Photo Credit: Juan Nevarez
Fiesta de la Flor, presented by CITGO, ups the ante, adding two more acts to an already packed and exciting line-up. The annual celebration of all things Selena introduces Corpus Christi native DJs, El Dusty and DJ AudEo. The anticipated crowd of over 70,000 will have a chance to catch two hometown faces who've been building local followings and gathering kudos outside the Corpus Christi city limits.
Dusty Oliveira – aka El Dusty, aka DJ Dus – has had the ears of locals for years. His international notoriety is amped by his work with big city Latin party crews in New York, Chicago and Austin. His music surfs the wave of what's been dubbed the Cumbia Underground.
El Dusty's inventive brand of deep-cut Latin EDM madness will be the backbone of Fiesta de la Flor's Silent Disco, a new feature inviting the dance-inclined to throw down in the Chapman Gallery of the Art Museum of South Texas, on the north end of the festival grounds. Revelers will have to rely on that gorgeous Corpus Christi Bay to give chill, because once Dusty drops the beat, the heat is on.
El Dusty
Rolling Stone's "10 New Artists You Need to Know: October 2015" described his sound as "the year's most turned-up quinceañera." And Billboard 's "5 New Latin Acts to Watch in 2016" noted his mad skills as DJ collaborator and mash-up artist.
In an interview with Vent online, Dusty speaks of his beloved hometown. "Corpus Christi used to be the Tejano Hollywood. ‘Tejano’ the word has been kind of tainted – people say it is dead, but it is not. My music isn’t pure Tejano, but it has the influence, so I call it Tejano – that is what it is."
El Dusty: “Cumbia Anthem ft. Happy Colors”
Tejano is fusion, steeped in the musical traditions of Mexican norteño/conjunto and German/Czech polka, and the best DJs know all about fusion. It stands to reason that a couple of South Texans would warmly embrace the music of their padrinos.
Up-and-comer Audrey Molina, aka DJ AudEo, is a slow-jams kinda kid captivated as a child by the smooth croons of Brian McKnight back in the 90s, the formative era that also gave her Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Usher, Timbaland and her first tastes of rap and hip-hop – which she carries forward into her shows and residencies today. DJ AudEo is well-versed in getting the party started, and Fiesta de la Flor will feature her beats onstage, between all live sets both days.
Audrey's musical roots reach back to her grandfather who used to own a record label, and filtered through her parent's generation into her. "Music was their I.V., their life line. It just runs in the blood."
DJ AudEo / Photo: DJ Bounz
Back in the 90s, Audrey's aunt was known as Mireya, a Tejano singer on the Q Productions roster. And as a young girl, Audrey got to join her aunt on tour.
Selena was her soundtrack to life – a life enjoyed from the unique vantage point of a Q Productions tour bus. In the process, her musical family grew to include Suzette Quintanilla, drummer of Los Dinos and sister to Selena.
From honoring the Tejano of her ancestors to keeping up with the hottest rap and dance numbers, DJ AudEo aggregates her modern sound. "My job is to keep people into the music. I want them to build off me: Boom! Let's go!" she says. "I want to take them back to that time when they said, 'That was the best night of my life!' "
Both of these fresh innovators could have easily taken their talent to more obvious music capitals. Instead, they've chosen to keep it real right here in their own backyard and help grow this vibrant hometown scene. Fiesta de la Flor guests will have close-up access to see what the future holds for two of Corpus Christi's finest, DJ AudEo and El Dusty.
Fiesta de la Flor, presented by CITGO, makes its second appearance in Corpus Christi, May 6-7. Get your tickets now at TicketFly.com. For the latest info, visit FiestadelaFlor.com.