AJ Dance Legacy

KING LOUIE

Be prepared to lose your $hit. 

1700

The atmosphere transforms.  A new presence is felt.  A new spirit arrives. Although he nor his fedora are visible from the rear of the dance floor adjacent the bar.  No longer Little Louie, Vega gives life when playing the Dance Ritual chart-topper from the early aughts.  “Brand New Day” never sounded more engaging.  As a tidal wave of optimism floods over the gathered faces of brown, tan, and peach.  Appreciating.  The King’s preaching an uplifting sermon; Raul Midón’s “Sunshine (I Can Fly)” (Sacred Rhythm Mix),  Elements of Life’s featuring Anané’s “You Came Into My Life” (Louie Vega NYC Mix), Lil Louis’ “Fable” (Director’s Cut Classic Club Mix) with those uplifting piano riffs that floors everyone including the woman with tatted sleeves waving her limbs uncontrollably at the classic, Barbara Tucker’s “I Get Lifted”-all songs Texans need to hear.   (more…)

The Five Essentials to Throw a Successful Event

2330

“One water and one vodka cranberry,” you tell the bartender who closes the tab.  Grab the libations early.  Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Cause when Louie Vega featuring Unlimited Touch’s “Music Is My Life” welcomes you into the expansion, you already know, it is going to be one of those nights. 

Where perspiration drips down the fore and onto the chin.  Already? 

To the front of the space your red-bottoms trek.  To the right, near the elevated DJ stage, feel the kiss of cool falling from unseen vents. There you make camp. Your real estate secured.  (more…)

Prologue 

“How long does it take to get a damn bottled water?” The bartenders dressed in shoulder less black halters are wearing black masks. By 2 pm, people are tripping over, slightly inebriated, or buzzed from Moscow Mules or whatever trendy libations are du jour. You’ve waited so long at the bar that you start a conversation with a lady wearing micro braids. 

“What’s the wait about?” She asks over Akabu featuring Ovasoul7’s “Raw Love” (Joey Negro Club Mix).  Pockets of prime real estate appear. As the crowd thins.  That allows you to spin around and two-step adjacent the libation station as you wait and wait and wait.  Eyeing the servers inching away, further south the rectangle bar.  All you want is a bottled water.  

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OVEOUS

So what does an OVEOUS playlist sound like?  The music that Osunlade plays.  Percolating percussions.  Meditative melodies.  Ancestreal chants.  A major difference being OVEOUS spits verses, live.  Holding in hand a microphone he raps, “Find your friends on the dance floor. Or make new friends on the dance floor.”  Osunlade and OVEOUS are arguably interchangeable.  The latter having been mentored by the Yoruba priest, is a member of the Yoruba Recordings family.  Debuted as OVEOUS MAXIMUS, he first released, “I Apologize” (The Remixes) over a decade earlier.  The Ezel Remix brings back fond memories when the music selector sings, “I’m so sorry. (3X) I apologize.”  That has you mouthing along in harmony.

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Collective Minds

“We don’t care about y’all.

If you over dance, we don’t have insurance to cover you.”

Perhaps, Baltimore’s DJ Oji should use a more suitable palette of words. After all, the festival’s attendees feel a certain way.  After their saga began hours earlier.

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The Karizma Effect

When darkness is fully realized and the moon is only left to guide you.  The humidity registering at 65% sticks to your shirt.  Ewww.  A truck is parked the wrong way on a one-way alley street.  The driver, a woman is passed out at the steering wheel.  Across the street is a lanky man perched  on the sidewalk.  Sleeping.  His face covered with a black hoodie skull.  This is just another Friday night in these streets of Atlanta. 

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Collective Minds

Twelve hours and a near two hour flight later, you stare in the face of adversity.  The soles of your Balenciaga sneakers treading on gravel makes that crunching sound.  While walking?  Yes, walking.  And walking a fair distance too.  That’s sad.  Today’s soulful house music’s target audience is age fifty plus.  People would be upset seeing their mother or grandmother footing several kilometers to a music festival.  Shuttle vans should transport the elders to and fro in AC.  Instead their hands pull coolers.  Their arms cradle shopping bags.  And their backs tote luggage for close to a mile.   

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PARTY I

THE TOURISTS

0100

“LOUIE VEGA COME ON!” Yells an overzealous Vega fan holding a vinyl record.
“LOUIE. I WANNA HEAR SOME OF THAT HAL-LE-LUJIAH!” He sings.
“LOUIE PLAY THAT BLACK MUSIC.” He continues. “Then watch all these kids leave the room.” (more…)

OSUNLADE

2300

Twenty-five dollars cash to park! GTFOH. Betta forget about street parking too. Onward the parking quest continues. When music spills over brick edges onto black asphalt. Where groups of melanin hourglasses wearing lemonade braids with sneakers tread. Along the historic of avenues – Auburn.

This is just another hot boy summer Saturday night in these streets. Or is it? As twenty minutes later, the parking conundrum is solved. However, the question remains. Next trip drive solo, again? Or pay $90 round-trip to be chauffeured in a rideshare? Things that make you go “Hmmm.”

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