I generally stay home crying and bathing myself in Internet, but spent the majority of the month of June on the road in search of dance music and good vibes. I flew from Jersey to Detroit for Movement Festival, drove with Taye and DJ Earl to Chicago to check out a couple shows and the Porn & Chicken party (literally was watching anal sex scenes with Dani Deahl while taking breaks from taking shots), and flew from Chicago to Medellin for a three-week stay in Colombia before heading to Oregon and San Francisco.
Nobody on my personal Internets seemed to have any concerns about any part of this trip, except when I mentioned Colombia. People told me to watch my drink, swore I was going to get drugged, and showered me concerns that mirrored the opinions of a skewed media. Though crime in Colombia is very real and nothing to shrug off or take lightly, the country is very far removed from its association with Pablo Escobar and the drug-fueled crime of the '80s, and crime is nowhere near what it was 20, or even 10 years ago.
Whatever... the flight was already booked anyways. I took off from Detroit, had a brief layover in Panama, landed in Medellin, was picked up by a driver, and was transported through the countryside and into the mountains, where roads weaved downhill for miles, and opened up to some of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen in my life. As beautiful as the scenery was, I spent the majority of the 30 minute trip wondering if someone was going to rear-end a motorcyclist. People drive a bit crazy there.
I spent my first week in Medellin in an area not far from Parque Lleras, a nightlife district that was beautiful, but not very inspiring musically. Deep house, poppy American music, and local sounds were constant in most clubs, and wasn't quite what I was looking for. There were chairs and tables on dance floors, it seemed that people went to clubs to socialize instead of dance, and the vibe was completely casual. Though I was surrounded by beautiful women and the weather was amazing, I was itching for a bit more than the tourist spots.
My buddies caught wind of a Cedric Gervais show about a week into my stay, and we decided to check it out. Though billed as a Medellin event, we hopped in a cab and realized that the party was actually 50 miles north, in a small historic town called Santa Fe de Antioquia. A hundred bucks and an hour later, me and two friends pulled up to the Santa Fe Colonial hotel, where we walked directly into a shit show.
We arrived around midnight, just as Gervais was hopping on stage, and watched as he masterfully mixed a set of giant tunes and several versions of "Summertime Sadness" while thousands of gorgeous locals danced in the rain to music pumping through a sound system that was undoubtedly turned up to 11. The outdoor swimming pool was littered with bottles, but that didn't stop people from hopping in.
We stayed for a few hours and decided to try to make it home at a reasonable hour, but our only option was a hybrid motorcycle rickshaw kind of thing that topped out at 30 miles an hour. Our driver had a subwoofer in the back and we listened to rap hits from 10 years ago while real vehicles flew by us through the mountains. This is a view from the back seat as the vehicle was filling up and blasting Sean Paul's "Get Busy."
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Feeling disappointed that I still hadn't seen any glimpses of underground culture, I booked a cheap flight to Bogota for the next weekend, checked into a hotel, and spent the evening at a place called Centrico, a restaurant and bar that sits atop a 40-story building. Even if the music was horrible, the view going up the stairs to the rooftop was worth the trip.
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I had an exquisite dinner with Martin from Red Bull Colombia and several performers from the following evening's show, and the music wasn't horrible at all. I stayed for an incredible champeta party well after my host left, and watched local talent and El Freaky Collectivo member KMMY Ranks and Venezuela Native / Miami resident Mr. Pauer crush flawless sets. Though I was tired from traveling, I stayed front and center until the lights came on listening to some next level sounds.
Nadastrom and Sabo touched down in Bogota the next day, and we all headed over to Teatro Metropol for El Freaky's 5th Anniversary party, which featured incredible performances from Federation Sound, Mr. Lexx, Miss Likkle Bit, and Kafu Banton. Energy increased exponentially, they all had a packed room eating out of their hands, and the crowd was completely receptive to completely different genres.
Image via Sebastian Estrada
I flew back to Medellin the next day for another Red Bull-sponsored show with Nadastrom, Sabo, Stee Downs, Federation Sound, Mr. Lexx, and Miss Likkle Bit on a a golf course. Though the setting was beautiful, it started to rain and the terrain turned muddy very quickly. I also wish I could say that I remember more of the show but I asked for a vodka and soda, and was handed a bottle. Things got very turnt down very quickly.
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I sobered up quickly, popped back to home base, changed clothes (because who wants to turn up in muddy sneakers?), and headed over to a club to see Nadastrom and Sabo throw down an absolutely destructive second set. A promotion company by the name of Breakfast Club was responsible for both of the Medellin events, and both were absolutely beautiful.
This experience really only recapped three nights of partying, I admittedly holed myself in Medellin to get a bunch of work done, and didn't travel nearly as much as I should have. I really need to make another trip down there to get a full representation of the country and dig more into champeta music, but the trip got really fun when I linked with a local that knew the scene. Flights to the country and around the country were cheap. Affordable taxis negate the need for a rental car. Everything was incredibly affordable ($1.50 cigarettes for the win), and everyone I met was genuine and kind.
All said, I would highly suggest checking out Colombia if you're looking for a place to blow off some steam and enjoy yourself. During my entire three-week stay in Colombia, I never felt uncomfortable or unsafe at all. The weather was perfect, the people are gorgeous inside and out, and music of all kinds can be found everywhere you turn. This is a country that's full of culture, and even if you can't find someone to link with for a proper tour, the vibes and the scenery are absolutely inspiring.
