Like a Latin trap anthem”We are the” blares from the speakers at the Echo in Echo Park, as more than 50 people sing and twerk on stage. Dina Ben-Nissan and Courtney Hollinquest take turns spinning tracks from artists around the world, while images of the flags of countries like Puerto Rico, Brazil and Mexico spin on a projection screen behind them. Next to the stage The Guni ChongaThe Cuban-American rapper and singer from Miami takes a selfie with his fans.
Take part in ¡BAILE!, a world music dance night taking place in Los Angeles starting in 2022. That’s why this party is named after the Spanish word for dance, the party focuses primarily on sounds from Latin and South America, but also focuses on Latin music from other parts of the world such as soca and Gcomwhich has roots in South Africa.
People participate in Baile World.
(Jett Lara / For The Times)
Dina Ben-Nissan, left, at Baile World.
(Jett Lara / For The Times)
“Being Black and Latina, I was never in the space to play everything at the same time,” says co-founder Hollinquest (aka DJ CQUESTT), who is of Puerto Rican, Mexican and Black descent. “It’s either Latin music or hip-hop, so the idea was that (“DANCE!”) was to create a space where I could play everything that represents me and all those club sounds that I’ve heard throughout my travels.”
This party is one of the few in Los Angeles that transports attendees to other countries, without passports. On any given night, Angelenos can hear sounds from Southeast Asia to Mexico. Adding to the experience are cultural details: food, décor, clothing. For example, you can enjoy sambusa and other traditional Ethiopian bites at Voice of the Motherland. At an Afro-Caribbean party known as Carnaval Tabanca, some participants wear modern and traditional Carnival costumes.
These events have gained popularity in recent years, as once-popular genres, such as West African Afrobeats, have become more popular.
“Before, if you knew, you knew,” says Kwabena Anfo, a Ghanaian-born DJ and producer who goes by the name Blaq Pages and hosts a traveling party called Afrobeats to the World. “But now, with social media, you can find the right community you want to be in and find the music you want to enjoy.”
Part of what makes music so powerful is its ability to introduce people to cultures other than their own and make people far from their hometown feel at home. Here are six rhythmic dance parties in Los Angeles that do just that.
Scenes from First Friday, full of music and mechs.
(Julian Market)
