We’re Pool-Party-Ready with This Selection of Colombian DJs

Urska Jaksa

Jul 20, 2020

Get your floatie, we’re bringing the loudspeakers.

Well, you know how it is with events this year, so we’ll have to appreciate the music virtually – and Ruben is bringing all the vibes with his suggestions. 

Music hero of the month: Ruben Velez

Ruben is a Colombian who returned to his contributing ways after a year-long pause: “At the end of 2019, the launch of the new contribution platform caught my eye. In February, I decided to start contributing again and since then I haven’t stopped. The page has now been refreshed and already includes a great number of artists. But I saw room for improvement in the genre that I’ve always liked – Electronic music. I’ve focused on this genre as I’ve been listening to it for more than 15 years. That’s why it was easier to know where to look for the different artists, events and festivals.”

“Being able to contribute a lot of artists from my country to the platform was my main motivation.”

When he’s not cycling or improving his programming and graphic design skills, he’s combining his support of Colombian DJs with Viberate’s potential: “A former DJ friend (Monica H) and I decided to create “Mujeres Electronica”, an Instagram, Facebook and Mixcloud account to promote the many female DJs in our country, get them to know about the advantages of their Viberate page, and add the link to their channels. We do this selflessly because of our love for Electronic music and because we support the vision of Viberate.”  You’ll get a good taste of this in his top picks.

Top 5: Picks and thoughts

“Well, that’s a tough decision,” Ruben goes, “because there’s a lot of artists that I’ve gotten to know. Being true to what I really like, I want to pay a little tribute to the girls from my country, DJs that I've encountered during the contribution process.”

1. DJ Alexa

“She’s an authority on the Colombian Electronic music – I can say that she’s 'the mother of DJs in Colombia'. She’s been on the scene for over 20 years. Her music is characterized by classic House sounds, moving to energetic Tech House.”

2. Ari Deejay

“The versatility of this artist really caught my attention. She’s an excellent DJ with an exceptional handling of vinyl. In addition, she’s part of a Colombian group, Electropika, that mixes Tropical rhythms with Electronic music, accompanies it with a percussionist and puts on a great show. As if that’s not enough, she’s also a professor of music theory, applied to production.”

3. Dr Honey

“One of the contributions that caught my attention the most is this sister DJ duo. Their latest single 'Loud' is loaded with strong emotions, as it’s dedicated to a younger sister who unfortunately passed away a few months ago. They are focused on mixing the Electronic sounds of Minimal Techno with melody and sweet voices.”

4. Marcela Reyes

"I discovered this DJ on Viberate and researching a little more about her, I found out her genre is 'Guaracha', also called 'Zapateo', 'Aleteo', 'Chancleteo', and even 'Narco Beat'. It’s a mixture of genres with a tribal House base, accompanied by trumpets and other musical instruments, unusual for Electronic music. This very particular genre has both haters and lovers and has also gained popularity in countries like Chile and Mexico. She’s called 'the Queen Guaracha' in Colombia and is quite a hit on social media.”

5. Dj Lecktra Fire

“I’ve known this DJ for about 10 years, but I lost track of her for a while. However, I noticed her on Viberate with a brand new image. Her sets still have her unmistakable style with a very Tech House vibe that invites you to dance.”

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A go-to playlist

Asked about the music he’s currently listening to, Ruben says: “No matter how many years pass, these will continue to be my favorite songs.”

1. Mauro Picotto – Komodo: “It’s one of the first Electronic songs I heard, a real hit.”

2. Tiësto – Traffic: “A classic that I’ll listen to until the last days of my life without a doubt.”

3. Sharam – Party All the Time (Tocadisco’s Bombenalarm Remix): “The title of this song says it all.”

4. Milton Channels – Hey You: “A theme with a powerful bass that invites you to dance.”

5. Mario Ochoa – Big Spender: “I’m a big fan of this Colombian DJ and this is my favorite song of his.”

6. Avicii – Wake Me Up: “Proof that Electronic music can have good lyrics. Great AVICII, we miss you.”

7. Good Times Ahead, MOSKA – YYZ: “One of those songs that you don't really know why you like, but you listen to it whenever you can.”

8. Yves Larock – Rise Up: “Listening to it transports me to special moments and places.”

9. Gareth Emery feat. Christina Novelli – Concrete Angel: “A very good singer + a very good DJ = an excellent song.”

You can also listen to Ruben’s playlist on Spotify. 

And at last… here’s Ruben’s top contribution hack:

“Always try to think of new methods to be effective, but without a doubt the one thing that has worked the most for me has been to look for little-explored genres that aren’t so popular. Getting out of the commercial sphere is the key. Then always check an artist, event or festival to add information to.”

“Without a doubt the one thing that has worked the most for me has been to look for little-explored genres that aren’t so popular. Getting out of the commercial sphere is the key.”

In his own words: “Viberate provides a lot of information not only for artists, but also for those of us who are music fans. If you’re a contributor, it gives you loads of musical knowledge as you realize there’s artists and musical genres that you’ve never heard about. Diving deeper, you also realize there’s people behind it to guide you, so that in the end, your contribution process runs smoother.”

Meeting on the Viberate platform to share their passion for music and put artists, festivals, and events on the map is something Viberate contributors have been doing for years now. This time, we set the tone for the ultimate summer festivities, in line with protective measures, of course. Next time, we’ll see.

If you aren't yet a part of the contribution community powering the future of music, join and start contributing now.

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