Artist of Afrobeta Bodega
Max Pela (Afrobeta Bodega / Uhuru Afrika)
Max Pela is “a DJ’s Dj,” he shows up with a smile, selects the first track, then sculpts every facet of the sonic environment to his precise vision until the last sine wave emanates from the speakers hours later. His music is Deep Afro, Soulful, Techy and intense; graying boundaries between genres. Constantly seeking variety, in uncommon sounds in each genre, the mixture of these genres, creativity and the search for that specific sound, and his fondness for non-conventional producers, of newer generations. His mixing is patient and flawless and his personality is respected, his performance revered all over.
Born 1982 in Santo Domingo capital of the Dominican Republic, Latin America’s new mecca for electronic music. His musical journey began in his childhood as a percussionist in the Dominican Republic and started to DJ by the late 90’s and became the resident DJ of Ocho Puertas and performing in some of the most prestiges venues of the island. In late 2003 left home for the United States and in 2006 he becomes resident to Carlos Mena’s BEMBE party in Miami and Boston where he began to gain recognition in the United States and across the world. Currently, Max Pela continues his journey of Afro-Rooted Rhythms in AFROBETA BODEGA and alongside with Adam Gibbons in Boston’s monthly celebrations of UHURU AFRIKA while traveling to Europe and Latin America bringing his unique Afro sound around world.
Max Pela is the founder of Afrobeta Bodega, a multifaceted website and media entity specializing in promoting Afro House Music and Underground Culture. An international hub reaching trendsetting, multicultural urbanities and providing relevant information for early adopters and the musically forward while dedicated to bring the finest in House Music Entertainment and gathering like minded individuals who share our passion.
Max Pela has worked with many national and international talents such as Boddhi Satva, Black Coffee, Culoe De Song, Adam Gibbons, ex-Fela Drummer and co-creator of Afrobeat Tony Allen, Femi Kuti, Siji, Carlos Mena, Roberto Zayas, Nickodemus, Quantic, Mr. V, Ezel, Sabo, Manchild Black, Julius The Mad Thinker, King Britt, Santos, Marco Castro, Wumni, Abicah Soul, Rich Medina, Fabio Genito, Master Kev, Duce Martinez, Oveous Maximus, Brian Burnside, Stephen Rigmaiden, PolyRhythm, Jose Marquez, Dj Sabine, Saeed Younan and Hyper, among others.
Playing in such prestige clubs around the world as CIELO (Nyc USA), THE VAGABOND (Miami USA), LA SANTANERA (Playa del Carmen MEXICO), OCHO PUERTAS (Santo Domingo D.R.), GAIA (Las Terrenas D.R.), BLANCE (Lamia GREECE), ALL ASIA (Boston USA), ARIA (Boston USA), SOBE LIVE (Miami USA), ABACUS (Santo Domingo D.R.) among others.
Roberto Zayas (Afrobeta Bodega / Visionario RD)
Roberto Zayas is a Santo Domingo-Based DJ and graphic designer whose early beginnings can date back to the year 2000 as a resident of Ocho Puertas; where along with Max Pela, they experienced the growing boom of tribal and progressive house in the Dominican Republic.
He forms the duo URBANSOUL along with Lean Vargas in 2005, this time concentrating on Deep House music, and pushing the genre towards different bars, venues, promotions, and social events such as Heineken Thirst 2005, Miller, Cerveza TheOne, Verano Presidente 2007, Música por los Haitices, Trolty Lounge @ Haiti, along others.
Currently, Zayas is known for his ability to travel between the diversity of subgenres of House Music, focusing more on his passion for Deep, Soulful, Tech, and Afro House.
Zayas has shared the stage in the Dominican Republic with a great number of International DJs such as Little Louie Vega, Andy Caldwell, J Davey, Waajeed, Willy Graff, Wolf & Lamb, Ray Okpara, Galbert Oneil, Ezel, Hyper, Alix Alvarez, John Creamer, B Jornk Now – How, Roger Sanchez, Sander kleinenberg, and many others.
On the Graphic Design side, he currently owns VDK., a multimedia agency dedicated to managing international and local clients such as Afrobeta Bodega, Visionario on Radio, Pav Events, Casamena, Ocha Records, Ezel, Ochamzansi, Lions & Lions Agency, Including many clients overseas such as Puerto Rico, United States, among others.
Jay Medina VJ (Afrobeta Bodega / Uhuru Afrika)
Jay Medina is a multimedia designer & Visual artist currently residing in the city of Boston. Medina’s Love for Vjing began in 2007 as a personal project and expanding into Boston’s nightlife a year after. Using basic tools such as VDMX, Modul8, and Arkaos has given him the ability to deliver an experience at the crossroads between nightlife, cinema, and visual arts.
Jay Medina is currently the VJ resident of Uhuru Afrika (http://www.uhuruafrika.com/) playing along Boston’s finest DJ’s such as Adam Gibbons, Max Pela, DJ Bruno, Kc Hallett and out of town DJ/Producers such as Abicah Soul, Julius The MadThinker, Rich Medina, Ian Friday and Black Coffee. Other residencies include Soul Life with DJ Bruno, and DISCO-NNECTION with DJ’s SupremeOne and Kon.
Adam Gibbons (Uhuru Afrika / Afrobeta Bodega )
Called “Boston’s best kept secret” by Decontrol Magazine, Working in the industry for over 15 years, Adam Gibbons has been producing and spinning events for just about as long as he can remember. Through mind, body and soul, Gibbons is a music lover and strives to share his passion with the crowds he plays for. Whether it is in Miami at the Winter Music Conference, in Detroit at the Movement Festival, an underground club in Lisbon or any other city he has played, Gibbons’ selections range from soulful, deep, Afro-Latin, and vocal house music, Afro beat, disco and various underground classics and works to create a reciprocal positive energy with his crowd.
Adam has worked with such heavyweights as Bebel Gilberto, De La Soul, ex-Fela Drummer and co-creator of Afrobeat Tony Allen, Amayo’s Fu-Arkestra (Members of Antibalas & Dap Kings) Grammy winner Louie Vega, Ron Trent, Osunlade, King Britt, Thievery Corporation, LTJ Bukem, Yerba Buena and many others. Adam has also studied African Hand Percussion with Bob Bloom, Faculty Advisor at the Olatunji Institute, learning the Olatunji method of traditional Yoruba hand percussion and has traveled to US and beyond bringing his sound to some of the countries hottest parties. He has been to six African countries, gathering inspiration and energy for the event and his musical selection.
His party, Soul Revival, was Boston’s longest running event and has gained international recognition. Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the ten best parties in America and wrote, “For the past ten years, spiritual-minded partiers have gathered every Saturday of the full moon at Villa Victoria, a former church, for this throwdown.” URB Magazine, referred to it as one of the hottest parties in the nation for house music, and said that the party was “a direct link to the days of the Paradise Garage.” Adam’s current project Uhuru Afrika is a bridge between ancient traditional African music as played by the Yoruba, the Zulu, the Massai,,, and the electronic dancefloor sounds of modern clubs. It is known globally and has hosted parties in it hometown of Boston as well as NYC, Miami and Mexico. It’s live podcast on fellow resident DJ Max Pela’s website is averaging over a thousand downloads a month from IP addresses all over the world.
Marco Castro (Dancegruv / Afrobeta Bodega)
Born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Marco Castro sound derives from coastal inspired mixture of Garifuna flavor and Latin beats. Marco who later migrated to Union City, New Jersey has been influenced by numerous styles of music including Disco, Funk, and Soul.
Marco has been behind the decks for over 10 years and now lives in Miami, FL. His latest residency included the growing FOOT CREAM party in Orlando, FL. Marco now continues to contribute to the house community through community projects which include DANCEGRUV RADIO to name a few.
Along the years, he has performed next to renowned dj’s such as; Adam Gibbons, Max Pela, Stell*R, Ian Friday, Ray Vasquez, Mikki Aflick, Marshall Jones, Master Kev, Keith Evan, Jask, Ezel, Djinji Brown, HallexM and Culoe De Song to name a few.
His style, presents a special blend Afro-Deep and Deep Soulful inspired by from his Honduran roots of tropical Garifuna rhythms and Global Soul.
José Marquez (Tribe / Tumbe / Afrobeta Bodega)
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jose Marquez’s musical influence is a result of a deep Latin and World Music upbringing. Jose immersed early into LA’s underground House music scene with the establishment of his own party “INSPIRATION.” This party grew from a simple after hours gathering of friends to a widely recognized celebration of House Music, dance culture and arts in Los Angeles with notable guest DJ appearances by Ron Trent, Boddhi Satva, Marques Wyatt, Abicah Soul and many others. INSPIRATION quickly became a staple for Deep House Music in Los Angeles.
Always intrigued by electronic music and technology, Jose’s curiousity led to the creation of deep Afro Latin dance floor bangers such as Celia Cruz – Elegua, Nina Simone – Black Bird, and Oumou Sangare – Mogo Te De Diya Bee Ye; sure to be dance floor classics for years to come. Jose continues to produce his own musical interpretations that have been played around the world by renowned DJ’s like Osunlade, Bodhi Satva, Jojo Flores, Culoe De Song, Zepherine Saint, Carlos Mena, Adam Gibbons, Max Pela, and Master Kev just to name a few. Jose’s sound can best be described as a fusion of Deep Afro-Latin Soul and Percussion Dance Floor Rhythms.
Jose Marquez is currently the resident DJ and founder of Tumbe,’ a monthly event in downtown LA, dedicated to showcasing various genres of World Music through live performances and DJ sets. Jose is also Co-Founder of MEZCLA, a monthly gathering of underground dance music in Los Angeles.
Myrto Joyce (Afrobeta Bodega / Are You Afro?)
Myrto Joyce, cellist, pianist,vocalist and DJ has woven her relationship with both analog and digital instruments and found common ground. Music has always been one of the biggest inspirations and most important parts of her life. Her international upbringing and training introduces a career that expands beyond conventional borders within the traditionally distant worlds of classical and electronic music. Though born in Boston, Massachusetts, she was raised in Greece where she started traveling extensively at a young age and was introduced to her first instrument, the piano at the age of 6. Vocal lessons soon followed , with the cello eventually finding its primary place of study within her life. She studied Violoncello under the Russian Professor and Soloist Marina Kislitsina (1st Cello of Athens State Orchestra) at the National Conservatory of Music in Athens, Greece receiving a first prize award in Music Performance while pursuing her BA there in Music Performance (Cello Diploma).
Her highlighted performances with symphonic orchestras and as a soloist include the Athens Concert Hall performance with Soloist Dimitris Semsis, the Greek Radio and Television Orchestra with Conductor Andreas Pilarinos in Ankara and Istanbul , the Nina Partikidou Orchestra in Greece and various musical performances and accompanist for plays and other performances at the Irodio Theater (National/ Ancient Theater of Athens) and all over Europe.
Myrto Joyce currently studies and performs with the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. While in NY she soon gravitated toward DJ culture where she applied her classical knowledge and global outlook on music to the digital contemporary world of dance music. Her inclusive global view of music lead her to partner with Gale Murphy and Dave K to form the international dance music organization “Are You Afro? “which interconnects the roots of all music to Africa just as the human population has been linked to the African continent.
Myrto Joyce has not only explored different worlds but has been bold in her bridging of them.