The True Essence- March 13, 2005
by Ivo Tomasini
It was 1am, March 11th, a cold Friday night as I eased on over to the mid sized crowd huddled in a broken line outside the Sullivan Room on 218 Sullivan Street, NYC. This latest installment of ALMA, a monthly Brazilian themed party hosted by Joann Jimenez, was to double as DJ True's (ALMA's resident DJ) Birthday bash - I had heard that everyone was coming out to pay homage to him. I made my way over to Manchild, the official ALMA door guardian at the S.R. "Is it sizzlin' on the inside?" I asked. "Oh yeah, always is." He said, and let me through the main doors. Upon entering, I was immediately warmed by the sonic vibrations surfacing from the dungeon-like basement where the party was thumping. Several sexy ladies chatted near the entry way. (This is why I always make it a rule to attend ALMA parties without a date).
After making my way down to the basement level, I was accosted by the entrancing "neo-Brazilian fusion" beats- a sultry blend of samba, bossa-nova, tribal, break beats and dub. Peeking into the turn-table booth perched on a high platform, I could see DJ True performing like a religious scientist; head-phones half on, manipulating the mixer- a touch here, a touch there- now and then shaking a Cabaça over his head which added richness to the poly-rhythmic sounds. True's best talent is his instinct to feel the crowd. He picks up every nuance of the dancer's mood and plays to it like a devoted lover. He is able to ease the music into a crescendo with perfect timing, never rushing or jumpy, the rhythm steadily climbs to a rapid, harder thrust and is sustained for several moments. Then, like a "True" artist, he allows the tempo to graduate downward only to build it up again. I watch as the gyrating crowd falls perfectly in synch to his masterful composition.
Born in Manhattan and of Brazilian descent, True began his musical excursion at an early age when his parents were dragging him to the club scene as just a toddler. It is no wonder that True maintains an intrinsic understanding for music. His education comes from experience as he has witnessed trends come and go, some better than others, and in between has created his very own, unique flavor for sounds. His combination of rhythms reflects 20 years of different music that has passed through the Manhattan night life. From samba to salsa, disco, rock, hip-hop, r&b, funk and more, True captures the essence of these elements and brings them to a midpoint generating a deep, soulful, dance sound.
Assisting DJ True at the tables is DJ Miller Cruz (ALMA resident DJ), who much like True, beautifully weaves a tapestry of rhythms mildly peppered with old school salsa songs from the 70's. On this date, the two DJ's had the honor of playing alongside the highly anticipated DJs Nickodemus and Mariano of the long time running "Turntables on the Hudson". On March 26th ALMA sets off to Miami Beach to perform in conjunction with The Latin Funk Festival. Then, on April 8th, ALMA celebrates its 1 year anniversary while featuring Louie Vega- this one is sure to stir up some commotion. Catch them while they're rising. To learn more about ALMA you can visit them at www.emergingarts.com/alma.html. And remember always to keep it real, keep it True.
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