The dance floor bounced on Oct. 8 as DJ Mari Rossi of São Paulo, Brazil joined local veteran DJ Lance Baptiste at Ottawa’s Mercury Lounge, offering thumping rhythms to an approving crowd of club-goers.
Local breakdancers and musicians added their styles to the mix, showcasing a collage of dance and electronic music cultures from across the globe.
DJ Baptiste started the party with a selection of jazz influenced electronica while a local breakdance crew known as the Capital House Sessions warmed up the floor.
One dancer from Capital House, known by the pseudonym Sonix, said Mercury has a distinctive community vibe rooted in diverse forms of cultural expression.
“In terms of energy, the musicians that are just beating drums are giving back to the dancers, who are giving right back to the musicians, who are giving back to the DJ, so you can just follow that ball of energy around depending on where you’re looking,” she said.
Percussionist Emmanuel Depayen, seated behind a set of congas, said he has played at Mercury on a weekly basis for years.
When Rossi hit the turntables, drinks were flowing, and somewhere in the throng, saxophone player Orlando Alvarez wailed on a shiny black alto.
“It’s the most beautiful black saxophone you’ve ever seen in your life,” he said.
The kaleidoscopic movements of lights, sounds and bodies merged with Rossi’s booming rhythms, and the intensity of the music and dance seemed to grow, as if through some kind of symbiosis.
This musical fusion mirrored the diverse international influences that are apparent in Rossi’s sound.
Her inspirations include American neo-soul singer Erykah Badu and fellow São Paulo artists like Drumagick, who combine Afro-Brazilian samba with UK rave music like drum and bass.
Rossi noted mutual support between DJs internationally, saying she trades music with resident DJs when she is in Brazil.
“I feel very welcome here because people at Mercury treat me like family,” she said.
“It’s a very deep relation with people here.”