Groove Masters: DJs spin their skills to move the masses

[MosJan]

Groove Masters: DJs spin their skills to move the masses

By Zara Chatinian

ArmeniaWeek reporter

The Second International DJ Festival is drawing nearly 50 dance floor specialists to Yerevan to entertain crowds in an open-air disco.

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DJs from seven countries - England, France, Russia, Estonia, Lebanon, Ukraine, and Georgia – are joining their Armenian counterparts for the music festival on June 15.

 

Part of Republic Square is being cordoned off so that thousands of people can enjoy the free festival, which is planned to go on all through Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

 

DJs demonstrating their skills on the music decks include many from Europe with names that might mean something to hardcore fans: DJ Prozak, DJ Sam Karlson, DJ Vol'D'Mair, DJ Alex H, DJ Kira, DJ Rodge, and DJ Wicked.

 

“It is a very interesting event,” says Levon Abrahamian, President of the Alfael production center and the organizer of the festival.

 

Abrahamian, who is also head of Dynamit FM and Russkoye Radio, which claim total listening audiences in Armenia of 100,000, adds: “It is a good promotion of Armenia in the music world and a demonstration of the potential of Armenian DJs at international festivals.”

 

The festival is expected to bring together more than 20 international DJs and 25 local ones. The local DJs have an added incentive to show off their skills to the maximum – one will be selected to represent Armenia at a prestigious DJ festival in London.

 

The organizers reached agreement with Yerevan’s Municipality to create space in Republic Square for the festival, which will be guarded by 300 police. A special big screen has been set up to allow the crowds to see the DJs at work as they dance.

 

An impressive 100 KW sound system will boom out the music to the masses from 5pm until 7am the next morning.

 

Abrahamian says there are only about 40 DJs working in the whole of Armenia and the best 25 have been invited to participate in the event. All are young, aged between 17 and 25, and hoping to carve a career from their love of music.

 

“In Russia DJs may earn as much as $500 a night at prestigious clubs”, says Abrahamian. “In Yerevan the average income for DJs is about $10 a night.”

 

The festival is being sponsored by, among others, the Union of Armenians in Russia, Unibank, and the Kotayk beer company.

 

A TV reporter is coming from Siberia to film the festival in Yerevan - outside of Moscow, a DJ festival is considered an unusual event - and the show will also be broadcast live on Armenia national TV station.

 

Alfael also plans to release a disc featuring “The Best of Armenian DJs”. Abrahamian says: “We realize pirate discs will account for most of the sales, and we are not doing it for profit, but rather to promote Armenian DJs locally and internationally.”

 

Among those arriving to take part in the festival was Vladimir Gladsky, a 29-year-old DJ from Kiev, Ukraine.

 

“To be a good DJ it is essential to have a good sense of rhythm and taste in the music,” says Gladsky, who puts the secret of dance floor success down to knowing the audience and heating them up by smooth changes of track.

 

“There is no established market yet for DJs to make a living in the countries”, says Gladsky, “In developed countries it is quite a profitable job and can earn big money and prestige.”

 

“However, I believe it will come with time”.

 

Samson Khachatrian has worked as a DJ in Armenia for four years and knows it is a difficult profession to pursue. He says it is not well paid here, partly because there is no culture of inviting star DJs to perform in clubs to attract the crowds.

 

“People approach all the time with requests to play their favorite music”, says Khachatrian.

 

“This is considered bad ethics. A good DJ has his own set of records and plays them independently of the wishes of the club management or the customers’ requests.”

 

He adds: “But the DJ should know his audience well enough so that he can lead the crowd to dance and become more energized.”

 

Khachatrian, 23, is in his final year at Yerevan Medical University and plans to switch from DJ to doctor when he graduates because it is easier to make a living this way.

 

But he adds: “I appreciate this type of festival because it’s a good opportunity to meet with DJs from other countries and exchange experiences.”

Photo by Mkhitar Khachatrian

 

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