Like the Latin trap anthem “Singamo” blares from the speakers at the Echo in Echo Park, as more than 50 people sing and twerk on stage. Dina Ben-Nissan and Courtney Hollinquest take turns spinning tracks from artists around the world as images of flags from countries like Puerto Rico, Brazil and Mexico spin on a projection screen behind them. To the side of the stage, La Goony Chonga, a Cuban-American rapper and singer from Miami, takes selfies with fans.
This is what it’s like to attend ¡BAILE!, a world music dance party taking place in Los Angeles since 2022. Named after the Spanish slang word for dancing, the party focuses heavily on sounds from Latin and South America, but also delves into music from other parts of the world, such as soca and Gqom, which has roots in South Africa.
People attend Baile World.
(Jett Lara / For The Times)
Dina Ben-Nissan, left, dances at Baile World.
(Jett Lara / For The Times)
“Being black and Latina, I’ve never been in a space where I can play everything at once,” says co-founder Hollinquest (aka DJ CQUESTT), who is of Puerto Rican, Mexican, and black descent. “It’s either Latin music or hip-hop, so the idea of [“¡BAILE!”] “It was about creating a space where I could play everything that represents me and all those club sounds that I’ve been listening to throughout my travels.”
This party is one of many in Los Angeles that transport attendees to other countries without needing a passport. On any given night, Angelenos can hear sounds from Southeast Asia to Mexico. Cultural details add to the experience: the food, the décor, the attire. For example, you can enjoy sambusa and other traditional Ethiopian snacks at “Motherland Sounds.” At an Afro-Caribbean party known as “Carnival Tabanca,” some attendees wear modern and traditional carnival costumes.
These types of events have been gaining popularity in recent years as previously niche genres, such as West African Afrobeats, have become more mainstream.
“Before it was like you know, you know,” says Kwabena Anfo, a Ghanaian-born DJ and producer who goes by the name Blaq Pages and hosts a traveling party called “Afrobeats to the World.” “But now, with social media, you can find the right community that you want to be part of and find the music that you want to enjoy.”
Part of what makes music so powerful is its ability to introduce people to cultures other than their own and make those far from their birthplace feel at home. Here are six rhythmic dance parties in Los Angeles that do just that.
Scenes from First Fridays, full of music and miches.
(Julian Market)
