2026-2027 Festival DJs

We back at the Wyndham for the 2026-2027 NYE festival.

Ashvin Iyer

Ashvin’s resume highlights DJing at the world’s most prestigious milongas of Buenos Aires, a rarity for an American in an inordinately competitive arena. Ashvin will DJ in a rhythmic style to keep you dancing all night, and if you’re not dancing, his gold sequin jacket will keep you suitably (and perhaps visibly) distracted. Enjoyment is all but guaranteed.

To see Ashvin’s blog on his DJ journey in Buenos Aires visit: https://ashviniyer.blogspot.com/2023/12/buenos-aires-tango-dj.html

Ivan Aleksandrov

Ivan Aleksandrov has been quickly noticed and acknowledged as Tango teacher, performer and DJ in Canada. Being a professional dancer, Ivan discovered Argentine Tango in 2008, studying with the masters of the dance around the world. An evening as a DJ is always a new, unknown adventure for him – just like every Tango dance. He loves all the good classical tangos with temperament and passion, but he also appreciates the modern orchestras with new forms of expression in our time.

“For me, the most important thing is that the dancers have fun on the dance floor!”

Dan Boccia

The music is what first drew Dan to tango in 2000, and he still loves the music deeply. His DJ journey began way before tango, spinning vinyl in the late 80s, continuing on to DJ for several kinds of social dances through the 90s, then seamlessly transitioning to DJing tango events throughout North America since 2001. He enjoys studying and connecting with the crowd to inform selecting songs in the moment, taking the dancers on a dynamic and cohesive journey with the music.

Dan also enjoys mentoring new and upcoming DJs, challenging them to learn the underlying fundamentals and skills of the craft. He is also a knowledgeable sound technician responsible for specifying and setting up sound systems for major events.

Kochiro Suzuki

Koichiro Suzuki is an internationally recognized Argentine tango DJ, instructor, and musician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He holds a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from Duquesne University and has performed internationally as a euphonium player since 1996.

Drawing on more than three decades of musical experience, Koichiro brings a deep understanding of rhythm, phrasing, dynamics, and musicality to his tango DJing. His tandas are carefully curated to create a dynamic and engaging dance experience, with a strong emphasis on musical interpretation and connection between the dancers and the music.

Koichiro is the founder of Pittsburgh Tango Fierro Marathon & Festival, an annual tango event in Pittsburgh, and the founder of PGH Tango, where he teaches Argentine tango and regularly organizes milongas and tango events.

As a tango DJ, Koichiro has been invited to play at festivals, marathons, and milongas throughout the United States and internationally, including events in Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Europe, and Japan.

Koichiro continues to travel extensively as a tango DJ and instructor while maintaining an active tango community in Pittsburgh. His unique combination of professional musical training, extensive performance experience, and deep passion for Argentine tango has made him a sought-after DJ for tango events across North America and beyond.

Felipe Martinez

As a DJ, Felipe has played music at most important festivals in the US like those in Portland, San Francisco, Baltimore, Denver, Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston, Fort Bragg, Austin, Houston, San Diego as well as in many other communities like Providence, New York, Los Angeles, Montreal. He DJs regularly in the Bay Area at The Beat, Genesis, Alberto’s and The Great Northern and has also played music in Europe (Spain, Germany, Istanbul) and Buenos Aires, where he was invited to play music at El Beso and Villa Malcolm Club in several occasions. He was also invited to DJ in Asia at the Seoul Tango Festival (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), the Bali Tango Festival, the Taipei Tango Festival, the Singapore Tango Festival and the Hong Kong Tango Marathon, as well as in Tainan, Taichung and Tokyo. Felipe’s musical selection is based on the classics that ensure a great atmosphere for dancing.

Ayano Yoneda

Ayano travels frequently for tango, dancing in milongas around the world, including a pilgrimage she makes yearly to Buenos Aires. She regularly DJs at the local milongas in the San Francisco Bay Area where she is based. She has been invited to DJ in Asia and in Europe, as well as at major events in the United States such as the Portland Tango Festival, Nora’s Tango Week, Holiday Tango in DC, San Diego Tango Marathon, etc,

In 2019, Ayano co-founded the Tango Poetry Project, (an online source for translated tango lyrics) producing two 45-60 minute capsules each week from March 2020 until June 2021. A true passion of hers, Ayano sometimes dj’s while synched lyrics are projected to her music, she also gives interactive lectures, all with the goal to bring attention to and raise interest in the poetry of tango. To learn more about her projects, see: tangopoetryproject.com

Sabah “The Tango Yak”

Sabah got addicted to Tango in the late nineties. It started with dancing and now it includes being a DJ.

“…Tango music occupies my thoughts and energizes my spirit and I am in constant search for good music. Although I try to vary the music I play, I am heavily influenced by the style of dance in Buenos Aires as well as the music played at the milongas there so feel free to call me old fashioned. I live for Golden age music. The emotional impact of the music is what I look for in addition to the musicality.”

Zeina Misu

Zeina has always had an ear for good dancing tango music and has emerged as a party animal of a DJ. For many years, she has been a DJ in her two hometowns of San Diego and Beirut. Since then she has DJ’d at festivals all over the world, including Vienna, Istanbul, Italy, Portland, Seattle, Denver, Beirut, Byblos and San Diego. Her milongas are always a lot of fun and her energy has no equal. Her enthusiasm has no bounds and that comes through in her cortinas as well. Whenever you see dancers smiling, laughing and yes screaming, you know Zeina is the DJ.

Brick Robbins

From San Diego, Brick has been DJing for dancers over a decade in both Tango and other genres. He DJs at festivals around the world and in his home town. With a love and deep knowledge of golden era tango for traditional milongas he uses the music to maintain a perfect energy level in the ballroom. Brick also brings his extensive library of dance music from outside of traditional tango to the Alternative room to create a fun and energetic dance experience for those inclined to push boundaries.

America Milonguera

America knows that there was life before tango, but it wasn’t in this century. She has DJed for San Diego Tango Festival, Valentango and Denver Memorial and Labor Day festivals multiple times, as well as hundreds and hundreds of SoCal milongas over the past 24 years. While primarily known as a Traditional DJ, she has a special place in her heart for Alt tango as well and has DJed it 4 years in a row for the San Diego Summer Marathon!

Vincent Wong

Vincent immersed his life in tango since 2007 in Los Angeles, in late 2009 he started studying the tango music and playing for Practicas as to practice dancing as often as possible for free. He started DJing in milongas in 2011 and Festivals in 2012 and never stop listening and learning from other DJs at every tango festivals/marathons he worked or attended.

Along Vincent’s tango journey he also learned to see dancing as painting a picture matching or fitting with every tango song. So in another word, music he plays in a milonga would represent a large painting gallery which is telling a story as in a book or a movie.