MUSIC
Bailongo Montreal features marathon and encuentro quality milongas. Wonderful atmosphere, great rooms, and only the best DJs!
Please note the different locations for the different milongas.
Our DJs
Georges Naasan
Georges Naasan began dancing tango in 2002 in Beirut, Lebanon. With friends, he founded and ran the first milonga in Beirut before moving to the US in 2007. In the summer of 2014, he was the recipient of the gold medal in Argentine Tango at the Gay Games.
Forever grateful to the various mentors who have inspired him, Georges began DJing in 2015 and quickly became one of the Bay Area’s prominent DJs. In 2016, he was invited to DJ at the Beirut Tango Marathon. He moved to New York City in 2019 and continues to DJ across the U.S. at some of the most prestigious festivals and marathons.
Georges was to DJ at our (cancelled) 2020 Bailongo Fest, and we are thrilled that he is available to join our team this year!
Georges will DJ at our Friday Gala Milonga 1.
Rachel Moon
has been an avid social dancer for over 25 years, and fell in love with tango in 2009. In 2015, she spent six months training in Buenos Aires and, soon after her return, began DJing and teaching tango in the DC area with Jay Abling. Over the past few years, Rachel has taught and DJ'd at many events around the country, including Albuquerque Tango Festival, Tree City Tango Marathon, & Ashland Connect.
During the pandemic, Jay and Rachel created and ran an online training program about tango music & musicality. In creating the program, Rachel did extensive research into tango history/orchestras, translated many tango lyrics to English, and gave dozens of presentations to share what she learned. This deep dive into tango music has certainly informed her DJing, but her goal to deliver an amazing experience to dancers has always remained the same.
Rachel will DJ at our Thursday Opening Milonga.
Avik Basu
A much sought-after DJ on the North American Tango Festival circuit, Avik is influenced primarily by the music and atmosphere of the milongas in Buenos Aires, and can seamlessly weave an evening of music that does justice to the tremendous range of emotions that tango can express. His wish is that the music of the milonga will have special meaning for everyone and that the dancers will float home with the tunes still playing in their heads.
Some of Avik’s most notable tango adventures include two month-long immersions in Buenos Aires, DJing Monday night at Salon Canning in BA, teaching tango to a Bollywood actress in Mumbai, India, and touring the U.S. with tango band Trio Folias.
No stranger to Montreal, Avik was a featured DJ at several of our past Bailongos, including last year’s edition. We are thrilled that he’ll be back in 2024!
Avik will DJ at our Monday Closing Milonga.
Jay Abling
has DJ’d at many major festivals and cities all over North America since 2002. His DJ style is characterized by his ability to move the rhythmical feet and sway the melodic hearts of every dancer in the room. His choice tandas carefully strike the right balance between familiar classic tangos and pleasantly surprising ones.
Jay has taught tango for over 28 years and currently teaches with Rachel Moon in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
During the pandemic, Jay and Rachel created and ran an online training program about tango music & musicality. His vivid animated visuals have helped many a dancer ‘‘see’’ the music. We are thrilled that Jay will give a lecture on Monday, May 21st highlighting some of his music animations.
Jay has DJ’d serveral times at Bailongo, we are happy to welcome him back for our 9th edition!
Jay will DJ at our Saturday Gala Milonga 2.
Octavio Fernandez
Originally from Argentina but now calling Paris home, Octavio Fernandez is not only an internationally admired tango dancer and maestro, but is currently one of the most sought-after tango DJs.
For eight years, Octavio was the resident DJ at El Yeite Tango Club, one of Buenos Aires' foremost and most popular milongas. Alongside Andres Molina, he pioneered a DJing style that has since become a staple for DJs worldwide.
With over 15 years of experience spinning tunes at milongas, festivals, and tango events around the world, Octavio's DJ sets transport you to the essence of Buenos Aires, making each night an unforgettable tango experience. We’re thrilled to have him DJ at Bailongo 2024!
Octavio will DJ at our Sunday Gala Milonga 3.
Viva Delorme
Viva began dancing in 2010 and is equally proficient in both roles. She was a pioneer figure in the Montreal Queer Tango community and instrumental in its development, co-organizing classes, as well as the Montreal International Queer Tango Festival.
In 2018, Viva began DJing as a way to contribute to the community and to deepen her own understanding of the dance.
Viva is one of the ‘‘house DJs at Studio Tango Montreal, and sometimes DJs at special local events. She has been invited to DJ at numerous international festivals (Buenos Aires, NYC, Miami, Berlin)
We’re thrilled to have her with us for this year’s Bailongo!
Viva will DJ at our Friday Afternoon Practilonga.
Alexis Boileau
Alexis discovered Tango in 2013 - the same year he completed his doctorate music degree in classical piano performance. After a few years dancing in Montreal, he decided to create his own solo piano arrangements of his favourite tangos and perform them in different tango events. Then, realizing that not every venue has a suitable piano, he decided to swap his piano keyboard for a computer keyboard and became a tango DJ.
Alexis now has a residency at the weekly Montreal milonga Le bisou and is also part of the team at Studio Tango. Alexis is known for his energetic style and his ability to make a good read of the dance floor. He was also DJ at events such as Borealis Encuentro, Sonemos Marathon, Milonga Arrabalera, Milonga La Capital, and more. We’re pleased to welcome Alexis to his first Bailongo!
Alexis will DJ at our Wednesday Welcome Milonga.