Amoeblog

Rebellion!

This Thursday @ The Scene
Come and join us for a night of rebellious music -- Dance floor Afro-Beat, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Salsa & Cumbia classics, all with messages of freedom and rebellion. Amoeba employees Gazoo (Edwin), Askari (Eric) and myself will be on the turntables with Ray Ricky Rivera as our host. Special guest will be East Los Angeles Reggae En Español band Umoverde.

All of this for only five bucks!

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The Scene
806 E. Colorado St.
Glendale, California
Cost: $5
Posted by Gomez Comes Alive! on June 24, 2008 at 09:34am | Post a Comment

We Go Til' 6 In The Morning

Majix's B-Day
Last week it was Eric's (also known as Majix to some) birthday. You might know him as the guy who works in Amoeba Hollywood's Reggae & Soul sections.  A few of us got together on a Tuesday night at his pad to celebrate the birth of this very righteous gentleman. We had turntables, courtesy of DJ Doleak who works in our Hip-Hop section. Doleak just destroyed it on the turntables for most of the night while Ray Ricky Rivera, Eric and myself jumped in from time to time to give Doleak a breather. Some members of local bands Aztlan Underground and Buyepongo (more on this amazing group later) showed up as well.

Being a gracious host, Eric supplied a great spread & there were plenty of spirits. It was a Tuesday night that felt like a Friday night. Some of us (well..not me) even started a little freestyle session. Can't say anyone was that inspired at four in the morning, but it was fun nonetheless.

Wednesday, however...was a little rough on some of us who had to work the next day.

Check out some photos that I took at the party:


Posted by Gomez Comes Alive! on May 10, 2008 at 11:40pm | Post a Comment

In Memory Of DJ Dusk

The 2nd Annual DJ Dusk Art & Music Festival

Back in 2000, when I used to perform at The Temple Bar on a regular basis, DJ Dusk was the resident DJ. I knew him as one of the Root Down DJ's and I heard him spin funk, hip-hop & reggae. On those Temple Bar nights when East L.A. would invade Santa Monica, he would unload the best Salsa, Cumbia and Latin Funk Jams. I figured with with his dark features, musical tastes and his command of Spanish slang that this his was one of us. Turned out he was born Tarek Habib Captan, son of a Lebanese father and a German/Irish mother. I wasn't the only one fooled. In an article in Los Angeles City Beat Magazine, close friend and Root Down co-founder Carlos "Loslito" Guaico didn't know either:

"For the longest time I was convinced he was a Puerto Rican from New York. Not just because of his smooth-operator and accent status, but for his understanding, love, and education for all types of music from hip-hop to house, funk, soul, reggae, and salsa."

Two years later for those who knew him personally or knew him from the music he played, he is still missed very much. The DJ Dusk Art & Music festival is not as much an anniversary of his death as a celebration of his life. The festival is being held at The Mar Vista Family Center, a place where Dusk mentored hundreds of kids that passed through those doors over thirteen years. Also performing tomorrow will be East L.A.'s very own (and Amoeba employee) Ray Ricky Rivera with a full band.
Posted by Gomez Comes Alive! on April 26, 2008 at 11:14am | Post a Comment