Never Again

November 22, 2008

Kafe was at the DJ booth when I walked in with a mild headache. A Cumbia played on. It would have been better to have been in control of the music from the very beginning. I would rather not do this tonight, I thought. A promise is a promise though so tough it out.

Big Dan and Kafe must have been teaching tonight. They get to experience joys of Saturday. Kafe stayed until past nominal closing time.

Playlist

La Muy Muy – Roberto Torres
Sientate Ahi – Oscar D’Leon
Acabo De Llegar – Alex Leon
Thinking Of You – Lenny Kravitz (salsa remix) (1)
(v) Suavemente – Elvis Crespo
No Es Una Novela – Monchy & Alexandra (2)
El Pito – Sonora Carruseles
Visa Para Un Sueno – Juan Luis Guerra (3)
Loco De Amor – Evolucion A R (4)
Whenever Whenever – Shakira (5)
(v) Merengue Mega Mix #1 (6)
Playa No More – Crystal Sierra
Te Quiero – Oliver
Ojos Asi – Shakira (7)
Es La Musica – Massimo Scalici
Guallando – Fulanito
Get It Up – EuroCuban Project
Ven Tu – Domenic Marte
Pin Pon – El Medico (8)
(v) Remember (Merengue) [no idea about the artist]
(v) Sweet Dreams - Fatman Scoop (Reggaeton?)
(v) Simarik – Tarkan (Turkish Pop) (9)
Me Libere – El Gran Combo (10)
Rompe – Daddy Yankee
(v) Asi Asi (Merengue)
(v) Macarena – Los Del Rio (Latin Pop)
Aicha – Africando (11)
A Pedir Su Mano – Juan Luis Guerra
(v) Pobre Diabla – Don Omar (Reggaeton)
(v) Dile – Don Omar (Reggaeton) (12)
Cali Pachanguero – Galieo Y Su Banda (13)
La Tortura – Shakira
(v) Gasolina – Daddy Yankee
(v) “Lambada” (Latin Pop)
(v) Tocarte (FF 100) (14)
(v) Hot Hot Hot (Latin Pop) – Arrow or Buster Poindexter? (15)
Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira* (16)
(v) Projecto (Pump?) (Merengue) (17)
(v) Bailando (artist?) (Reggaeton)
(v) Loco (?) (18)
(v) Mambo No 5 – Lou Bega (Pop)
Valio La Pena – Marc Anthony (19)
(v) Pintame – Elvis Crespo
(v) Chequete Chequete Chee – Los Guajiros Del Puerto Veo Veo? (20)
(v) 1 MP (was this Merengue?) (21)
Nadie Como Ella – Marc Anthony (22)
Quiero A Morir – Dark Latin Groove (DLG)
(v) Chayenne (probably Pop – I can’t remember)
Panamena – Willie Colon (canta: Hector Lavoe)* (23)
(v) my handwriting is not very legible … something like … Ah Muras … no idea…
Playa Fa Sho – Toby Love
Whenever Whenever – Shakira (24)
El Cantante – Marc Anthony (25)
Lamento Boliviano – Toque D Keda (26)
(v) Pesame La Botella (Merengue) (27)

(1) This did not seem a particularly good Salsa crowd. No offence meant to people who were there. By this time Johnny had arrived and was dancing with whoever was around. There was also that old couple. No regulars though. No good Latino dancers either. Back in June when I was the DJ for two Saturdays, I felt I could get away with playing more Salsa especially in the beginning. I did not get the same vibe this time. Perhaps I could have danced, but it wasn’t really the lack of leaders that was the problem. Besides I have a headache.
(2) Hmm. I’m not sure about Bachata either. Merengue was popular though.
(3) See! Already I’m giving up on playing more than one Salsa in a row. No one told me to do this.
(4) Another Bachata falls flat on its face. Tough crowd.
(5) You can see I’m getting desperate. This gets girls going at least. I’m hating life now.
(6) I would have preferred to not play this until no earlier than 11 PM.
(7) Perhaps I could have saved this until later because there was a guy who asked for something Arabic later thinking that this would be an international night. I’m just trying to survive this ordeal.
(8) Reggaeton. This is a bit earlier than expected based on what I saw this summer, but they are clamoring for it. I think what was okay back in June is no longer okay merely 5 months afterwards.
(9) Another one perhaps to have saved until later. I didn’t know Tarkan was a Turkish Pop artist.
(10) Let’s try counting here. I went five songs without Salsa until this song.
(11) This was in response to a request for something Arabic. Aicha was originally done by Khaled, an Algerian artist. I didn’t know at this point that Tarkan was Turkish. I had already used up Ojos Asi, which was the only song I was fairly sure about having Arabic sound. It is Salsa. Counting again, I went three non-Salsa before playing this.
(12) I didn’t realize at the time that I was playing two Don Omar songs in a row. They are from the same album “The Last Don” no less.
(13) Someone finally blew their top because I was playing too many Salsa. She brought the flier for Saturday advertisement that I am supposed to play the music listed there – I think it says Reggaeton, Merengue, Salsa and Latin Pop with Shakira and Daddy Yankee prominently displayed. For whatever its worth, I went three songs without Salsa before this. Not counting the first four Salsa to start off the night (it should make sense coming after a Salsa lesson), I have played up to this point – 7 Salsa, 7 Merengue, 5 Reggaeton, 4 Bachata, 2 Miscellaneous Pop, 2 Shakira with another Shakira already cued up. Somebody please put me out of my misery. Did I mention I have a headache?
(14) I don’t remember what this was. Was is Reggaeton? Possibly by Plan B?
(15) I am not sure if it was either one of them.
(16) Some girl wanted a birthday (Kelly) announced along with a Shakira (Beyonce was the initial request).
(17) Don’t remember. Don’t care.
(18) See 17.
(19) So I went 10 songs without Salsa and hating life. A girl who may have just arrived asked for something I didn’t recognize followed by this song. I decided that I like her. Surprisingly there are still people who can dance Salsa. Johnny and Dan are long gone by this point. Ditto for the old couple.
(20) John came by. I think this song is making my headache worse.
(21) You know, I wouldn’t do this for money. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
(22) I don’t care if she doesn’t really know how to dance Salsa. She was pretty much the only good thing about tonight so far. Having said that I’m not sure whether I danced with her to this song or the next song. My best guess is that it was to DLG.
(23) IT WAS A REQUEST!!! He asked for Hector Lavoe then named this song. I’m feeling much better.
(24) I know I played this already, but it was a request. I’m pretty sure everyone at the start of the night is gone by now. Hmm. Correction. I think Kafe is still around. Demetrios and Anna arrived late.
(25) I danced with the girl who requested Valio La Pena again. She started the turnaround. Bulbul was at the DJ booth to start the next song.
(26) This was to be the last song, but Bulbul wants to keep it going … again!
(27) I left it so that a Cumbia would come on next. Bulbul had other ideas. I decided to let him DJ.

Total = 24 songs from Vishal’s CDs and 32 songs from my CDs. The breakdown is not worth the bother because I cannot categorize some of Vishal’s music - all Reggaeton, Merengue and Pop. I left youtube link for some of them. As for mine, they were 16 Salsa including 1 new, 6 Bachata, 3 Merengue, 2 Reggaeton, 5 Shakira (1 repeat, 1 new).

That should have been the end. However, Bulbul decided to play Caballo Viejo unexpectedly. Demetrios was getting a drink. I thought I would occupy Anna with one dance except she essentially dared me to keep going despite a torrent of Reggaeton from Bulbul. It was a bit intense. Things had improved greatly after 1 AM, and this was as good a way as any to end the night on a high note. The headache by then had subsided into the background. Having a reputation as a good dancer has its benefits.