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Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2005 1:13 am**

Hi all, pics taken recently at a gig I did with some of Sydneys best latin DJ's at the Equilibrium Hotel, organised by casadelasalsa group here in Sydney.
Also on performing on the night was a local Batucada group and their dancers.
Gig starts in the afternoon in an open courtyard, then moves into the nightclub and goes till around 1 or 2am every Sunday.
Great music, excellent vibe, top party atmosphere... and the ladies... dayem!! :cool:

Hope you enjoy the pics of us and our friends.

Yours truly on congas and DJ Dante clowing behind me..

Myself on far left and Steve, my bro/drummer/timbalero chilling with some Colombian friends..

Left to right, great local DJ Dwight 'Chocolate' Escobar, myself, local Cuban conguero Aykho and Steve rumbiando.

No clave's, so I held clave/palitos with the tuning key by hitting the hardware of the drum. (third drum not scene in pics)

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2005 1:13 am**

Friends...

Local DJ's/friends posing downstairs in the nightclub..

Edited By ABAKUA on 1135041275

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2005 1:15 am**

Capoeira/Batucada show

Friends..

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:42 am**

Hi
Yop Abakua, once more "Great Pics".
There is a good atmosphere in the night club.
I think that the job with a dj must be nice. It's very interesting.
Hasta pronto and don't stop playing.

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:03 pm**

Hey all my blessings to all . Hey abakua what do you cocentrate on when playing with a dj . What kind of music do you guys play together . I am intrested in this type of playing 'cause i have a friend who is a dj, and gets alot of work .

rumbaman

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:15 pm**

GREAT PICS ABAKUA y LA MUJERES TAMBIEN!...chacho......to play along with a DJ you must know "styles" of drumming from R&B patterns to tumbao and rock patterns and a lot of improvisation....I was the one who started that whole "play along" with a Dj back in 86 on South Beach-Miami before it became fashionable. I still do it every saturday for the past year at a place in Tacoma,WA, called the 21 lounge...but now they have kept the DJ in the booth while a FREAKIN computer puts out video music from the 80's....New manager, and he sucks...he doesnt know what to do with the place...Me and the DJ had the place rockin and now shitty videos from rock bands that suck from the 80's....try playing along with that bullshit...BTW I get 200 bucks for the gig and i do 3 45 minute sets on 3 congas, by myself.....

...."JC" Johnny Conga...

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:00 pm**

Nice pics bro... Love the "curvy" pics the most... Tell your bro Steve, I dig his shirt! Viva Chile!

Ivan

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:04 pm**

Yo! Brother Abakua!
Those girls look like they been bad, I mean really bad!
I thinks they need a little shpankin' :p

:laugh:
Yeah Boy!

Great Job "Malanga"!
Suave!
Onile!

Posted: **Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:47 am**

Thanks Cuidado! Playing witht he DJ's is the easiest gig for me hehehe good money and you dont kill yourself playing like you do with my Timba band and my main band. Easy money and lots of fun!

Hey rumbaman!
Always listen out for the "1", base what you do on that, also feel the clave, its always present although not always audible/obvious to the ear.
I play improvised tumbao, descarga and songo variations, also improvised caballo rhythms, and my own developed RnB/House and rock grooves etc.
With this particular gig, its more latin influenced, with early afternoon in the courtyard just playing along to 'lounge type feel' house music with flamenco guitar, then later on its salsa, timba and brazilian music, so easy to play along to stuff like that if you come from a afro cuban influenced background in congas etc. Then in the later part of the evening, we broke out into a fast paced rumba guaguanco for about 15 min before the DJ resumed.
For other "house music" DJ gigs, again listen out for the 1, changes in the arrangement/music etc.

YO JC!!
You are right my brother, to get up on stage anywhere you just dont get up and play if you are not "in the know" so to speak! I find DJ gigs alot easier than playing with my main 2 bands, now those are killer sets!!
Thats not bad money you getting, I was paid $250 for 2 x 40 min sets along to the DJ, I could pick any 2 sets I wanted to do, but I stuck around till the end of the night (after my gig had finished) cause the place was pumping with señoritas, good food, and free drinks for the musicians/DJ!!! :cool:

Hey Ivan!
Will do bro, Steve is Chilean. Gotta love tehm curvy pics ey!

Vaya Onile!
Oh yeh, they were being bad! Not to worry, they were punished accordingly! :;): hehehehe.

Glad you all liked the pics!

Edited By ABAKUA on 1135126206

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Pics from Salsa Nights at Equilibrium Hotel - gig with DJ/Batucada/dancers