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is now possible with the "Vamos! Football" CD, which will definitely create a good mood and which costs only 1,99 euros until July 11th. We've also got some other specials ready for the World Cup: up to the final game you save 25 euro per box on the Vamos Box Set, containing 10 CDs! Tango fans can clear their ears of the vuvuzelas with Mercedes Simone for only 6,99 instead of 17,99 euros.

You can find the CDs mentioned here:

"Vamos! Football" - World Cup mood music from the Caribbean

The "Vamos Box" - 10 CDs for only 24,99 euros!

Mercedes Simone - gets under your skin, in a good way!


The prices quoted here are valid until the final game on July 11th, 2010.

Tango Vals, the latest tango instructional DVD from Ricardo and Rotraut's series "Curso de Tango", rounds off quite nicely this excellent group of 5 DVDs: Tango de Salon 1, Tango de Salon 2, Tango de Fantasia, Milonga, and Vals.
Although at first somewhat sceptical about what one can learn from a video about dance in general and tango in particular, I must admit that these DVDs, or rather Ricardo and Rotraut manage to offer instruction in ways which more than compensate for the lack of 'live' teachers.
They use modern DVD and computer technology radically different than any other tango instructional videos and never lose sight of the medium through which the lessons are given. The result is a didactic masterpiece. The clearness of instruction, the pace, the variety of support, the ease of use, all come together to make the experience of learning at home both a pleasure and a success.
And they don't just focus on learning figures and steps - they are able to help the student in ultimately developing a real feeling for the tango.
These DVDs can even offer quite a bit for the 'not-quite beginner': different angle of explanation for familiar figures, a different camera angle (!), and the opportunity to review one's knowledge and ability with helpful hints and tips from the teachers.
A list of the steps and items covered in each DVD is given in the 'review' section on our online catalog - unfortunately only in German, but most of the figures are in the original Spanish and should be familiar to most Tango students. If not, google translator!
Let's not forget one last important detail of this series, namely the language options in the DVD: there are 8 languages to choose from: Español, Deutsch, Italiano, Türkçe, English, Français, Portugues, Polski.

Check them out!

Ricardo y Rotraut, Curso de Tango, Tango de Salon 1

Ricardo y Rotraut, Curso de Tango, Tango de Salon 2

Ricardo y Rotraut, Curso de Tango, Tango de Fantasia

Ricardo y Rotraut, Curso de Tanog, Milonga

Ricardo y Rotraut, Curso de Tango, Vals

Not all news is new. Although I wrote about this fantastic group about a month ago in the German blog and then wrote a few lines in the newsletter after that, I haven't really got around to writing a few words in English until now.
The group, Jasstango, brought out the same-named album back in 2008. We just brought in on board at the beginning of this year. I listened to the album intensively for a good couple of weeks back then and was extremely enthusiastic. Then I took a break. I'm listening to the CD again as I write now and I can say that my 'love at first hearing' from more than a month ago was no superficial flirt: the music remains good.
There is so much to write about here. The mixture of styles and sounds that they achieve is truly remarkable. So often the term 'fusion' creates a less than enjoyable foretaste in the minds of most of us, simply due to the fact that fusion albums are rarely as good as that which musicians try to fuse. One needs a high degree of musicianship and musical understanding to pull of even a 'light' fusing of musical directions. And here we find undoubtedly the requirements for what is in any case deeper fusion: Tango remains the keystone around which a structure of great variety is built using elements of jazz, classical, folk, rock, latin...
Jasstango is a quartett of mature, lively and sensitive musicians, notably Johanna Schmidt on violin, who is a particular treat to listen to and the bandoneonist, Stephan Langenberg - who also plays the accordion on this CD - and who brought out a great CD, Squeezed, a few years ago.
In my German review I spontaneously listed my favorite tracks at that time. I can't do it now. Just have a listen: jasstango, Johanna Schmidt, Stephan Langenberg, Tangofusion CD
I would be delighted to hear some other enthusiastic opinions on this CD, if you care to share!