A line of people snaked outside the Eri Cafe in anticipation for Timekode’s sixth anniversary Nov. 18. Once a month, the unassuming Chinatown cafeacute is transformed into a soul, reggae, dance hall, disco, and electro dance party.
Timekode was originally founded by Alexandre Mattar, also known as DJ Zattar, to create a dance party that played music differently than most of the clubs downtown, he said. He said he founded the event along with his friends Ian Pho and Alana Stewart because they all grew up listening to soul, funk and electro in the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
The first show was held at Café Nostalgica. Attendance at the beginning was modest, but that didn’t stop the three from providing some soul to Ottawa, Mattar said.
But after one year, Timekode was in jeopardy. Summertime meant that most of its concertgoers, University of Ottawa students, were gone and Café Nostalgica was closed down. On top of that, two of its founders moved to Toronto and formed the dancehall band Bonjay.
Alone, with no venue, and even a smaller following than before, Mattar said he refused to give up.
Six years later, at its new venue, the crowds are bigger and Mattar said interest keeps growing every month.
Inside, the little café was packed with people dancing the soulful vibes and funky grooves of DJ Zattar, Eric Roberts, Hobo and Sweet Cheeks of Kitchen Party, and Slim Moore.
The room was hot, the beat was heavy and by the end of that night most people were drenched in sweat.
Timekode connects music from different eras by mixing tunes from the ‘60s with new reggae and grime, Mattar said. He said another important thing about Timekode is the different kinds of people it connects.
In the crowd, there were students in their early 20s dancing alongside lawyers in their 40s, Mattar said. It’s an event that attracts people from different social circles and age groups who wouldn't normally be caught partying together, he said.
“No one cares who you are as long as you dance.”
