Who's Online?No members online Guests: 1
|
|
Interview with DJ Torqueo of Salsa Central |
|
|
|
Written by JoJo
|
|
Tuesday, 26 February 2008 |
How, why and when did you get into salsa?
Going out with Mel (C), I couldn't really avoid it. I was initially quite blown away by the scene, but slightly reluctant to learn to begin with, preferring a pint while listening to the music. Starting classes was inevitable, whether I liked it or not, which I do! Like a lot of scenes, you never know they exist in the form they do.
Who first taught you to dance salsa?
Mel - I couldn't really go to anyone else's classes, really, could I?! I still attend her classes, and very occasionally go to Michael, Maxine and Keefe's class at the Custard Factory. I'm learning very slowly.
Did you have any dance training prior to salsa?
None at all.
Tell me a little about Salsa Central. When, why and how was it set up?
Salsa Central was initially Mel's idea, and was planned to be a directory of classes and events, but grew very quickly into a full blown Salsa website. The only reason it's as big as it is in such a short space of time (it's only 9 months old as I write this) is because of the team. People try to set these sites up on their own, but don't realise that you need a strong group to really make it work. We essentially have experts in the required fields, and the team is growing. We have a lot of additions and enhancements for the site planned.
The motivation behind the site, for me personally, is to give a degree of targeted exposure for a lot of the musicians and artists to the Salsa community that they wouldn't otherwise get, and put everyone on the same platform regardless of reputation.
How, when and why did you get into DJing?
I originally started DJing at the age of 13. I was really into Hip-Hop at that age, and bought a very cheap belt-driven set up from the local Tandy, from saving paper-round money with my best mate, Pritt. We started off playing at the local school youth club, then progressed into running our own parties when we were in the sixth form. We were under age at the time, but still managed to hire out social clubs in our local town and pack in over 100 at a time.
After that, I progressed into playing house music as well and bought my cherished Technics 1200's, which I still own, then 6 months later won a mixtape competition in Muzik magazine. This resulted in me playing the Radio 1 Essential Mix in October 2006, followed by gigs at all the main house clubs including Cream, Gatecrasher, Wobble, Ministry of Sound, the Blue Note, etc...
I stopped after a few years and went into playing funk and breaks in bars and the back rooms of clubs, which I preferred. I even actually dropped some Salsa at these gigs without even realising it - it was just good hard Latin music to me at the time!
I hadn't DJ'd for a few years when I decided to start playing Salsa. I love the music, was building a bit of a CD collection, and had previous form as a DJ, so thought I'd try my hand at it.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Meeting some of the artists has been the biggest inspiration, especially Chino Nunez and Jimmy Bosch. Some of the artists have been through some rough times, but still keep going. Their passion for the music is infectious!
Who do you admire?
Other than the guys on the Salsa Central Team...
Louis Verscheuren, who runs the Antilliaanse Feesten in Belgium. He hasn't forgotten his roots after 25 years of running the festival, and makes sure the whole town benefits from the event.
Del Salereo, for being persistent in his efforts to get the UK a national Salsa radio station.
David Hynes, for putting his money where his mouth is and just going for it.
Emma Moore, for not taking any sh*t and running businesses that have real substance and quality design behind them.
Jimmy Bosch, for creating his own fate.
Chino Nunez, for going through some really rough times but never giving up.
What’s your favourite track at the moment?
New Swing Sextet - Bobo Eres Tu
What are your all time favourite tracks?
Salsa:-
El Gran Combo - Guaguanco Del Gran Combo
Ricardo Ray – Comojen
George Guzman – Cameron
Louie Ramirez – Presumida
Non-Salsa:-
Marlena Shaw - California Soul
Hard Knocks - Strictly From The Bronx
What are your favourite albums?
El Gran Combo - 35 Years Around The World
New Swing Sextet - Back On The Streets
Ray Ramos - Sabroso Y Saoco
Tito Rodriguez – Eclipse
Cubanoson - Recordando a Cuba
What was the last CD you bought?
The TNT Band - TNT = Dynamite
What music is in your car/cd player/tape player at the moment?
It changes with each journey, but right now, it's a compilation CD that I made - a mix of everything. I also have one of Mel’s La Playa Sextet CDs in there.
Who are your favourite artists?
New Swing Sextet
El Gran Combo
Hector Lavoe
Roberto Roena
If you were not a successful Promoter/Teacher/DJ, what would you be doing instead? Or if you also have a full-time job, what do you do?
I have a day job, working as a Systems Analyst - I basically make sure all the internal computer systems run ok in the department I work in.
I also have my own web design and film/DVD production company, as well as running Salsurban, the newly formed salsa t-shirt company.
Tell me something most people wouldn’t know about you?
I prefer cats to dogs. Boring, I know, but I'll save the meaty stuff for my memoirs!
What’s your all time favourite salsa club/event that you have played/taught/danced?
I've only played a handful of gigs so far, but the most fun was playing at Hopeton’s Sunday Salsa Conexion in Leamington Spa. It's a mixed crowd, with a lot of Cuban influence, so it was a good test for me. I'm hoping to play there again sometime ;-)
What has been your most memorable moment?
Getting to the first Wieliczka Crystal Salsa weekender against all the odds after missing our flight. I'll never forget that journey, especially getting lost on a dirt track in some woods at 4am. The sense of achievement when we eventually reached our hotel after 18 hours was indescribable.
Have you had any embarrassing/nightmare-ish moments in salsa?
Not yet, or none that I can think of, but I'm sure there are plenty to come.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It would be nice if people took more of an interest in the artists that have spent their lives making the music they dance to, some of whom end their lives in poverty. I understand a lot of people go to Salsa to just dance and socialise, but please have some respect for where the music and ultimately the scene has come from.
Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone that has had any involvement with Salsa Central, however small, as it's all been very important in the site’s development. We also appreciate and encourage any feedback - the site is not perfect by any means, but we're trying. Also, thanks to those promoters that have been prepared to give me a chance to unleash my music onto their unsuspecting audience.
www.djtorqueo.com
Contact Details:-
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel: 07843 262 667
|
|
|
