SALSAMUNDO
Presents
DJ Elvira
Dominguez
New York’s Hottest female “Pura Salsa” DJ
By
Angel
Ortiz
“As a social dancer I wanted more. So I was motivated to help this situation and it was then that I decided to become a DJ.”
New York City, The Big Apple, The Gran Manzana.
They say the population is 8 million people. That means 8 million stories.
Lately, there’s been talk about Latina women and their diversity in the work
force, the Arts and Entertainment field, and the positive contributions they
are making both economically and professionally. We should wonder why it hasn’t
been noticed before!!! - but that’s another
story. This story, however, is about a young Latina and her efforts as a Disc
Jockey in the Latin music field. Her Passion?
– Salsa Music.
In most
male-dominated fields, the successful woman is rarely recognized for her
efforts and achievements. Among the many reasons to succeed, there’s the
motivation to overcome the challenges and be a winner in the respective field.
Without question, Elvira Dominguez is a winner in her field. Success to her
doesn’t mean making the most money. Instead, it means overcoming the
challenges and then creating new avenues to pursue. In this sense, she has
succeeded.
With
international travel to Spain and England, this Latina is on the move. Her experiences abroad have only inspired her to remain
positive, to trust her instincts, and follow her passion!!! - Salsa music. She
possesses an uncanny ability to “know which songs to play” and adheres to
her winning formula; “keep it basic and let the whole song play.” That
means no mixing of songs, just PURE
SALSA all
the way.
Born in
Caracas, Venezuela, Elvira Dominguez (Taurus) eventually moved to Spain and
lived there for ten years. Ironically, at that time, she really didn’t
listen to Salsa. It was when she moved to Brighton, south of London, that she
became interested in the Latin sounds. According to Elvira, she would listen
and dance to the Latin sounds there but felt that something was missing. It
was then that she developed a different point of view on what kinds of songs should be
played to inspire the dancers and create a dynamic environment in the clubs.
Her nine years in London and her ambition to play music motivated her to
pursue her goals as a Disc Jockey.
Her view
of what should be played and what could ignite the dancers even more prompted
her to take up the turntables in one of the top cities of the world…….New
York City. She brought with her the experiences she garnered in Europe and put
her “fingers’ to the test in the Big Apple. She had no idea whether the
public would accept her. Nevertheless, with persistence (she’s a Taurus) she
decided to take the risk. It is often said that the greatest risk is not
taking one. So, to her surprise, she shopped her demo tape around and
subsequently received the encouragement to begin. With encouragement and
inspiration from the dancers in New York City and from the people who knew
about the real stuff, Elvira found her niche – and it’s “PURA
SALSA” that she plays!!!!!
Angel
Ortiz & Elvira
Bacardi Congreso de la
Salsa 2000
(New York)
Although
Elvira is not the only female Disc Jockey in New York, she is one of the few
in the male-dominated industry paving the way. Elvira says that most people
show surprise and acknowledgement when they learn that a Latina is playing the
music. She doesn’t mind this at all since it brings a smile to their faces
(and hers !!)
She
currently is the New York correspondent for the website Salsaweb.com and has her own column every Friday in El Diario/La
Prensa, called “Noches en Clave” with DJ
Elvira. In the past, she’s done voluntary work for JustSalsa.com and for the
RMM Record Label. Currently, she spins music every Wednesday at “Nell’s”
(14th Street between 7-8 Avenues). She also does free-lance work
while traveling both domestically and internationally. Some of the venues she’s
played at are the Copacabana, The Supper Club, El Flamingo,
Belle Epoque, China Club, Hush,
Summer Festivals like Lincoln Center,
the South Street Seaport, venues in
New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas, the “Bacardi Congreso de la Salsa” in Puerto Rico, and the “West
Coast Salsa Congress” in California.
With her zest for life and her will to succeed,
Elvira will positively challenge the “rules” of the male-dominated music
industry. With no stop signs in her way, she continues to make her
contributions to the world of Latin music and dance.
This year she has been nominated as one of El
Diario/La Prensa’s 50 Outstanding Latinas of the Year, along with woman
such as Celia Cruz and La
India. With the future ahead of her, we welcome Elvira Dominguez to
Salsamundo’s “Women in Salsa”.
INTERVIEW
What
motivates you to play Salsa music?
E –
I love the music and I’m also a dancer. What really motivates me is when I
see people dancing to the music. Their enjoyment and their positive reaction
is what it’s all about.
Is
there some feeling you want to convey to the audience through the songs you
play?
E
– What I’d like to send is strong rhythms to the dancers. I prefer songs
with a lot of percussion.
When I play music of the ‘70s, people come up to me and ask me how I know
about those songs since I’ve only been playing music for three years. It’s
a nice reaction and I enjoy playing the “old school” salsa music as well.
So it’s a feeling of enjoyment that I like to convey.
Share
some of your thoughts as to how you select the music you play?
E –
I basically go through my selection of music and listen to songs at random.
From there I select which I will play. I put a mark on those that I select. I
don’t have a strict process. I try to see who my audience is and then react
to them. So it all depends on the atmosphere at the time and the feedback from
the crowd.
Do you feel then that you receive feedback from the audience whether they are dancing or socializing?
E
– Absolutely. From the booth, I see a few things. For example, I see some
people smile when I play a particular song. They look at me with an
acknowledgment that tells me I’ve selected one of their favorite songs.
Also, knowing some of the dancers and their favorite songs gives me an edge. I
know what they like to dance to so I play those songs.
How
long have you been playing music? Which was the first club for you in New York
and in Europe? And how was it that you became interested in this field?
E
– It’s been at least three years now. Three years ago, I was living in
London. I remember going out to the various Latin nightclubs. From watching
the people dance, I became inspired to learn the dance.
So I started going out dancing five, six times a week. In London at the
time, the majority of the Disc Jockeys were Colombian and Cuban. Although the
music selection was always good, I can remember that the same songs would be
played each week. I guess at the time, the record stores didn’t have a wide
selection. I think by now though, the selections have probably grown in
variety. As a social dancer I wanted more. So I was motivated to help
this situation and it was then that I decided to become a DJ. Since I
had an idea of which songs the dancers wanted to hear, well, that made it an
easy beginning for me.
In New York, the first club I played was at El
Flamingo about two years ago on Sundays. At that time, Sundays was hot at
Flamingo. In London, my first club was “Gossips”. I played music at most
of the clubs in London including Salsa Fusion, Habana Café, and at the
Notting Hill Carnival. I was also a “guest DJ” and had the opportunity to
play almost everywhere in London.
The
public in New York is very supportive of your efforts. How do you feel about
that?
E
– I feel terrific about that. New York is a fascinating city with many
challenges. To be acknowledged is very rewarding and satisfying. It’s a
challenge for me to be the best I can be. It’s a tough town so you have to
continue to be your best otherwise the people will know it and not respond too
kindly. So I’m really happy about it. In London, I was playing at parties
and dances but felt that I wasn’t going to grow. So I decided to move to New
York since I felt it might offer more opportunities. I had heard that the
dancing in New York was at a high level and that some of the top DJs were
located here.
How
would you describe the current New York nightclub scene?
E
- Well, I think here you have choices. Also, comparatively speaking and based
on my own travel experiences, I feel New York is the capital of Salsa. There’s
a long history here but I’m also very happy to see it growing all over the
world. When you look around, almost every night of the week there is a club
you can go to and dance Salsa. The venues range from small to medium to large
spaces like the famous Copacabana. During the summer, there are numerous short
boat rides you can take where Salsa music is offered. We also have Madison
Square Garden where four times a year the RMM Salsa Festival/Concert presents
itself. So there are lots of ways these events add to the overall “nightclub
scene”.
As
a DJ, is there anything that you would like to do different than the other
DJs?
E
– Yes, and I’m doing it now. I play only Salsa!!! That’s why my parties
are called PURE SALSA. When I talk with other DJs, they remind me to also
think “commercial” because to specialize in only playing Salsa music might
be short-lived. However, I keep trying to stick to what I believe in because
there are many people in New York who want to hear Salsa. I believe there is a
public for it. In the beginning I was cautioned that it might be difficult but
so far it has been going well for me. I also realize that I should keep the
variety and options open so that ALL can enjoy the great music and dancing.
When
you are spinning records (CDs), do you ever find yourself
“In the Zone”?
E
– Yes, there are certain songs that are really good and make the people
dance and really go crazy. I stare at the dancers when this happens. I look at
them and enjoy it so much. Then, I realize that I should find a follow-up song
to continue the excitement. That’s when I fall into the “zone”. The
dancers and their reaction are my inspiration. I can see them feeling the
music. It’s about bringing back good memories and encouraging them to go out
to the dance floor and dance. That’s what I try to do.
Any
favorite recording artists?
E-
Some of my favorites are Louie Ramirez, Ray de La Paz, Tito Puente, Jose
Alberto “El Canario”, Oscar D' Leon, Eddie Palmieri, plus many others.
If you had an opportunity to introduce a new idea, technique, or device to enhance a DJ’s ability, what would it be?
E
– Well, at the moment, the equipment available to DJs is very much advanced.
However, I don’t’ make use of it. I just stick to the basics and play the
music. I let the whole song play and then bring in the next. This makes me
different than the others because currently, most DJs mix the songs. There’s
nothing wrong with mixing it’s just that I prefer the basics.
Every DJ does his or her “own thing”. This is good because it adds
variety and versatility in playing music and it also offers a different way
for the public to enjoy the music. However, I like the basics. My passion is
there and I always say to “stick to what you believe in”
Any
thoughts on what you would like to see happen in the next six months or year?
E
– Yes. I
would like to bring back the “old Copacabana”, the Cheeta Club, or the
Village Gate. I would be interested in promoting and playing a night in these
clubs. I have heard about those wonderful years when those clubs flourished. I
wasn’t around to enjoy it but it would be great if I could revive it and
bring some of it back. I also would like to eventually progress into radio and
other areas of the music industry.
THE END
*To contact Elvira for your next Salsa event, festivals-international and domestic, send emails to: puresalsa@hotmail.com `