dj nyc

Here are a few photos of the cocktail area at the Primavera Regency.  You can get a sense of what the bar/ piano area are like if you’re thinking of having a wedding there.

This is perfect rainy evening music or relaxing Sunday afternoon for lounging around. Ali Farka Touré is a guitarist from Mali and his music is often categorized as African “Blues” although it’s unique you’d have to decide for yourself. I found out about him when he came out with his final album “Savane” in 2006 which was on many top ten lists of the year at the time and then discovered The River which was recommended by this book.    This album is amazing all the way through, any track for a sample will do.  “Heygana” Amazon described as one of the best “African blues tunes ever recorded” and another one I like a lot is called “Boyrei”.  If you are at all a fan of Johnny Lee Hooker, roots reggae or bluegrass you’ll want to check out Savana and The River. Both albums are excellent, highly recommend them.

Ali Farke Toure – “Heygana”

Ali Farke Toure – “Boyrei”
 

Came across this article this morning about how more and more people in New York are learning how to dj in light of the recession and losing their jobs. This is awesome, love to hear when people decide to pursue their passion and take a leap of faith into the creative world.  I was personally driven by a similar desire to not sit in a cubicle under flourescent lights forever, and to find some outlet for my passion for sharing music with others.  One of the great things about djing and meeting other djs is the majority of the time you meet people who have a burning desire to express themselves with music by producing, sharing, mixing and performing it.  In fact I think if you were considering hiring a dj I would make it a priority to figure out whether or not the person was actually passionate about music and djing, or whether they were doing it more just to “make some extra cash”.  This can usually be accomplished by asking them what some of their favorite types of music to spin are or to recount some memorable moments spinning.  Sean has much more in depth dj advice here. 

It’s great people have places like dubspot to be able to learn, it does seem a bit pricey at $1695.  Compare with online schools like fxphd where you get 3 classes for $330, the courses are much more sophisticated, and you actually have work you can take with you.  I’m sure it’s a great place to learn and the community aspect of it is helpful, but there are literally thousands of free tutorials online, type in “learn to dj” on youtube, or just start out a friend’s party or bar messing around like most of us did.  After all a school may be able to show you how to mix, scratch and beat match, but it can’t show you what kind of music you like, and this is the most vital part of djing.