DJs...

S

squirrel

The club I go to has one of the worst DJs I've ever seen...
Not only does he play solely the music he likes (and not the audience) but he also mixes it badly!
For instance, he plays 3-4 turbo Salsa songs in a row (so that we dance our hearts out) and then keeps on playing Salsa for about 1/2 hour... then it's merengue time! One hour of merengue... and then cumbia... and barely any bachata or cha cha... :(
Hard-core salseros get very bored... one hour of merengue! Come on...
What are your experiences?
 
Yeah, I’ve heard some bad DJ’s over the years. This one DJ in Denver was so full of himself. My friends would go around asking everyone else what they wanted to hear, of which the 10-20 of us all said, “More salsa, less merengue/no merengue.” So they’d go tell this particular DJ, and what would he do? Play more merengue just to spite us. It was this sort of antagonism that made him very unpopular in the salsa scene. But he was good at marketing himself to the club owners, so he got (and still gets) a lot of gigs.
 
Hello everybody,mine englisch is not perfect :cry:
We have a Dj in Hollland who is very good and upcoming(Dj Andy)

Very good mambo and he don't playing for himself.
We have in Holland a tradition in merenque,now its changed :D
 
My no. 1 favourite club has a really good DJ team, who are excellent at reading the floor. A night there typically consists of no more than 3-4 non-salsa songs (either cha cha cha or merengue), and the rest is salsa of varied styles and speed. I find it really difficult to sit any song out at this club.

Of course, we have our share of some pretty dire nights...
 
Thanx,
I find it a good forum,same as in Holland,I think also the same design.

salsaforum.nl :wink: I hope its not forbidden,it is not a promo.

Okay ontopic
I find dj Robby also a very good dj he is from L.A I was 2 weeks ago in Sitges and he played his music,and it was good :D

There was also a dj from Valencia I don't now his name :(
Past weekend I was also in Hamburg dj Henrey Nowles played there,it was good onley he mixt the music :shock:

greetings from the south of Holland(not Amsterdam)Roosendaal :D
 
Patrick said:
Past weekend I was also in Hamburg dj Henrey Nowles played there,it was good onley he mixt the music :shock:
Click to expand...

I'm still wondering, seemingly, every time Henry Nowles goes some where big he mixes... the times he's DJed here at Flamingo's in NY City, he hasn't mixed... Hmmm

It is so annoying to mix music, especially when the they mess the flow and from beat one the music comes on beat 3... AhHHHHHHHH
 
borikenSalsero said:
Patrick said:
Past weekend I was also in Hamburg dj Henrey Nowles played there,it was good onley he mixt the music :shock:
Click to expand...

I'm still wondering, seemingly, every time Henry Nowles goes some where big he mixes... the times he's DJed here at Flamingo's in NY City, he hasn't mixed... Hmmm

It is so annoying to mix music, especially when the they mess the flow and from beat one the music comes on beat 3... AhHHHHHHHH
Click to expand...

He mixed a lot when he was in Seattle and Vancouver, and I gotta admit that I (and several of my friends) didn't care for it. How interesting that he doesn't mix in NYC...
 
tj said:
borikenSalsero said:
Patrick said:
Past weekend I was also in Hamburg dj Henrey Nowles played there,it was good onley he mixt the music :shock:
Click to expand...

I'm still wondering, seemingly, every time Henry Nowles goes some where big he mixes... the times he's DJed here at Flamingo's in NY City, he hasn't mixed... Hmmm

It is so annoying to mix music, especially when the they mess the flow and from beat one the music comes on beat 3... AhHHHHHHHH
Click to expand...

He mixed a lot when he was in Seattle and Vancouver, and I gotta admit that I (and several of my friends) didn't care for it. How interesting that he doesn't mix in NYC...
Click to expand...

At least the times I've heard him at flamigos he hasn't mixed, but he did at el congresso in NY City, the mixing enfuriated a bunch of people!
 
borikenSalsero said:
He mixed a lot when he was in Seattle and Vancouver, and I gotta admit that I (and several of my friends) didn't care for it. How interesting that he doesn't mix in NYC...
Click to expand...

At least the times I've heard him at flamigos he hasn't mixed, but he did at el congresso in NY City, the mixing enfuriated a bunch of people!
Click to expand...

What I find interesting is how none of us (out of my Seattle/Vancouver friends) had the nerve to tell him, since we figured he was "a celebrity". Lol!

I wonder if *anyone* has given him any negative feedback about mixing? I would think not, considering he's doing it every where he visits.
 
tj said:
borikenSalsero said:
He mixed a lot when he was in Seattle and Vancouver, and I gotta admit that I (and several of my friends) didn't care for it. How interesting that he doesn't mix in NYC...
Click to expand...

At least the times I've heard him at flamigos he hasn't mixed, but he did at el congresso in NY City, the mixing enfuriated a bunch of people!
Click to expand...

What I find interesting is how none of us (out of my Seattle/Vancouver friends) had the nerve to tell him, since we figured he was "a celebrity". Lol!

I wonder if *anyone* has given him any negative feedback about mixing? I would think not, considering he's doing it every where he visits.
Click to expand...

yeap, I don't think he has... when there is someone who seems "higher" than us in a social status we tend not to second guess...

I bought one of his CDs from an old congresso, I felt like throwing it in the garbage... the mixing was horrible! He might have chosen a good song or two but then killed it, as soon as the song got cracking... bang! the change of songs and flat on my face... Yuck!!!
 
I know a DJ that has fairly good taste in latin music (cumbia bachata merengue y salsa) but will mess it up with "booty time" as he calls it and play 45 minutes of reggaeton... :evil: and this is towards the end of the night too...
 
Wow I see this is an honest crowd. Almost everyone had something to say about the work of a DJ. I sympathize with all of you. I too get disappointed with almost every dj I heard spin for the same reasons most of you mentioned. DJ plays what THEY want to hear. The DJ can't mix, the DJ does not know the music (a former rap/hip-hop spinner). The norm here is 2 Salsa, 10 merengue and bachatas, then 5 more hip-hop/reggaeton. 1 1/2 passes before you get to hear 2 more Salsas. The worst part is that when you finally get your chance to hear it again the 2 salsa they play are mongas. I'd rather stay home.

I don't consider DJ's Celebrities. To me they are employee's of a club doing either a great or bad job. I leave that title for someone who creates music in this field.

Cortijo once said, "DJ's (meaning playing records at a dance club) will put live music out of business. There will come a time when the people won't care for live acts. I see it coming.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
JaneMas said:
Cortijo once said, "DJ's (meaning playing records at a dance club) will put live music out of business. There will come a time when the people won't care for live acts. I see it coming.
Click to expand...

In NY City it is already here. All of the "salseros" i have spoken rather dance to a DJ than to a live band... :cry:

I would never want to listen to a DJ over a live band. I don't care how many good songs and how varied they can be in salsa selections, but being there, with a live band, and one the liks of Willie Rosario, Johnny Pacheco, EGC, Eddie Palmieri, Sonora Ponceña, nothing beats it!! Even if the songs are 40 minute long. hehe
 
Well if it's a fairly good band or one that can also reproduce old favorites very well then live bands are all good and well, (especially in swing and whatnot with the long improvisation... do they even have improvisation sections in salsa? Don't hurt me I'm new to this :P ) But some bands are really bad. I mean really really not my taste. In those cases I have to say I prefer the DJ... poo on me I know :(

When you think about it, so many people want to be musicians and there is at the same time so much room for them to make money... But they are being ousted by people who suck and give DJ's more employment vs giving live bands a chance to perform all over the place. Everyone who wants to go into the arts should be able too, economically we are set up that they *should* be able to survive on gigs.
 
You know, THS has pretty much nailed it.

For me:
I'd prefer a great band over a great DJ
A good band and a good DJ are about the same
I'd rather have an average DJ over an average band
And I much prefer a poor DJ over a poor band

It's a consistency thing. I've only seen a couple (IMHO) great bands over the years. And even then, it's often at a concert location rather than my favorite salsa clubs, which means the floor sucks. Also, bands tend to draw in more people, and there's even less room to dance.

So when I wanna satisfy my dance cravings, usually DJ's work better than bands.
 
tj said:
You know, THS has pretty much nailed it.

It's a consistency thing. I've only seen a couple (IMHO) great bands over the years. And even then, it's often at a concert location rather than my favorite salsa clubs, which means the floor sucks. Also, bands tend to draw in more people, and there's even less room to dance.
Click to expand...

My dear friend then you have to put your foot down and stay in Jersey. hehe...

Here all we have is one great band after another... WOW!!!

The other night I went to see Orlando Marin... he is an old schooler that was there when the 3 big guns of the 50s ruled. Well, he was off the hook, I mean, hot hot hot... but since he isn't known but to a very few hardcore salseros... a few of the poeple I spoke didn't think he was good... I found it funny that the people they mentioned weren't even close to as hot and spicy as this guy got. I got so tired of listening to mentions of bland salsa by ears which have still to grow that I had to step away and enjoy descarga full songs, with beautiful follow up of touches of guajiras, sons and guaguancos... God, a band that can play all that... boy... not many left...

anyhow, THS, yes live salsa do the improv thing, the good ones at least... bands are complained about because they usually go all out and imporvise almost the entire song which leaves us dancers exhausted after one song... but if you want a rush of blood from head to toe go listen to one of the big name bands... the wayne gorbea's, spanish harlem's, Willie Colon's of the world....
 
borikenSalsero said:
tj said:
You know, THS has pretty much nailed it.

It's a consistency thing. I've only seen a couple (IMHO) great bands over the years. And even then, it's often at a concert location rather than my favorite salsa clubs, which means the floor sucks. Also, bands tend to draw in more people, and there's even less room to dance.
Click to expand...

My dear friend then you have to put your foot down and stay in Jersey. hehe...
Click to expand...

Lol!

I hope you realize, my friend, how lucky you are to live in such a focal point as NYC. It's much harder to find quality once you get into the smaller scenes.

Here all we have is one great band after another... WOW!!!

The other night I went to see Orlando Marin... he is an old schooler that was there when the 3 big guns of the 50s ruled. Well, he was off the hook, I mean, hot hot hot... but since he isn't known but to a very few hardcore salseros... a few of the poeple I spoke didn't think he was good... I found it funny that the people they mentioned weren't even close to as hot and spicy as this guy got. I got so tired of listening to mentions of bland salsa by ears which have still to grow that I had to step away and enjoy descarga full songs, with beautiful follow up of touches of guajiras, sons and guaguancos... God, a band that can play all that... boy... not many left...

anyhow, THS, yes live salsa do the improv thing, the good ones at least... bands are complained about because they usually go all out and imporvise almost the entire song which leaves us dancers exhausted after one song... but if you want a rush of blood from head to toe go listen to one of the big name bands... the wayne gorbea's, spanish harlem's, Willie Colon's of the world....
Click to expand...

That sounds awesome!

Wish I was staying, but gotta go where the work is, you know? ;-)

If/when I get my next chance to come into "the city", I'll make sure to PM you.
 
The DJ's here in Denver are horrible, all of them! If we got some good DJ's this place would really be hoppin. I've thought about doing it myself, but that would cut into my dance time!
 
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