Today we’d like to introduce you to Alfredo Valoti
Hi Alfredo, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Italy in 1981 and grew up surrounded by diverse music genres that helped shaping my musical knowledge and interest. The 1990s Italian electronic music and club scene was thriving, and my friend and I would purchase records and listen to them on his father’s Technics Turntable. I began DJing in 1995, using my confirmation money to buy my first set of turntables. After honing my skills, I started performing at parties, but eventually set aside my passion to focus on my career at General Electric. I moved to the United States in 2008 and, regrettably, sold my records and equipment. However, in 2012, I rekindled my love for house music after receiving a Bargrooves Collection album. In 2014, I resumed DJing in Houston, TX, and eventually moved to Greenville, SC, where I faced a limited house music scene. Undeterred, I secured a residency at SIP downtown and organized events, including festivals, to promote house music in the area. Currently, I hold a residency at The Cocktail Company, performing every Friday.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
DJing in a small Southern city is not easy… your music genre need to conform with certain standards. If you are alone and play House Music or other electronic genres but still want to play Downtown, be prepared for a certain level of opposition and rejection. Local DJs need to be strong willed and always have a positive attitude. There is nothing worst for a DJ than spending weeks and weeks organizing an event, and then only 6-8 people shows up. But when this happens, you just need to learn from your mistake, recalibrate your efforts, and start planning the next event.
I always had a Day job, and managed DJ has a hobby (even if today is definitely paying off relatively well). Having a stable source of income makes everything easier, and allow you to have fun DJing. If DJing is your only source, and you are a local DJ, the situation might become very stressful and un-rewarding.
Greenville has some cultural limitation in embracing changes and “alternative” music genres. This makes every effort a big ordeal because it will take years and lots of money spent in promotion to get your voice heard and people aware of your events.
Cost of downtown rents and insurance for restaurants and bars oblige to focus on quantity of bar sales versus quality of Music. DJs are put under a lot of pressure and responsibility for the success of the business, instead of being required to just focus on the music.
Greenville has ordinances limiting the possibility to play amplified music outdoor past a certain time, this means that all outdoor events need to end by 10pm. It’s tough to get people to your event on a Saturday night when they know that by 10pm they will need to find another place to continue the night. Indoor venue are always expensive, and if they are affordable, they are usually out of town.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think Music has a strong direct impact with people Mind, Soul and Body.
People can mentally and physically heal when exposed to music. My mission is to create an atmosphere of rhythmic positivity by selecting and blending tracks that resonate with the audience state of mind. This goes from selecting songs and divide them by feeling, and use acoustic equipment that surround the body of the audience making dancing and healing inevitable.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I follow various technology podcasts,
I also listen to DJ sets from local and foreign DJs to learn their technique and their flow. I learn a lot from watching/listening to other DJs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.djsawce.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/djsawce
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djsawce
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/djsawce
