to dance each one of them myself! Sometimes I put some not so known tracks, but most of the time I try to make as many dancers as possible happy, so I am not scared of using „hits“

What can influence you in an evening, the audience, the dancers, the acoustics of the location, the duration of your performance ...
Everything!

Do you prefer playing alone or sharing the night with a / colleague. Generally prefer to work alone, or with friends who you feeling? Or, you love the thrill of experimenting with a colleague ever heard until then?
I prefer to work alone, at least until now but if other situations appear, I take the chance!

If someone asks you the name of a track you say it to him, perhaps suggesting where the CD is included, or invite him to venture into the trouble of searching?
Of course I give the informations, why not?


Do you like to dance and listen to your colleagues enjoy the selections and styles of others from your performances?
Definetely yes!

Do you believe that the art of “musicalizador” is different for geographic areas? Argentina, USA, Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean ... or is it similar in every countries?
Yes, for sure, there are differences as well as there are differences between the musical taste of tango beginners and advanced dancers – a lot to discover for the „musicalizador“!

Would you like to have a milonga just for you, furnish it with the appropriate facility to your desires, try to create a wave that satisfies you over to play when you want and create a calendar of events to measure your tastes?
Fortunately we have here in Duesseldorf our own milonga at tanzhaus nrw once a month and every tuesday a free minilonga, so if you are nearby, come around J

The classic point-blank questions you have to answer, you cannot refuse:
Three orchestras that can not miss in one evening.
Three is not enough J So:
1. Di Sarli 2. D’Arienzo and 3. Canaro AND Biagi AND Fresedo AND D’Agostino AND....

Your three favourite orchestras, which may also be different from the previous ones.
See above

What are the three bands or singers you can not stand?
I used to have problems with De Angelis, but I must admit that my taste changes through the years... When I began to dj, I only liked music from the 30/40ies, now I love 50/60ies, too.
But of course there are many orquestas which music I don’t use in the milonga because their sound doesn’t make me wanna dance. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like them.

What is the band most underrated by the general public and which is the most overrated?
Underrated, I don’t know, overrated maybe Pugliese ( that it doesn’t mean that I don’t like his music)

Your top three nights (in your opinion of course …)
The first time when I played friday night at the tangofestival in Sitges 2011 was not easy for me, but I „survived“ more than well and then, I don’t know, I had so many magic moments especially when friends of mine danced to my dj shift (for example on a marathon)– this is always very special and gives extra energy back!

We are less serious: Last night a dj saved my life. The DJ rule is sexy?
Sure J

Have you ever had a relationship with some fans and some flirt with your colleagues?
As far as I know not J


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