Ma Faiza
It is almost a pilgrimage of sorts and has been that way for over a decade: a gig at Berlin’s KitKatClub, the German capital’s famous nookie joint. “I am the only DJ from India to have played here,” laughs Ma Faiza, one of India’s most popular artistes of electronic music. She loves the space because, “it is wonderful, so open and free from moral judgement.”
There are three different reasons, she usually likes places, she says. “Nature has to be there, whether it is oceans, forests, mountains. Also, I prefer warm places.” Most importantly however, the place needs to have a respectful, open, tolerant environment, she adds. “Though it is hard to find nowadays.” Which is why she loves escaping every few months to Ibiza, she says, calling it a “precious place” that is “connected to nature” and “very warm and beautiful.”
Having travelled widely with her music, for over twenty years, means that she constantly attends music festivals. “There are some that can change your life,” she says, reeling off the names of those that do — Burning Man, Portugal’s Boom Festival, the Glastonbury Festival in the UK… “Basically, any of those festivals that can open your mind and soul, make you feel connected to nature and other people,” says Ma Faiza, who now has Japan on her bucket-list. “There aren’t too many places in the world where we are equal. The dance floor is one of them.”
Martin Garrix
He may be only 21, but his credentials are impressive: his YouTube channel has around 1,800,000,000 views, he was first on DJ Magazine ’s Top 100 DJs for 2 years running, and is the founder of the label STMPD RCRDS. In person, however, the youngest producer to have a No 1 song début on online music store Beatport, is soft-spoken and charming. “I love India and I’m super excited to be back here,” says the Dutch artiste, who was here in Goa, as part of Timeout 72.
2017 was a good year workwise, says Garrix. “I’ve done so many big and crazy shows. This year, I had two residencies on Ibiza at Hï and Ushuaïa.” Additionally, he played at World Club Dome Germany, and at an all-ages show in Amsterdam during Amsterdam Dance Event. “That one was really special, since young people, who normally don’t get to attend shows because of age restrictions, finally had the chance to attend one of my shows. The energy they gave me was crazy.”
While the year ahead looks promising, he declines to talk about it. “Unfortunately, a lot hasn’t been announced yet, so I can’t say too much about it, except that I’m really looking forward to them,” says the young man, whose favourite music events include the previously mentioned Amsterdam Dance Event, Miami Music Week and Coachella, because “the vibe there is amazing and you get to see so many different artistes.”
While playing in outer space is right up there on his wish list, pretty much any spot in the world can host a great party, says Garrix. “Good music and good people around me make any place the best party spot.”
Jason Derulo
This is musician and dancer Jason Derulo’s maiden visit to India and he admits to being thrilled about it. “Music is the soul of your country and I feel very connected to India. It is such a beautiful place and the experience was wonderful,” says Derulo, who was in Goa as part of Timeout 72, a three-day, multi-genre music festival held between December 27 and 29 last year . Though he didn’t get time to explore enough of the country, “It was just Goa this time,” he says ruefully, he is glad that he managed to end up here. “India was on my checklist for long and now that’s ticked off.”
2018 looks promising indeed for Derulo, who says that there are gigs in, “Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, UK... all lined up for the first quarter of 2018.”
The American singer, who declares, “I work a lot, and I party a lot too,” says that while making a song is an emotional roller-coaster, “I prefer not to worry about expectation and pressure, I just focus on my work and leave the rest to destiny.”
He especially loves the work culture of Australia — he lived there for two years, he says. “It’s a place where everyone is pretty carefree and actually living life. They don’t live to work; they work to live. I love the whole ambiance,” says Derulo, adding that his favourite party destination is Miami because, “That vibe is just very cool! There’s a party happening every hour.”
Nikhil Chinapa
DJ Nikhil Chinapa’s favourite party spot is Amsterdam. “The people there are really fun, they are open-minded and speak such good English,” says Chinapa, who spent his New Year’s eve in Goa. “It was a very special place,” he says, talking about the club, Waters Beach Lounge & Grill, where he played the gig.
Ask him about the one music festival that really matters and pat comes the reply. “The Secret Garden Party, held near Huntingdon in England,” he says, referring to the annual independent music and arts festival as, “a holistic experience.”
He admits that he is really looking forward to the maiden edition of Connect, a one-day festival promoted by two big techno-brands, Awakenings and Time Warp. “It is like Coke and Pepsi coming together,” he laughs. “I hope I’ll be able to be a part of it.”
