Gather up tu gente and get ready to go hard at the Cultura Dura Tour.
On Thursday, October 30, Mr. Pauer (AKA Toto Gonzalez) and his amigos at Mike's Harder and Remezcla will be bringing electrópico beats to The Garret at Grand Central for a night of baile, rumba, and lots of spiked lemonade.
Electrópico, as Pauer explains, is "the new sound of Latin music," the next wave on the urban scene.
"It's mixing together trap, moombahton, and everything the new generation of Hispanics listen to, and creating this new fusion."
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"Think of electropico as this," he says. "If you were to grab the Tropic of Cancer and connect it to the Tropic of Capricorn, you'd get sounds from all over the world. You'd get the sounds of Latin America -- salsa, merengue, cumbia -- all kinds of tropical beats, but you'd also get some African influences.
"We're not trying to copy other sounds. It's more like an interpretation of all those rhythms."
While music is the focus of Cultura Dura, the overarching purpose of the tour, as stated on Remezcla's site, is to "highlight emerging Latin urban culture" in a broader sense too.
"We want to tell the stories of people who are evolving what Latin urban sounds, looks, and feels like, shattering speakers and stereotypes in one fell swoop," the organizers write.
"It's something really powerful," Pauer insists. "I'm excited to see brands like Mike's Harder and Remezcla embrace that kind of Hispanic culture. It's not the typical Latin idea they have for Hispanics in the U.S., which is either Mexican or extremely tropical."
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On a more local level, Cultura Dura is a glimpse at the future of Latin music in the 305.
"Living in Miami, most people have some kind of connection to Latin music, either by default or by choice," the DJ says. "You also have people who were born here, but have a Hispanic background.
"That new generation rejects the traditional salsa, merengue, cumbia sound," he admits.
"For them, that sounds like cheese. But if you reinterpret those sounds into a new music production [that caters more to their tastes], it still goes back to their roots."
"It's not necessarily something new. You have Locos Por Juana, Spam [Allstars], but now we're starting this whole group as a scene. You see all these Hispanic Americans and non-Hispanics embracing Latin music in a new way. It's exciting to see that."
Joining Mr. Pauer for the Magic City stop of the Cultura Dura Tour will be Bonnie Beats, who the DJ says "has a more indie vibe"; Chato, who incorporates tribal and African rhythms into his sets; and Dale Dale, who has a more "spacey and trippy sound." Then, "adding some Latin spice to the night," there will also be a live percussionist.
"It's gonna be a full music experience."
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Cultura Dura Tour. With Mr. Pauer, Bonnie Beats, Chato, Dale Dale, and a live percussionist. Presented by Mike's Harder and Remezcla. Thursday, October 30. The Garret at Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave., Miami. The party starts at 11 p.m. and entry is free with RSVP via remezcla.com. Call 305-377-2277, or visit grandcentralmiami.com. Ages 21 and up.
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