There might be DJs who spin more often than Stefano Ravasini (a few, anyway). And there might be DJs who are better known (for now). But it's unlikely you'll find a DJ who's more industrious, let alone one who's as ever-ready to take advantage of every opportunity, even if he has to create it himself.
Want some proof? Check Ravasini's website. Atop the homepage lies a curious row of babe-emblazoned CDs with names such as Absinthe, Deeper, Shake It, and The Groove. A quick click and you'll find that each of these discs represents a different mix of genres that range from pop to Latin to rock to '80s to electro, all done up over a house-heavy beat and packaged for your pleasure.
That's the core of what Ravasini does: He takes any given strain of music and fits it for the dance floor. Then he sells it. And so far, he has some 60 titles for you to choose from.
When Ravasini first landed in South Beach from his native Italy in 2004, he went around to some of the hipper SoBe boutiques and gifted them with one of his mixes. The Shop, Posh, Envy, Deco Collection — each boutique put his discs into rotation, and before long they began asking for more, to play and to sell in-store. Seems their customers had also been digging the beats, and wanted to take them home. Ravasini was only happy to oblige.
Now that he was a boutique kingpin, soon the clubs and restaurants came calling. Eventually, last year, he scored a residency at Segafredo Brickell. Now music director of the Segafredo Group, he handles the spins at either Segafredo Brickell or Segafredo Española Way, or ensures they're handled up to his standards. And any minute now, he'll add to his roster Brickell Irish Pub, the latest venue in the Segafredo Group's master plan for Miami domination.
But it's what Ravasini spins as much as where he spins that gives this music man a jump on things. Like his site's offerings, his live sound is a mad mix of genres.
And if people start screaming every time Ravasini reels out Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer," hey, don't blame the DJ. He's only doing what any good head spinner would do — wowing the crowd into a frenzy.
Some might call what Ravasini does the commoditization of DJ culture. But the person calling it that probably wouldn't mind moving the kind of units Ravasini does. And while many pay lip service to the word hustle, damn few actually play the game like real hustlers. That's undoubtedly why Ravasini is so successful. Step in to Segafredo one of these evenings and hear for yourself.
Stefano Ravasini's current top five:
1. "Just Can't Get Enough (Dirty South Remix)," Depeche Mode
2. "Infinity 2008 (Klaas Remix)," Guru Josh Project
3. "Mo' Butter (Jamie Lewis Darkroom Mix)," Jamie Lewis feat. Kim Cooper
4. "Dark Beat 2005 (Gianluca Motta Funk Beat)," Oscar G and Ralph Falcon
5. "75 Brazil Street (Vocal Mix)," Nicola Fasano vs. Pat Rich
