{"id":2211,"date":"2013-02-24T22:01:51","date_gmt":"2013-02-24T22:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/?p=2211"},"modified":"2013-02-27T22:11:11","modified_gmt":"2013-02-27T22:11:11","slug":"louie-lou-gorbea-23-02-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/louie-lou-gorbea-23-02-13\/","title":{"rendered":"LOUIE LOU GORBEA 23.02.13"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

LOU GORBEA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Crossroads is defined by a road that crosses another road, or a road that runs transversely to main roads.*<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPlease Stand By\u201d reads the words painted on the wall.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Around the corner, patrons sit at the bar, two pool tables entertain folk, \u201cPulp Fiction,\u201d plays on several monitors, tired butts sit on couches, and a kid\u2019s horsy ride sees no action.\u00a0 Over here hangs HD plasmas.\u00a0 Overhead hangs shiny disco balls.\u00a0 Over there hangs a speaker monitor from the ceiling.\u00a0 On the wall behind the DJ booth a graphic novel\u2019s storyboard of love-scorn characters is painted, adjacent that wall freighting abstract heroines pose, as a painted naked anime girl blows a kiss from the DJ booth.\u00a0 The room with entirely too much activity, dance floor is completely empty.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A pillar of afro house blesses the lifeless floor.\u00a0 Where is everyone?\u00a0 Perhaps viewing the event\u2019s live stream video in comfort on a laptop at home.\u00a0 The time reads eleven thirty. \u00a0By the time the hour hand strokes midnight the crowd peaks to forty-something.\u00a0 A wandering eye questions is this as good as the attendance will get?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Techie synths, Latin percussions and sacred rhythms gather brave sojourners to join the dance ritual. This sacrament comes courtesy from the minister of sound DJ Ausar<\/a>.\u00a0 Neither rare or common, the mouth covered DJ runs onto the floor, dances, and returns to the DJ booth to cue the next song.\u00a0 This is all a night of fun for the city\u2019s Kalakuta radio show host.\u00a0 However, his night of fun is not without technical difficulties.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStop Jealousy<\/a>,\u201d by Boddhi Satva featuring Ze Pequino (Culoe De Song Kamnguni Remix), the final song in Ausar\u2019s blessing, sets the place ablaze.\u00a0 That is, until the song lives up to the first word in its title and comes to an abrupt stop.\u00a0 Please, not again.\u00a0 <\/em>Where Ausar drops the ball is where the night\u2019s guest headliner from New York City picks up. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sugar Groove\u2019s guest DJ, producer and remixer extraordinaire always manages to bring the \u201cWOW\u201d to the event.\u00a0 Anyone for electric guitars that scream over afro house, acoustic guitars that pluck sweet goodness from melodic harmonies, pulsating bass lines that transform into staccato jabs of Latin percussions, a Hammond B-3 that takes the track to church and piano keys that play a dazzling sound spectacle worthy of the world\u2019s tenth wonder?\u00a0 Then look no further than Louie \u201cLou\u201d Gorbea.\u00a0 The man knows his music. He knows instruments.\u00a0 This is his crossroads of diverse sounds.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Whew.\u00a0 The music starts.\u00a0 Lou sheds his jacket, adorns his bald head with a Crossroads shroud much like the ceremony of a minister robing before delivering a sermon.\u00a0 Lou\u2019s sermon starts with a fiery blast of energy, equivalent to a preacher\u2019s heaven and hell brimstone tactics.\u00a0 Except, DJ X-Trio provides the brimstone. The \u201cAfrica<\/a>\u201d track pumps at 125 beats per minute leaving behind the previously afro house tracks at speeds of 120 BPMs.\u00a0 Wait one minute as dancing feet play catch up.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The minister of music delivers an uplifting message of vocals and soul-stirring music form the global unity anthem of Black Coffee featuring Hugh Masekela\u2019s \u201cWe Are One<\/a>,\u201d to the Elements of Life featuring Josh Milan\u2019s optimistic \u201cChildren of The World<\/a>\u00a0(Dub),\u201d to the old-school gospel-esque Joe Smooth featuring Anthony Thomas\u2019 \u201cThe Promised Land<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Trouble brews.\u00a0 Just like a thief in the night, the enemy sends in a distraction.\u00a0 Here comes Jezebel.\u00a0 She is dressed in a black bustier and black knee high boots.\u00a0 She walks up to the DJ booth to deliver a message to the minister.\u00a0 \u201cTurn down the bass.\u201d\u00a0 Jezebel commands before turning around and walking into a chained cage where the distraction decides to put on a show.\u00a0 Epic fail.\u00a0 This is no burlesque.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t nobody got time for that.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The bass plays \u201c a whomp, a whomp, a boom\u201d and the music continues.\u00a0 Pop pusher Lana De Rey sounds innocent yet willing singing \u201cVideo Games\u201d over an afro house treatment.\u00a0 One of the party\u2019s surprise treats.\u00a0 Some dancers cheer; other dancers are distracted. \u00a0The beguilement abounds; conversations, laughter, friendly pranks, actor Samuel L. Jackson\u2019s horrible jheri curl wig, Jezebel gyrating in the chained cage and the hotties mounting white horses. \u00a0The room becomes a circus.\u00a0 Sadly, the music becomes muddled, lost in translation.\u00a0 That is\u2026..<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Until DJ Swift\u2019s, of Sugar Groove<\/a>, laptop driven music set, surprisingly, places the focus back on the music.\u00a0 An on the fly remix of \u201cgolden voice\u201d Akram Sedkaoui\u2019s on Jerk House Connection\u2019s \u201cEach and Every Day (Life Goes On)<\/a>, with the bass, middles and highs from Maya Jane Cole\u2019s \u201cSimple Things<\/a>\u201d brought feet dancing back to the floor.\u00a0 Swift rewinds time playing not one but three Dennis Ferrer\u2019s anthems from yesteryear; Joey Negro presents the Starburst Band\u2019s \u201cJourney to The Sun<\/a>” (Dennis Ferrer Remix), \u201cChurch Lady<\/a>\u201d and “P 2 Da J<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0 NYC\u2019s club Shelter knocks on Atlanta\u2019s club Shelter door with Jill Scott\u2019s \u201cRolling Hills\u201d (Shelter Mix). \u00a0The 1999 tribal banger, Men From The Nile’s “Watch Them Come” takes the dancers around the world to close the party. \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The party had its share of challenges, some expected and others not so expected.\u00a0 Sadly, the venue kills the vibe. No wonder the attendance slacks.\u00a0 Sugar Groove must be at a crossroads.\u00a0 The question begs further growth away from the venue or a slow death at the venue.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t