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Blast from the West

DJ Paco De La Cruz and Hacienda are all set to spin some world music for revellers in town today. SYEDA FARIDA checks out

PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

THREE MUCH Deejay Paco De La Cruz, DJ Marcus Finger and vocalist J. Ross are all set to take off

Gigs on the tube, MTV Grind and others, look oh so cool. This part of the world started heating up a few years ago when the city hosted mana version of these electrifying events. Time for revellers in town to rejoice as Bacardi Blast returns, this time with a medley of electronic techno and ambient dance floor 80 BPM music from international acts.

Spanish deejay DJ Paco De La Cruz believes in music from pure roots. His music, he feels, "is different sound of house. It's more rhythmic with percussion. It sounds more like Latino, a bit of Brazilian beats and an overall richness of drum flavour," he says strumming on the table. DJ De La Cruz incidentally plans to open his stack for the gig tonight with a track that starts with a `tabla'. His penchant for Indian music doesn't end here, for he plans to use a sample from Veer-Zaara for his new track that he is currently working on. And he is not the only one smitten by Indian films, music included.

DJ Marcus Finger and vocalist J. Ross of Hacienda, who will be taking centre-stage with DJ Cruz, have been thinking of replicating the trend of Bollywood remixes and deejays-doing-film music funda, going by the success of Musafir, Zeher and now Kalyug, in Frankfurt, where they come from. "It is not necessary for those in the deejaying profession to specialise in film music there. There are a lot of things you can learn from here. The film industry is well established and that includes the music. Bollywood is a big thing in the West. Especially the songs, and their choreography. We plan to go and do some OSTs now when we go back. Our studio can work with classic rock, hip-hop and electronic music to go with the script," says DJ Marcus. Hacienda, by the way, happens to be quite a brand when it comes to global gig scene. Founded in 1995 when artistes — deejays, vocalists, saxophone and percussion players — got bored of techno music and decided to start an electronic down beat revolution; that was bringing down the beats from 160 BPM to about 80. Today, their club mixes feature on Ibiza and Ministry of Sound hits and Late Lounge Lover from one of their albums was the anthem for the Bacardi commercial in the U.S.

The U.S.P. of their gigs is the live element. Bringing in Sweet dreams from Eurythmics and some James Brown tracks is J. Ross who is the `shouter and vocalist' on board. "This is a concept we developed. We would like to take it nearer to people," says Marcus. "And we would like people to come open-minded to lend an ear to our music," says Ross. As the threesome get ready for probably the mother of all parties in this part of the world, their agenda is to get the dance floor rocking. "The concept of Bacardi Blast is the same worldwide. Deejays and musicians get the people involved in the party. We would like to play gigs for people who pay and have come to let their hair down," says DJ Cruz.

With each of the pros ready with a stack of three hours each, "I can play for six hours if they let me play," says DJ Cruz. All ye party buffs, this is your date with some world house. Bacardi Blast starts at 8 p.m. at Leo Meridian Resorts near Celebrity Club, Shamirpet Road. For details, contact 98480-18923.

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