Extract of 'Arriba la cumbia,' a mix of DJ Russ Jones on Mixcloud. For the complete mix, go to: https://www.mixcloud.com/HackneyGT/arriba-la-cumbiaaaaa/
Track 1 - A party of actants
1. Sound Equipments
2. Visual Equipments
A failed attempt to digitize the atmosphere of the party.
Both visual and sound equipments are objects that play a principal role in the construction of the atmosphere, but were only present (or visible) upon breakdown or technical problems. For example, the laptop where all the images are held and transmitted to the projector, became an important element when Carlos forgot his USB with images and had to rely in the old and slow computer to get the images from the Internet. They also afford certain actions, e.g. the CD mixer used in some bars allows a limited amount of mixing effects while performing.
3. Images and aesthetics
Describe tu imagen
Describe tu imagen
Describe tu imagen
4. Music, rythm, dance
Digital images projected in the wall or embedded in flyers that circulate through social media; paintings and printings hanging in walls; and objects all over the space: many of them are 'decorating', but in doing so they are also bringing a specific aesthetic and instantiating imaginaries of Latin American identities and traditions (sometimes from specific countries).
5. The audience
Djs create the atmosphere depending on where the audience come from. If they are Latin Americans, they will be expecting certain kinds of songs (salsa, reggaeton, merengue), whereas international costumers would appreciate fusions between those rythms with reggae, electronic, rock, and so on. They also have to build the atmosphere depending on how many people and how animated they are.
It would seem obvious that DJs take into account the peculiarities of each rythm, and that music influences a lot the atmosphere of the night. But in the specific case of salsa, the emphasis on drums, and the specific gestures that compose the dancing, result in limitations to the way DJs transition from one song to another, or from salsa to other genre, as the transition has to be smooth so that people can keep dancing.
6. And ... alcohol
Apart from its well-known effects, alcohol is also important. As one of the DJs told me, if people dance too much, then they won't drink and therefore the bar won't make any profit. Sometimes DJs have to alternate songs taking that situation into account.
Track 2 - How a night goes
A Snapchat story (edited)
A photo story (by Paloma Duplat)
