In the present work the instrumental tango in Colombia and its processes of adaptation and composition are characterized through the experience of the Quinteto Leopoldo Federico from Bogota and F-31 Quinteto from Medellin. In the first part of the article, the musical trajectory of the quintets is reviewed and the presence of tango in Colombia is outlined having in mind the globalization of the genre. In the second part, 3 pieces composed by the groups are analyzed under the relationship between the River Plate tango and the Colombian national music.