Johannes Kadar I Tango-DJ

based in Luxembourg

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My main goal: Joy

Joy is nourishment, it is nothing less than what life on earth is all about.
That's the simple reason why the main thing that matters to me when DJing is joy.The path to joy leads through a selection of music that should serve nothing less than to spark effortless inspiration for expression, that irresistibly invites, teases, seduces, enchants, urges the soul to move and dance. This is when magic is born.

1001 possibilities

The fundamental principle behind the music selection is to consistently provide dancers with the opportunity to deeply immerse their senses in music, which offers multiple layers of interpretation. My philosophy is that dancers should be able to choose from a wide variety of possibilities such as intensity, lightness, tension, relaxation – in essence, they need to find themselves in an environment in which the music breathes, lives and expresses human existence in all its emotional richness and contrasts. Precisely what tango music does so well.

Choice isn't simple

It is possible to focus exclusively and strictly on the Golden Era.Or one could play in alternance according to a debatable nomenclature of the orchestras. Categorising for example D'Arienzo, Di Sarli, Pugliese, Troilo in the first league, Calò, D'Agostino, Fresedo, Tanturi in the second, and in the third Biagi, De Angelis, Demare, Laurenz – and all the others (such as Canaro, De Caro, Donato, Firpo, Francini-Pontier, García, Gobbi, Lomuto, Rodríguez, Malerba …) in the fourth.How about also maintaining contrasts between instrumental and vocal, rhythmical and lyrical, melancholic and energetic, faster and slower, simple and complex, introverted and extroverted, between ‘older’ and ‘newer’ ? The El Corte tango-DJ-manual talks about these and many more topics.How about selecting pieces from an orchestra that were composed by the orchestra's founding composer – in other words “originals”?Why not go beyond the boundaries of a particular orchestra and mix pieces from different ensembles with similar sounds from the same era? Or orchestras that shared same musicians, same singers? Or combine pieces that are further apart in time but match in terms of atmosphere and sound?Why not playing with additional features like the key in which a song is composed? Like the way a song ends and the next one begins?Why not paying attention to the presence of special elements (rare instruments such as Hawaiian steel guitar, whistles, animal sounds ...)?What about pieces that are rarely played? Are they gathering dust for good reasons, because they are simply weak compositions or arrangements? Are they timidly kept tucked away in drawers for the sake of ensuring widespread appeal? Or are there gems that defy energy and intensity, brilliance and radiance, just waiting to be dusted off and finally brought out of their unjustified obscurity?How about playing a piece that is completely unexpected, but ‘fits’ precisely in terms of atmosphere, sound, key, yet comes from a completely different world, such as Classical music?What if the cortina, similar to the overture of an opera, somehow gave a foretaste of the next tanda?The possibilities are virtually endless. And for heaven's sake, this is neither about an educational journey nor about exploiting them all. To me, they should be used like spices in a dish, subtly and delicately transforming it into a refined culinary experience.That's what DJing means to me: serving dancers something to listen to that they know, but also know differently, something that makes them wonder why they've never heard it before – in an atmosphere full of curiosity and inner joy.

Who I am

I grew up in Paris and Berlin and have been living in Luxembourg since 2005.I initially devoted my life entirely to classical music. I studied music and economics.
My most recent position in the classical music business was as Head of Communication & Marketing at the Philharmonie Luxembourg, where I spent 15 years.I first came into contact with tango music in 1996 when I was working for the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival in Austria: in one concert, Gidon Kremer (the festival’s artistic director) played Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla. Back then, I thought this was tango, until I began to delve into its depths in 2011 through my passion for the dance itself.I started DJing in 2015, but it wasn't until 2022 that I finally went on tour internationally.As I have been exposed to a broad spectrum of musical influences, I know how to vary style, adapting it according to the requirements of the venue and the dancers.Sometimes I enjoy being strictly traditional. Other times I enjoy being completely free and experimental. Occasionally, I cross the line with both.

"Johannes Kadar truly surprised me with his DJing skills at La Frayssinette. After checking in with the participants of the program a day before, he tastefully and masterfully brought in the genre of classic music in to his playlist.
He was subtle and attentive about the process and indeed colored the atmosphere of the room with elegance and classiness of classic music.
He was also technically very much on top of his craft. There were no mistakes and imprecisions. Which comforted us the dancers with trust.
I am simply looking forward to inviting him to join me at our numerous events this and next year."Murat Erdemsel

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