Mike in the Night was an MC, a radio Engineer,a producer, a Remixer a Radio personality he earned
each and everyone of those titles with years of hard work and dedication ., but the title that I remember
him the most by is ” FRIEND” …..No hard work or dedication there…he was my friend ,naturally and
without effort he earned my trust, my respect, my love and admiration. He was hard headed and stubborn
,a little too frank at times ,but he was REAL. Real in an industry run by “Not so Real ” . people
He came alive behind the microphone ,a place where his looks ,his weight didn’t matter. Where he would
be judged solely on the sound of his voice and what he had to say. An unmistakable voice , heard by
hundreds of thousands of people on commercials, on the airwaves and from nightclubs all over Miami
since the early 80s. A voice that could inspire and motivate anyone who heard it ,to immediately get up
and dance. The nightclubs needed him , he WAS the party.
In 1995 he would produce the hit record ” Macarena ( Bayside Boys Remix )” on RCA records , allowing
him to construct a state of the art recording studio in West Miami. He follwed with hit ” Caliente”. and
continued to record countless of local and national artists , in many instances without charging studio time just to stay busy until the next radio gig popped up.
He was one of the youngest on air talents at legendary Miami radio station Super Q whose unique
format would be the model he would dream of using again someday on Miami’s airwaves. He recieved
that oppurtunity briefly for a few years on his return to radio after a few years absence on Miam’s Clasica
92.3 FM where he shot to the top of the ratings with unheard of numbers for a weekend show.The
happiest days of his life in my opinion. He was on top of his game . Programming “on the fly” playing the
music he wanted and knew Miami audiences craved but could not hear it anywhere. He manned the
controls at Salsa 98.3 FM on the weekends where we enjoyed a few years with a popular mix show
.After a financial dispute at one of the stations , his stubborn side got the better of him and he resigned ,it would be his last radio job before his untimely passing. He returned to the nightclubs as MC, vowing to return to radio under his terms,but the days of the ” RADIO PERSONALITY” was fading.
Replaced by minimum wage board operators with a few pre-programmed sentences here and there between
commercials and station IDs. On one of our 1 hour long drives to a nightclub we came up with the idea for
OPEN HOUSE RADIO .
“Cerrone, Leroy Gomez , Alec R Costandinos , Gloria Gaynor The Program slowly caught on .Stations in
New York,France, Brazil, Spain began playing the program. The program we created. Our bond grew
stronger.We would spend most of our ” production” time socializing and dreaming of ” What ifs” We
proved to each other that we could do it. The talent was there even though the jobs weren’t. We were
happy ,Open House Radio was ours . We often discussed the historical value of our programs as a
musical refrence to those years, delving deep into the Disco subculture almost as if studying religion or
the meaning of life itself. We had fun making those shows and looking back I preserved a little piece of
my friend in those 90+ shows that I selfishly kept here on Earth when he left.
I’ll be back making more Open House Radio shows. The way Mike used to, because when you love
something as much as we did ,it’s hard to stop.
Alex Gutierrez
By Mario M. Taboada
12-14-2012
The other night at Mikey Triay’s funeral, I chose not to speak publicly, but if I had, this is what I would have said. This is in memory of, and my tribute to a “bonanza” of a man.
I guess it’s only fitting that I point out that Mikey’s contributions to Radio were not limited to Programming, Music or Engineering. Mikey genuinely understood the “business” side of Radio…he embraced it and he enhanced it. Mikey was a true friend, and a very important allied of the Sales department. We in Sales loved him for that, we respected him and appreciated his efforts and enthusiasm. Mikey rarely said “no” to hosting a Remote or a Live Broadcast. He was always there when called upon to host a concert or event. You could always count on him to voice a commercial at a drop of dime, even when there was no compensation attached. He always gave it 100%. Mikey was always on time and he was always prepared. One thing was for sure, Mikey was going to do whatever it took to make the job-at-hand a success. And he was ready to do it again and again. It’s safe to say that Mikey significantly helped generate a lot of revenue for Radio over the years…and for that, Radio was better and many of us benefitted from it.
I’d like to share with all of you an anecdote that created a special bond between Mikey and I. A long, long time ago in TV land, there was a television series called “Bonanza”. It chronicled the lives of four brothers out in the Old West…they were the Cartwrights. There was this one brother… a strong and burly behemoth of a man, who was also very sensitive and naive at heart. He was like a child…a big teddy bear like Mikey. After working with Mikey for a while, back in the early eighties at Super Q, I approached him one day and asked him, “Mikey, you know that TV series, Bonanza?” He replied, “yes, why?” I said to him, “you remind me of one the characters on the program and if you don’t mind, out of respect, I’d like to call you “Hoss” from now on.” He was okay with that and from then
on, whenever I approached him and we were alone, I’d call him, ‘Hoss”. And if we were among other people, again out of respect, I would then refer to him as Mike or Mikey.Many of you, at one time or another probably shook Mikey’s hand. If so, I’m sure you felt the same way I did…this was a strong and mammoth hand. It certainly dwarfed mine. His grip was almost intimidating. Yet just as quick as you were impressed by the size of his hand, you were immediately comforted by the equally soft touch of his gentle and sincere soul. That was Mikey, he really was a gentle giant.
At the funeral, I noticed a common gesture by Mikey throughout the slide show presentation in memorium…a
simple sign that again well defines his character. In every slide, when Mikey was posing next to someone
“famous” or important…there was that “giant” hand again, this time serving as a “pointer” toward the other
person. It’s as if he was directing the attention away from himself…and indicating to all of us, like a child, that the person next to him was someone he respected, someone he admired or someone he approved of. This was another sign of how unselfish he was…just a simple kid in awe.Mikey, thank you for coming into our lives and adding a giant-size amount of contribution to Radio, and an equal-size amount of love to all of us.
“Good-bye, Hoss…I will miss you!”
Miss You …..Mikey….
Month: October 2014
Categories
Mantrap Then and Now
I could blame Mantrap for introducing me to ” Skipping ” school, but I
won’t. You see the first time I skipped class was to go to a Mantrap
concert at Miami High. Not only was I risking my life by getting in
trouble with my father , but I was also taking a chance that I would be
identified as a stranger at Miami High and that alone was reason to
get beaten up there ,usually by somebody with a nickname like ” El
Vampiro ” ” Fosforito ” or ” Cabeza ”
Well needless to say we made it in with our lives , just in time. The
concert began . We sat in the balcony looking down , people were
dancing in the isles, girls ,lots of them yelled at the top of their lungs
and the members of the group smiled looking at each other as if they
knew ” it didn’t get better than this ” Alex Gutierrez
Nelson Correa remembers:
I WENT TO GESU SCHOOL FROM 1-8 GRADE THEN I WENT TO RICO HIGH
SCHOOL WHICH IS WHERE I MET SOME OF THE MUSICIANS THAT LATER
COMPOSED MANTRAP.
THE BAND MANTRAP REALLY BEGAN IN THE BOY SCOUTS TROOP 223.
WE WERE ALL KIDS AND GOT TOGETHER TO PLAY. WE USED TO PLAY
AT BOY SCOUTS REUNIONS AND EVENTS. LATER WE NAMED THE BAND
MAJESTY. WE ADDED A COUPLE OF FRIENDS THAT WE WENT TO
SCHOOL WITH JUST BECAUSE WE WERE FRIENDS. TODAY I RECOGNIZE
THAT WE WERE HORRIBLE BUT BACK THEN, WE FELT WE WERE THE
BEST.
AS MORE MUSICIANS JOINED MAJESTY THE FEUDS BEGAN. SHORTLY
THEREAFTER THE BAND SPLIT. I LEFT WITH MY CLOSER FRIENDS AND
THE OTHER GUYS STAYED TO PURSUE A DREAM THEY NEVER
FULFILLED. WITH THE MUSICIANS I HAD WE BEGAN REHEARSING. WE
PICKED UP A COUPLE MORE GUYS AND THEN IT WAS TIME TO PICK A
NAME. WE CALLED THE BAND SHADES OF DARKNESS. THE NAME DID
NOT FIT WELL SO ONE DAY OUR SINGER AT THE TIME (IGNACIO OLIVA)
CAME UP WITH THE NAME MANTRAP. I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT IT
WAS JUST TWO WEEKS AGO THAT OUR NOW SINGER MIGUEL MARTIN
WHO WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH IGNACIO TOLS US THAT IGNACIO
HAD TOLD HIM MANY YEARS AGO THAT HE NAMED THE BAND.
ON MANY INTERVIEWS INCLUDING TV AND RADIO WE WERE ASKED
NUMEROUS TIMES AS TO WHO CAME UP WITH THE NAME AND NO ONE
KNEW. IGNACIO HAD LEFT THE BAND IN 1975 AFTER SEVERAL
EPILEPTIC ATTACKS SUFFERED WHILE PERFORMING DUE TO THE
BAND’S LIGHT SHOW. SO THAT MYSTERY HAS BEEN RESOLVED. SINCE
IGNACIO LEFT MANY YEARS AGO AND WE HAD NOT BEEN ASKED ABOUT
THE NAME, WHEN WE WERE ASKED NO ONE REMEMBERED. THE NAME
CAME FROM A STAR TREK SHOW CALLED MANTRAP.
MY FATHER (RIP) WOULD TELL ME THAT HIS COUSIN HAD A NEPHEW
WHO HAD AN ORCHESTRA AND WANTED ME TO GO SEE THEM
REHEARSE. SINCE MY DAD KNEW WE WERE GETTING STARTED WITH
OUR BAND HE WANTED ME TO SEE THIS SO CALLED ORCHESTRA THAT
WAS GOOD. I NEVER SHOWED AN INTEREST BECAUSE THE WORD
ORCHESTRA TO ME MEANT A SALSA BAND AND WE WERE NOT PLAYING
SALSA. FINALLY, ONE DAY I WENT WITH MY DAD AFTER SO MANY
ASKINGS TO SEE THIS ORCHESTRA. TO MY SURPRISE, IT WAS THE
ANTIQUES. MIAMI’S MOST POPULAR AND BEST BAND AT THE TIME.
MY EYES OPENED WIDE AND I TOLD MY DAD. ” THIS IS NOT AN
ORCHESTRA, THIS IS A BAND” AND THE BEST!!!! MAN, I WAS FURIOUS
BECAUSE ALL THIS TIME I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THESE
GUYS AND NEVER DID BECAUSE MY DAD CALLED THEM AN ORCHESTRA.
WOW.
I MET THE ANTIQUES AND IMMEDIATELY I BONDED WITH ALL OF THEM.
THE BASS PLAYER TAUGHT ME HOW TO PLAY THE BASS, I STARTED
BRINGING IN THE BAND MEMBERS TO SEE THE ANTIQUES REHEARSE
AND WE WERE ALL IN WONDERLAND. EACH ONE OF THEM TAUGHT US
ABOUT THEIR INSTRUMENTS.
THEY ALLOWED US TO PLAY DURING THEIR BREAKS WHERE EVER THEY
PLAYED AND NOW MANTRAP GOT THE EXPOSURE THAT IT NEEDED.
SOON AFTER THAT WE STARTED PICKING UP BETTER MUSICIANS AND
MANTRAP BECAME A WELL KNOWN BAND. THE BAND HEAVEN THEN
STARTED CALLING US TO PLAY DURING THEIR BREAKS ALSO WHICH
GAVE US MORE FAME. THEN THEY LET US PLAY AT THE OPEN HOUSES.
AT FIRST WE DID NOT GET PAID. IT DID NOT MATTER, WE JUST
WANTED TO PLAY AND SEE OUR NAME ON THE FLYERS.
AFTER A WHILE THEY BEGAN COMPENSATING US BUT VERY LITTLE. WE
USED THE MONEY TO BUY BETTER MUSIC EQUIPMENT. IN 1976
MANTRAP WAS WELL ESTABLISHED AND WE DID OUR OWN OPEN
HOUSE. TWO RECORDS WERE RECORDED AND EVERYTHING WAS A
HUGE SUCCESS. WE PACKED THE POLISH AMERICAN CLUB AND HAD AS
A GUEST BAND WILLIAM SANCHEZ AND THE ONDA NUEVA. WILLIAM IS
TODAY THE MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR SABADO GIGANTE BAND.
WHEN THE OPEN HOUSE PROMOTERS SAW THE CROWD THAT WE GOT
FOR OUR OWN DANCE, THEY REALIZED THAT THEY NEEDED US TO
PLAY FOR THE OPEN HOUSES IN FEAR OF US DOING OUR OWN AND
DIVIDING THE CROWDS. IT WAS USUALLY MANTRAP, HEAVEN AND THE
ANTIQUES. OTHER BANDS CAME IN AS GUEST FROM TIME TO TIME
SUCH AS UNIT 3 OR WILDWIND.
THEN THE FATHER OF OUR KEYBOARD PLAYER (ANDY GONZALEZ)
STARTED DOING FRIDAY NIGHT DANCES AT THE CLUB DE LAS AMERICA.
MANTRAP WAS THE MAIN BAND THERE. WE DREW HUGE CROWDS.
THIS WAS 1977-1978. WE ALSO PLAYED AT MY DREAM DISCO IN
HIALEAH WHICH ALWAYS GREETED MANTRAP WITH ALOT OF LOVE.
EVEN THOUGH WE MOSTLY ATTENDED MIAMI HIGH, HIALEAH LOVED US
MORE.
TWO OF OUR MEMBERS WERE FROM HIALEAH HIGH AND
UNFORTUNATELY THEY HAD TO PLAY AT THEIR OWN PROM BUT IN THIS
BUSINESS THE SHOW MUST GO ON. WE HAD MEMBERS FROM NORTH
MIAMI HIGH, BELEN, CORAL GABLES, MIAMI HIGH AND HIALEAH IN
MANTRAP.
MANTRAP CONTINUED STRONG THROUGH THE COMMENCEMENT OF
1980 BY THEN, THE FIGHTS AT THE DANCES MADE IT HARD FOR US TO
RENT A HALL TO HOLD THE OPEN HOUSES AT. NO ONE WANTED TO
RENT THE HALLS BECAUSE OF THE GANGS. WE THEN CHANGED THE
BANDS NAME TO NIGHTSHIFT. WE BEGAN PLAYING 6 NIGHTS A WEEK AT
NIGHT CLUBS IN W.PALM BEACH AND FT LAUDERDALE. I REALIZED THAT
THIS WAS NOT MY VISION ANYMORE AND I KNEW I NEEDED TO FIND A
JOB. I APPLIED AND BECAME A MIAMI POLICE OFFICER FROM JULY 1980
UNTILL I RETIRED IN 2005. THE BAND BROKE UP AFTER I LEFT.
TODAY I CONTINUE BEING A COP BUT NOW IN KEY BISCAYNE. I HAVE
BEEN THERE FOR THREE YEARS. I SAW IN 2007 WHILE SEARCHING FOR
THE SONG SUAVECITO ON YOU TUBE, A MANTRAP VERSION OF THE
SONG THAT WE HAD RECORDED IN OUR DISCO FANTASY ALBUM BUT IN
A RARE CD CALLED THE SWEETER SIDE OF LATIN SOUL. I CLICKED ON
IT AND SURE AS HELL, IT WAS MANTRAP’S SONG.
I CONTACTED THE PERSON WHO UPLOADED THE SONG AND HE TOLD
ME THE SONG WAS A HIT IN THE EAST LOS ANGELES AREA AND IF WE
COULD GET THE BAND TOGETHER HE COULD SET US UP TO GO PLAY
UP THERE FOR THE RADIO STATION’S ANNUAL CONCERT. I GATHERED
SOME OF THE MUSICIANS AND WE PRODUCED 4 SONGS AS DEMOS.
THE RADIO STATION WANTED TO KNOW HOW MANTRAP WOULD SOUND
TODAY.
WE WERE BEAT BY MALO FOR THE CONCERT THIS YEAR. THEY ARE
FROM THE LOCAL AREA AND IT WOULD COST TOO MUCH TO BRING
MANTRAP TO EAST LA BUT THEY SAID TO CONTINUE MAKING SONGS
AND THAT THEY WOULD PROMOTE THEM ON THE RADIO ENOUGH TO
JUSTIFY BRINGING US IN NEXT YEAR.
RECENTLY I WAS APPROACHED BY AN OLD DJ FROM THE OPEN HOUSE
ERA BY THE NAME OF EFREN CASTEELANOS. HE TOLD ME THAT IF I
COULD GET THE BAND TOGETHER HE COULD SET UP A BACK TO THE
OPEN HOUSE EVENT AT CLUB RENAISSANCE. WE MADE ALL THE
ARRANGEMENTS AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 29 YEARS,
MANTRAP WOULD PERFORM LIVE ON DEC 11 AT CLUB RENNAISANCE IN CORAL GABLES FLORIDA.
THAT PERFORMANCE WOULD TRIGGER A RESURGENCE OF THE OPEN HOUSE BANDS HERE IN MIAMI. MANY
BANDS FOLLOWED AND THE SCENE REMAINS ACTIVE TODAY THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF NELSON CORREA AND
HIS GROUP. RECORDING 2 FULL LENGTH CDS OF ORIGINAL AND COVER MATERIAL, INCLUDING
AN INTERNATIONAL HIT FOR THE BAND WITH THE REMIX OF THEIR ORIGINAL TRACK ” DISCO LIGHTS’
Categories
Miami Bands of the 70s
Categories
Miami Bands of The 70s
Those of us who were privileged to be present during that time can appreciate the frustration of not being able to know the history of our musical roots here in Miami. No books or Google searches can produce any information on this period , a time when we were defining ourselves musically.
We had embraced soul music and rock as the ” listeners”, but we wanted to make our own music, a style that would reflect our ethnicity and our ability to adapt. Groups like Earth,Wind and Fire and Santana would influence us ,and we would take those styles and fuse them together. Musical groups formed in our High Schools when friends from Band class got together to jam in their parent’s garage or ” Florida Room” The ” OPEN HOUSE ” was born out of necessity,we needed a place to show off , our clothes ,our shoes , our ” Muelas”. We needed to show America we could take all it offered and make it our own. According to Legendary radio personality Maria Cristina Ruiz of Super Q” The pioneers of the Open Houses, were the late Eddy Martinez, and Francisco Calvo. They were strong promoters at the time plus, Martin Roque and the late Ray Aviles who came down from New York and partnered with Eddy Martinez. They used to have dances , TRES ORQUESTAS POR EL PRECIO DE UNO! ” was their tag line .It is unclear where the term ” Open House ” originated, but it meant “all where invited ” and we ALL went. We know the names Boa,Trapp, Heaven ,Mantrap,OUI,Mint, Unit 3 ,Antiques, Coke,Rapid Transit,Unit 3,BABE,Pearly Queen, Adam’s Apple,Clockwork, World of Matter ,Ecstacy, Queen’s kids,Warlock, Heroes of
Cranberry Farms,Shuffling Kind, Trap,The Warlocks,Wildwind, Majesty, and those who were destined to stay just jamming together in their parent’s spare bedroom. These were our superstars with a twist, they sat next to us in Math class. They had grown up with us, we could hear them practicing from our backyard, but most of all , they were our own. Latin teenagers mostly from Cuba arriving in the US in the early and mid sixties,still Cuban at heart ,faced with the reality that they would never return to their birthplace , but with the desire to make our mark and be noticed as contributors to this great land. Although I must give credit where credit is due, a few local Gringos did pave the way and they are also recognized on this page.
Who in Miami didn’t skip school once to attend a Mantrap or Heaven concert in the Miami High auditorium? Where else could they come up with something so official sounding as National “Skip ‘ day? The word got out somehow and we all showed up at the South Beach Pier. We would also show up at Club de las Americas, Salon Sofia,Electrician’s Hall. Our Lady of Lebanon, Polish American , and anywhere we knew the guys would be at. Of course we need to mention Carlos Oliva y los Sobrinos del Juez ,Willy Chirino , Hansel y Raul and the Miami Sound Machine all talented artists that defined the ” Miami Sound ” to the mainstream . It was these groups that bridged the generational gaps that existed between us and our parents , musically , if only for a brief moment in time.
When Disco exploded on to the scene it made these “Open House ” groups shine even more. Groups began adding local female vocalists ,that would solidify their male fan base . Their playlists were as fresh as the newest Bo Crane Disco report .The faceless songs we heard hundreds of times a week on the radio now had a group of young men to interpret the feelings of that particular song. The Cuban Dick Clark of course was WRHC’s Enrique de la Maza who hosted the popular AM radio show ” El Show de Rikki Tikki ” on a local level de La Maza was a key figure in the promotion of the Open House scene early on, later by Leo Vela,Maria Cristina Ruiz, Mike “in The Night ‘ Triay, Albertico Rodriguez, David Verjano and all of the Super Q team.
This page is an attempt to record some of that history ,through recollections of those of us who were there in some capacity either as DJ,musicians,or the audience that supported it all. If you were part of that scene and feel you should be mentioned here please contact me .
Alex Gutierrez 
Categories
Open House Culture
The many bands that played these venues did more than provide us with musical entertainment, they
were also the trend setters , high school and junior high school kids would emulate their style of dress
from the ‘ QIANA’ shirts down to the transparent plexi glass elevator shoes. Weather from Zayas in
Hialeah or Miami Elegante every week these groups would appear on stage with the sole purpose of
being the coolest dressed ” Dicotecos ” in all of Miami. It didn’t matter if you were going bowling at the
Coliseum or shopping at Zayre ‘ Los Discotecos ” always looked good Their hairstyles were not your
father’s barbershop down the street they were from Israel, Robert at the Office or from The Studio and
later Hair Fantasy. This would assure that by the end of the night ,they would be able to get a phone
number or two , and if they were real lucky a slow dance in between sets off in a corner where the ”
Chaperonas” couldn’t see, a sign of a true ” Ligador “. Along with the ” Stoners”, the Nerds,the ” Jocks ”
this era created ” Los Plasticos ” teenage boys and girls who dressed in the latest fashions. ” Quinces ”
were the ultimate displays of ” Plastiqueria” elaborate ” coming out ” parties held at the Dupont,
Barcelona, Doral, Marco Polo or the Big 5 depending on how deep Daddy’s pockets were , to have an
Open House band at your party was a status symbol.
Everyone you’ll ever meet will refer to their High school years as ” those were the days ” to thousands of
us here in Miami during the 70s those were OUR days and they were the best , we had arrived , come
into our own ,and we had something to say. We never made ” shout outs” we made dedications on EL
SHOW DE RIKKI TIKKI, Ada Buznego one of the original ” Champa Chicks”( Champagnat students )
girls who did the phone screening for Enrique de La Maza recalls ” The phones never stopped ringing we
would take dedications during the program and then Enriquito would read them on the air . One of the
most popular callers was a girl that would call everyday her name was Rebecca Faroy , I’ll never forget .
We never had to pick what movie we were going to see because they only played one at The
Tower,Trail,Teatro Marti,Palm Springs Cinema or el Tivoli. In these movie theatres independently owned
in most cases you could buy popcorn , sandals or hats. We didn’t have Happy meals because we were
just as happy with two hamburgers from Royal Castle or a Pan con Bistec from Bistelandia. Food
shopping at Grand Union or Food Fair was a family outing and you didn’t dare put anything in the cart
without your father’s approval and at the end no matter how old you were you always asked mom for a
few pennies for the gumball machine.
Music was the soundtrack for our “Cubanicity” we spoke English but preffered our colorful Cuban
spanish ( Spanglish ) amongst friends. We preffered Disco and Soul over Salsa. ( that would later
change with ” Los Bailes de la Coca Cola ) Super Q was and will always be the only radio station that ”
got it right ” Everyone had the white Earth Wind and Fire album “Gratitude ” it was mandatory that we
learned the words to ” Reasons ” so that we could seranade some unfortunate young girl with our off key
rendition of this ballad while we danced the song with her at a party or Open House.
When Saturday Night Fever came out in 1977 ,we saw a little bit of ourselves , but it was too griity, too
ugly. The Miami Disco Scene was glitzy, glamorous. Our music was Cerrone ,Love and Kisses,Lou
Rawls we had “Tremenda Pinta ” not like these people we saw on the screen. When High School was
over we all went our seperate ways ,but in our hearts we carried the sounds,the sights of a time we
would never forget.
LOCAL GROUPS OF MIAMI
MANTRAP WILLY CHIRINO
HEAVEN REY AND HIS COURT
WILDWIND TIPICA TROPICAL
UNIT 3 CONTINENTAL BRASS
CLOCKWORK LOS JOVENES DEL HIERRO
RAPID TRANSIT FOXXY
TRAPP QUEEN’S KIDS
ANTIQUES PEARLY QUEEN
COKE ( LATER OPUS ) WARLOCK
OUI HEROES OF CRANBERRY
MINT ECSTACY
MAJESTY World Of Matter
FRIENDS
CLOUDS
CARLOS OLIVA
OSCAR Y LA FANTASIA
MIGUEL CRUZ AND SKINS
LOCAL VENUES /HALLS
CLUB DE LAS AMERICAS
POLISH -AMERICAN
SALON SOFIA
SALON AZUL
OUR LADY OF LEBANON
ELECTRICIANS HALL
MIAMi JAI a LAI
DINNER KEY AUDITORIUM
Categories
DJ ALEX GUTIERREZ
In 1976 I bought two BSR Belt driven Turntables with no pitch control and a Radio Shack microphone mixer mixer with no CUE, with money I had saved working as a busboy at a restaurant. I was the “man “!! Well at least I thought I was . I had been
to a party where instead of everyone bringing their own records (with their name written all over those 45 rpm records in bold black ink) There was an actual guy with his own stuff in a corner playing the records for you. Of course you didn’t know what he was playing because he covered the label with black tape. Oh,and he was getting paid $15.00. I wanted to do what that guy
did. I became his friend ,George Valdes,never saw him after Jr.high School,but he started me out by giving me the Trammp’s ”
That’s where the Happy people Go ” on Atlantic Records. Showed me what ” mixing ” was,showed me where to cut my hair
( Hair Fantasy ) showed me that Pierre Cardin cologne was better than Jovan musk oil. But most important he showed me that
a DJ can’t be taught ,it has to come from within,you have to feel the music.
” It’s been 30+ years since all of that and music has always been a part of my life starting with Disco in the 70s,Freestyle in the 80s,Techno in the 90s and so on. ”
I’ve been fortunate to work at numerous nightclubs in Miami and California , as well as concerts ( Opening for such artists as Oscar de Leon,Gilberto Santa Rosa , Tavares, Carol Douglas , Elvis Crespo And many More ) as well as special events throughout the years. I’ve worked in radio since the mid 90s when the BREEZE a local light Jazz station became EL ZOL. I had always included Latin Music in my 
programming but had never focused primarily on it until I met Jesus Salas Program Director for EL ZOL, he invited me to join DJ Crazy J in a show he was creating called ” El Mix en Vivo” ( The first Latin Mixshow } with MC/ DJ Julio Jr. and Carlos Lanzas.
During that time a couple of friends and myself had already been playing around with the idea of BEAT MIXING Latin music. The ” Chief ” Raymond Hernandez from Rhythym 98, Gil Rodriguez , DJ at La Covacha and myself who had been playing at Club
Mystique at the Airport Hilton and Alcazaba at the Hyatt. El Mix en Vivo was a hit,and opened the door to just about every latin
club in Florida. Latin music became my primary focus and I began to perfect my ” Latin Beat mixing” technique that was not well recieved because people wanted the song to end. After a few months I trained my crowds into accepting the ” mix ” it also allowed them to dance a little longer since most latin songs are only about 3:00 min long. I helped pioneer the use of dry beats ,that I would edit into a song before and after allowing me mixing points.
I later went on to accept a position at Salsa98.3 FM thanks to Leo Vela a long time friend who started as a DJ at Cherry’s as
an on-air mixer. I enjoyed 3 years there until the station went 100% Reggeaton, and name changed to LA Kalle 98. I stayed a few 
months with La Kalle and then accepted a DIsco Mix Show on Clasica 92.3 FM ” Disco Fiesta” with Susy Lehman ,after that thanks to the late Julio Jr. I was back on el ZOL 95 doing remote broadcasts with the station.
I recieved the New Times Best Club DJ Reader’s Choice Award multiple years and appeared in the PBS Documentary ” El Open House The Soundtrack of our Lives ” . I have remixed tracks for Willy Chirino, Orq.Palenke, Miami’s Band, Mantrap , Tito Nieves and others.
Today The preservation of traditional Salsa and Disco is a battle,the clubs are getting younger and the desire to learn Salsa and appreciate Disco is diminishing,but I keep doing my thing and so far it works. With Open House Radio along with Mike in the Night I have returned to my Disco roots and created a program that is now heard around the world ,playing 70s and 80s dance music. It keeps you alive……Mike passed away December 6, 2012 a devastating blow to all of us here in Miami, the torch was passed to my Friend and producer Lewis Martinee who together continue Mike’s dream as well as producing an additional dance music show RHTYTHM MIX 24/7 . Early in 2013 I founded the South Florida DJ Association and the response has been
overwhelming. Fulfilling a lifelong goal of bringing the DJ Community together.
Past and Present
Nightclubs
Alcazaba,Club Mystique ( Airport Hilton ), Gabriel’s, ,The Forge, Club 41,Poodle Lounge ( Fountainbleu ), Casis, Mezzanote, Valentinos,Bar 609 ( south Beach ) , Club 609 ( Coconut Grove ), Coco loco, Kaffe Krystal, Cafe Iguana ( Kendall ), Cafe Iguana ( Pembroke Pines ), Cafe Iguana ( beach Place ) , Maars Bar ( Kendall) 94th Aerosquadron ( Miami }
Club Z ,Baja Beach Place,St.Croix, Paladium, Bungalow 9, Gemini,Congas,Radius,Monkey Bar,Club Boca,Suzanne’s in the Grove,Azucar,Casino Miami Club Bailo,La Covacha
Radio Stations
Zol 95.7 FM , Salsa 98.3 FM , La Kalle 98.3 FM, Zeta 92.3 FM
Categories
Origins of The Disco Ball
It will be forever connected to Disco Music as one of it’s most recognized symbols 
, yet it has been around since the late 1800s. As early as the 18th century, people used “witches balls” to reflect negative spirits away from the home. Although not 100% verified ,The disco ball was invented by Charles and Logan McGrath, of Basildon, England, in 1859. They ran a popular bar and experimented with lighting effects to enhance the performances of their shows.The February, 1897, issue of the “Electrical Worker” describes the Third Annual Ball held on on January 6, 1897, at Roughaus Hall, Charlestown, and of the spectacular lighting display, which could be seen for miles around Boston. The letters “N.B.E.W.” were done with incandescent lamps of various colors on wire mesh over the ballroom, highlighted by a lamp flashing on a mirrored ball
Most records of pre-disco era mirror balls are limited to appearances in films that show the balls in motion as part of a scene at a bar or cabaret of some sort. Films such as the 1927 silent film “Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt” and the 1942 classic “Casablanca” as well as ” Some Like it Hot show mirror balls as part of set pieces.Division Bell tour that measured a whopping 4.9 meters in diameter. Madonna had to out do the competition andt during her 2006 Confessions on a Dance Floor tour used a 2-ton disco ball covered in $2 million worth of Swarovski crystals.
According to The Guiness Book of World Records The largest disco ball measures 10.33 m (33 ft 10 in) in diameter and was achieved by Bestival (UK) for the Desert Island Disco at Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight, UK, on 7 September 2014.
The Disco Ball was rotating while Nile Rodgers and Chic took to the stage to perform .
Alex Gutierrez
Her real name is Beatrice Melba Smith.Her first break came in 1967 as a member of the original cast of the musical ‘Hair’.1976 saw her biggest chart success with the Van McCoy-penned song ‘This Is It’.
‘This Is It’ reached the Billboard Hot 100, the top twenty position on the R&B chart and also made the Top ten in the U.K.1982 saw huge success with the release of the album ‘The Other Side Of The Rainbow’, an album that featured the songs ‘Love’s Comin’ At Ya’ (U.K. Top 20 and produced by Paul Lawrence Jones III and Kashif), ‘Mind Up Tonight’ (U.K. Top 25) and ‘Underlove’ (U.K. Top 75).
Her biggest Disco hit is YOU STEPPED INTO MY LIFE (Producer – Gene McFadden And John Whitehead ) a song released by the Bee Gees in September 1976.Her version reached #47 in the US, #17 in the US R&B Charts and #5 in the US Hot Dance Club Songs in 1978.It’s sexy and sultry vocals combined with a lower BPM than usual fit comfortably as an opening track at many Miami nightclubs.
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Meet Alec R.
By Disco DJ standards this man could walk on water and part the Red Sea while conducting a 48 piece orchestra at the same time. he was responsible for some if not most of the greatest productions of the Disco Era. You would be hard pressed to find a DJ from that time that doesn’t include this man’s work on his list of Top 5 greatest Disco tracks of all time.
Greek/Egyptian Alec R. Costandinos made records unlike anyone else could, he pioneered the use of the first LP recorded on 48 tracks ( Trident Studios). In only three years, 1977-79, he recorded an astounding 15 albums of beautiful, one side-long disco suites and concept albums without comparison. Costandinos is a musical genius and his records simply sound as fantastic today as they did when they were first released. In 1974 Costandinos would become involved with a group called Kongas, whose drummer was none other than future disco auteur Jean-Marc Cerrone. Later in 1975, the two would collaborate on Cerrone’s first solo project “Love In C Minor” , one of the greatest disco classics which launched both of their careers as Disco producers. The two original tracks off Cerrone’s three-track “Love In C Minor” LP (the title track and “Midnite Lady”) would unfortunately be the last products of the Cerrone/Costandinos collaboration. As for why that was, it’s a question mark. It is a subject that Alec told us on our Open House Interview ” I prefer to let somethings as they are “
His Masterpiece Romeo And Juliette released on the Casablanca label showed the complexities of the true genre and is an excellent example of what DISCO was and should be seen as ……ART
After all his Disco projects , Costandinos seemed to slow down considerably. He would release one more album in 1981 called “Americana,” ( The Only album that featured a picture of him on the cover ) ironically not released in the US.
And by the way on Romeo and Juliette “the most excellent and lamentable tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, newly corrected, augmented and amended” is Alec himself.
Hear our EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON OPEN HOUSE RADIO CLICK HERE
Open House Radio #54 Alec R. Costandinos by Open House Radio on Mixcloud
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My First Record
They say you never forget your first kiss, your first girlfriend ,well, your first anything right? As a DJ who started at the age of 15 I was reminded today while listening to some old songs on You Tube what my first record was. I didn’t even buy it, it was given to me by the DJ that lit the flame that burns til this day. His name was Jorge Valdes a 9th grader who had first met at a party that he was ” playing records” . The minute I walked in the door that night I was mesmerized by the fact that a guy playing records controlled the party. I didn’t see him for several months after that, nor did I see anyone doing what he was doing at any other party that I went to. On the first day of school at lunch in my Junior High Cafeteria there he was , motioning to me to come sit at his table with a bunch of other older kids with cool haircuts and clothes. I did the best I could to cover my T shirt from “Los Pinos Nuevos” a Local bakery. I had already been into music listening to the radio religiously when I got home. My parents owned a big Zenith Console stereo ( off limits of course) and a large collection of records Elvis,Herp Alpert, Ray Conniff, Al Hirt The obligatory Coke album ( a local group of kids from Miami High) rounding out the collection on the latin side Perez Prado,Celia Cruz,Conjunto Universal . I couldn’t hear them ,but I could hold them and read the liner notes and admire the cover art which on some of the Lps were a little risque at the time. But these kids spoke of a different kind of music ,it wasn’t Elton John,America, Captain & Tenille that I was listening to on my local station.They were talking about groups like BT Express, LaBelle,AWB, Van McCoy ,Silver Convention, O.C. Smith, The Intruders,Double Exposure. The were talking about clubs that their older brothers and sisters would go to. This was a strange new world for me , but I liked it !! 
The following day at lunch ( now wearing a much cooler T Shirt with the ” Man from Uncle” logo) I sat down next to Jorge who immediately handed me a white label 45 RPM of the Trammps ” That’s Where The Happy People Go” He said ” Here to start your collection” I looked at it for a minute . I imagined myself at a party where I was in charge of the music . People danced , girls whispering, smiling and pointing at me ( hopefully not laughing at my T shirt). I was a DJ !! I peddled home that day faster than ever ready to defy all rules concerning the Zenith stereo . I was going to play ” MY” record , and I did as soon as I stepped in the door and about 3 hours before my Father got home. I must have heard it about 20 times before my Mom had me turn it off because I was going to ” Waste The Needle”
It was an exciting time I wanted to learn all about this ” Disco” thing these guys were talking about. I discovered a record store within bicycle riding distance where I offered the old man to organize and help out around the shop in exchange for records. ( Lee’s Records) My collection began to grow 45s , Lps and the new 12 inches . More Record stores were popping up all over Ultra Records, Ricky Records E.R.E Records , The Record Gallery, The Village, Do Re Mi, Lily’s . Soon I was able to fill up a few crates and with money saved from jobs here and there ( an the help of my Uncle) I was able to buy a Speaker ,some turntables and a small little mixer.
All because of ” Disco” Where the Happy people Go.
DJ Alex Gutierrez