I first encountered Mauricio Kertzman while he was DJing at that… is it a club? somebody’s house? … Latora 4 Brazos here in Bogota at Halloween last year. He had the impressively costumed crowd going a little bezerk with his moment-perfect, minimal beats; sense of timing; and skillz (one must use the z a lot when talking about danze muzic, or so I’ve heardz).
Through some of that Colombia Magic, he just happened to be a friend of a friend (you know how it goes), so I actually got to meet him, and realised that he’s quite an interesting man, above and beyond his chops as a DJ. We had an in-depth discussion about the recent Madonna show in Medellin, and we also explored the finer points of the art of arepa appreciation. Because of this, I thought he’d make a pretty good subject for an interview, but didn’t get around to setting that up until he’d moved back to Medellin. So, what follows is an interview of the future – conducted over that most personable of platforms; Facebook. Enjoy!
1. Gilesy: I think you have a number of strong passions; including Medellin, Madonna, arepas, and good music. So, first: can you give us some reasons for your move back to Medellin? What brought you back to your home city? Was it the weather?
Mauricio: I’d have to admit the weather is nicer in Medellin during the daytime, but i love the cold nights in Bogota which make sleeping much easier. The main reason to move back to my home town was a good job opportunity and being closer to my family.
2. Tell me what you think about the Madonna tour. Did it convert you into a Madonna fan?
I was not a big big fan of Madonna before the concert. Of course I enjoyed her music but after seeing her perform I was complety fascinated by the energy she transmits to her audience and watching her and her crew dance is amazing. She has made songs that have been in our life for as long as I can remember and every new hit is always updated with the sound people enjoy today, and I think this is the reason for her success.
3. Describe the perfect arepa. Where can you get it? What do you have to do to make it as delicious as possible?
Every paisa family has their place to buy arepas. In my family we buy them at a place called “Sancho Paisa“. I don’t like to buy arepas at the supermarket, I think homemade arepas keep that magic flavor of the paisa tradition. The secret is to have a good “quesito” (cheese) to put on top and of course not letting it burn too much on the stove.
4. Could you compare the club scene in Bogota and Medellin? Which city is more exciting for the kinds of music you like? Which has the best parties?
The club scene is very different in Bogota and Medellin. People in Bogota like to dress fancy and they are used to paying expensive prices for a beer or drink which makes parties in Bogota sometimes more a fashion event than a real party. Of course there are exceptions, but in Medellin I would say the crowd does a little more research and knows the music you are playing; so this is good because it makes the DJ research a little more. But clubs and promoters in Medellin need the paisa culture to support the importance of paying the DJ or artist for their work and time put into the research and music. Even though the paisas know the music, they need to accept the idea that clubs and DJs would be much more motivated if they were getting paid what they deserve for helping people have a good time.
5. Is the club scene in Colombia getting bigger and better? What kind of future do you see for dance music (apart from salsa!) in this country?
I think there was a big boom a few years ago with electronic music when there were big raves and big clubs. Today dance music fans have gotten older and prefer the idea of having a big DJ in a small club. New generations are more into reggeaton and other music, so dance music clubs are becoming smaller but friendlier to people who really enjoy the music. This is a world-wide situation. It’s not only in Colombia that we have this situation.
6. Apart from Bogota and Medellin, where is your favourite place in Colombia? Why?
I am more of a city person so I like to stay in these two major cities; but I love the beach and Colombia has amazing beaches. So, I can enjoy any place with clean beaches.
7. I’ve seen you DJ, and you seem really focussed. What are you thinking about when you’re playing a set?
When I DJ, I obviously think about what should be the next song I should play to continue with the mood people are in. I think of my DJ set as a history class in which I tell the story of dance music with specific songs. Sometimes I like to emphasize on certain epic dance music moments like Italo disco or Chicago and acid house.
