Paul Akmajian
Paul is a regular DJ in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. He has also DJ’d nationally and internationally at numerous major festivals, marathons, and Encuentros, including events in Portland, Denver, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Chicago, Baltimore, Charleston, and other cities. Paul works to keep everyone dancing long into the night by playing the highest-quality, most familiar, time-tested, and dancer-approved music from Tango’s Golden Age.
Bill Raymond
Bill has played at a wide variety of tango events, from under the cherry blossoms at the Utah Capitol to formal milongas in Arizona, Montana, Idaho, and California. He searches for the best quality transfers, including imports from Buenos Aires music clubs and European sources. He varies what he plays to match the mood of the dancers and concentrates on playing music with excellent clarity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s.
Vania Rey
Pioneer Encuentro is pleased to welcome Vania Rey for the first time. Vania began DJing in New York City in 2008. She hosts a monthly milonga in Austin, Texas, and travels regularly to teach tango and DJ in Buenos Aires, North America, and Europe. Vania is a dancer and relates to and plays for dancers. Tango communities around the world seek her out for her teaching and DJing skills.
Martin Rybczynski
Martin is our backup DJ for Pioneer Encuentro 2025 and also DJs the Pre-Encuentro Community Milonga on Thursday night. Known for his extensive collection of music, Martin likes to drive the milonga experience to its peak and subsequent release, drawing from a wide variety of Golden Age classics. He carefully considers the emotional impact of the music on the dancers and weaves the mood of the evening with deliberate subtlety. Martin’s DJing has been featured in tango events across the U.S. and in Mumbai, India.
Kimberly Scola
Since studying with Henan Prieto Kim has DJ’d for ESO! Tango Marathon (Buffalo), Toronto Tango Experience, Cleveland Bowling Tango Marathon, Encuentro Milonguero, and Nowruz Milonguero Festival (Ashville), as well as frequently for milongas and smaller events locally and in Ithaca, Rochester, and Buffalo, NY; Ann Arbor, MI; Pittsburgh, PA; Washington DC; Detroit, MI; and Columbus, OH. Kim’s style is traditional. She works to create a positive, upbeat environment that reveals the subtle beauty and diversity of the music.
Sohrab Soltani
Sohrab has taught tango, organized tango events, and DJ’d regularly in Charleston, South Carolina. Besides Charleston, Sohrab has been a popular DJ for other milongas in the Southeast (Atlanta, Durham) and Encuentros nationally (Charleston, Salt Lake City, Santa Fe, and Salida). Sohrab prefers tango music from the Golden Age. Sohrab’s enthusiasm is infectious. His goal is to keep the dancers energized throughout the milonga.
