It's often lonely sitting on a plane during short haul flights. Small talk can finish rather quickly after the excitement of the free wine and cheese platters, and hence there isn't much left to do except plug yourself into your iPod and drift into a dream state while flicking through well thumbed airline magazines or staring out the window at the passing clouds.

Whilst flying over the rather aptly named 'weather bomb' rain clouds covering my home country the other weekend, I needed something to calm my nerves and take me completely away from the bouncing around the aircraft was doing. Heading into the last week or so of my time at home, my desire was to prepare myself for the journey back to the city I've fallen in love with - Buenos Aires.  Lying in wait on my iPod under the obvious name of Tango Music, is a selection of well known tracks that never fail to transport me immediately back to the cobblestoned streets and river port of Buenos Aires.

As most travelers discover, a trip can be more enjoyable if a little effort is put into learning the basics of the language of the region. While music is arguably described as a 'universal language', listening to the music of a different region can also increase the spectrum of understanding a traveller can have when immersed in a new city. As music, memory and culture are inter-twined (to put it simply), it can enhance a travelers knowledge and sense of a city or country before even visiting.

So I have collected a play list of songs that you might enjoy listening to before heading off to Buenos Aires. This list is by no means definitive and is not a list of the Top 10 of all time. It is a way to introduce Tango music to your world and who knows, you might just hear your favorite amongst the tango music played at one of the tango shows.  There will be some of the songs that you connect with and others that don't create a response within you. Some may encourage you to look up the lyrics and others might make you cringe. As music tastes are subjective, I'm open to people commenting on this post to express their favorites, songs that they think epitomized Buenos Aires for them.

So go ahead. Plug in your iPod while you're driving or ironing or next time you're flying, and let the tango work its way into your blood prior to your visit to this fair country.

TANGO

Aníbal Troilo: Quejas de Bandoneón.

Juan D'Arienzo - Pensalo bien

Miguel Caló - Que falta que me haces

Angel Vargas  - Tres Esquinas

VALS

Alfredo De Angelis/Dante y Martel - Pobre Flor

Osvaldo Pugliese - Desde el Alma

Pedro Laurenz - Mascarita

MILONGA

Edgardo Donato - Ella es asi   

Edgardo Donato - Sacale Punta

Francisco Canaro - Reliquias Porteñas

Juan D'Arienzo - Milonga, vieja milonga

MODERN

Otros Aires - Milonga Sentimental

This contemporary orchestra has taken a traditional tango and re-interpreted it by adding electronica beats.