Today we celebrate 3 years of Moombahton Massives in Washington, DC and although to many locals this event is commonplace when compared to much of the others… I want to remind you – the simplicity is the beauty of it.
Month after month residents of the DMV can expect big thumping bass in an echoing cave below U street, isolated from the harsh realities above. As you descend down the narrow stairway you are lured into darkness by a ubiquitous red glow and the familiar scent of Mammanada’s Empanadas lingering in the air.
Two massive speakers (rated one of the best sound systems in the country) frame a small intimate stage at the front of the club and pulsate the slow heavy moombahton bass line – sending harsh vibrations that penetrate every moving body on the floor.
There are no lasers. There is no strobe. You don’t see glowing pacifiers or kandi kids. Only the ambient sound of rhythmic bass and glittery disco balls twirling overhead. People spread across the dance floor, bouncing and swaying to the beat in harmony. This is pure love of music.
The Humble Beginnings Of Moombahton
Imagine skipping school one day to party with your friends and witnessing the birth of a musical genre that would quickly flood the tri-state area with new energy and life. That is exactly what happened the afternoon Dave Nada stumbled upon moombahton.
At the time, he was just a teenager mixing tracks for fun with his friend Matt Nordstrom as the unknown duo Nadastrom. So when his cousin asked him to help DJ a skipping party on the outskirts of downtown DC, he brought dutch house bangers like Afrojack’s remixes of Chuckie’s “Moombah” and “Riverside” by Sidney Samson. The latin audience; however, wasn’t in the mood yet for EDM as they grinded to the sluggish pace of dancehall and reggaeton.
While transitioning from the slow bass heavy latin music the crowd was used to, Nada turned his next track (“Moombah”) down to about 108 bpm with the idea that he would gradually speed it up as the beat built. To his surprise when he came to the drop, the crowd went absolutely crazy. He ended up spinning at that BPM for the entire song and followed with his own lethargic remix of “Riverside”.
Just as the party started getting hot, Dave’s friend got news that the neighbors were calling the cops and they cut the music. Everybody scattered and Dave Nada went home with an idea that would change the music scene in our nation’s capital forever.
How And Why Moombahton Continues To Thrive In DC
Latin culture permeates every borough in DC, from Dupont Circle to Adams Morgan to U Street and even Chinatown. Clubs that offer “Latin” night are maxed out in capacity every week and a new Latin restaurant pops up all the time.
The Hispanic population in the surrounding area has exploded and every day more are drawn to the urban streets that encircle the city. From Silver Spring to Arlington, DC is housed in Latin influence and always will be. This creates the perfect stage for a Latin inspired EDM scene. As Glow Productions (owner and operator of Echostage) focuses on mainstream EDM, U Street Music Hall has little to no competition in the live moombahton market.
With the low supply and high demand for an alternative to your average EDM set, moombahton not only survives but thrives in DC. Tittsworth being the co-owner of U Street Music Hall and also half the brains behind T&A Records, has an enormous and relatively inexpensive pool of talent to draw from for live shows. These savings are passed onto the fans and we are the lucky ones who can see huge artists for between $10 and $15 whenever we want.
Moombahton Fever Is A Global Epidemic
Moombahton may have started in Washington, DC but after its inception it immediately spread all over the world. Moombahton DJs and producers surfaced in countries worldwide and the instant widespread popularity was unfathomable.
Music just started pouring in from all corners of the globe. Rajiv Munch, better known as “Munchi”, is an innovative producer based in the Netherlands that truly fell in love with moombahton the moment he heard it. After coming across Dave Nada’s remixes he took to creating his own tracks and is credited with creating the first original moombahton song. His unique style is said to have birthed subgenres such as moombahcore (a harder subgenre of moombahton) moombahsoul, moombahstep and many others.
“Damn.. Today I heared of this new thing MOOMBAHTON and i straight up made this track on the spot.
I am working on my style these days and its heading to a B-more/Fidget House/Baile Funk/Kuduro/Dominican Music/ kind of thing, but this my friends.. This is big. And I especially want to give a BIG thanks to Dave Nada for the Moombahton EP and giving me the inspiration, because I think this is going to be huge. SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT!”
– Munchi 3 years ago
It was a genre that was meant to go global. With Dillon Francis in Los Angeles, Brodinski in France, Sabo in New York, Nadastrom in DC and Munchi in the Netherlands, the moombahton family took influence from everywhere and honed that to develop a fan base in all parts the world.
However distant, this family is a tight nit group that stands behind their members. When Munchi suffered intracerebral hemorrhage and fell into coma while on tour in the United States, Skrillex, Tittsworth, DJ Ayres, and Dave Nada banded together to start a fundraiser to help with his medical bills. This culminated at an event that would become what we celebrate as Moombahton Massive.
These days Tittsworth is taking Moombahton Massive international. Recently he announced that he would be hosting the first Massive in Nicaragua alongside U Street residents, Nadastrom and Sabo. If all goes well in Central America, we could possibly look forward to a Moombahton Massive world tour.
Moombahton Is Far From Dead
Recently there’s been some talk that moombahton is dead. Munchi himself even took to Facebook to see what fans had to say about that idea. After much rebut from moombahton followers he then followed with the announcement of his new record label, Selegna Records. He continued with the release of a full length album showcasing the artists on his label titled “Moombahton Is Dead”, which if you’ve listened to it… you know that’s a lie.
Artists like Dillon Francis and Major Lazer are paving the way for moombahton in the mainstream while Munchi and Nadastrom keep the fire burning underground. With Dillon’s Something, Something Awesome album being the first of its kind to hit #1 on Beatport and performing a closing set at Ultra this year, the genre has gained huge recognition from not only the industry but the fans.
Mainstream artists like Porter Robinson, Knife Party and even Skrillex are all trying their hand at moombahton in support of the movement. “100% in the Bitch” was one of Porter’s most well received tracks on the mainstage at TomorrowWorld and it only goes to show the infinite mainstage potential this genre holds.
The dynamic and complexity of sound that’s found in moombahton allows for limitless evolution. This is not a genre that will stagnate or bore. It’s constantly changing, growing and adapting to include unique combinations of sound that just a few years ago were only figments of imagination. Moombahton is alive and well, my friends.
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