One of the most popular DJs on MySpace rarely plays records released
after 1975. DJ Healer Selecta doesn’t need to. It’s not that he
dislikes house or hip hop, he just finds original rock ’n’ roll, dirty
funk and Latin jazz boogaloo so much more inspiring. His ‘international
vintage retro dance party’ has more than enough rockabilly stompers,
surf guitars, country swing, Afrobeat, mambo, jive and rocksteady
reggae (there’s a lot more, but I’ll stop there) to get any crowd
going.
On Friday they’ll be heading to Cargo where Raison d’Etre, the club he
runs with his partner, Crystal, celebrates its fifth birthday with a
whole lot of soulful dance rhythms, a bundle of live bands and a
special burlesque treat from Amber Topaz. Live music has always been an
essential element of Raison d’Etre and is what inspired Healer Selecta,
then known as Yvan Serrano, to start buying records as a kid. He's been
DJing since the age of 11 (his local radio station in Tulle, south-west
France gave him a slot) and it was clear watching him dancing at the
decks at the Pigalle Club last week that the same passion still drives
him on.
‘I love this record,’ he said, as he dropped the needle on the ’60s
classic ‘Green Onions’ by Booker T & The MGs, ‘I learned to play
guitar from this record. I bought so many records when I was a kid to
learn how to play guitar. That’s how I built up my record collection.’
Serrano first came to London as a guitarist with rock ’n’ roll and surf
bands like Showman & The Thunderous Staccatos, but he soon got
involved in playing records as well as performing, painting and helping
with the production at the legendary Frat Shack night, the inspiration
for so many of the vintage, retro, burlesque and cabaret clubs featured
in Time Out’s Social Club listings now.
‘It was one of the best and craziest clubs in the world,’ chuckles
Serrano, ‘but many of the regulars only wanted to hear rare records
from particular genres. When I mixed garage rock back to back with
Afrobeat, samba and surf, the purists didn’t like it, but the music
lovers went wild.’
So Serrano started his own night, Funk-I-Tus in the bijou El Paso bar
in Shoreditch and it was there that the regular, mostly Afro-Caribbean
crowd, dubbed him Healer Selecta because they loved his broad musical
mix ‘and the vibe was always really good and friendly’ [hence the
Healer tag]. ‘There have never been any fights at our nights.’
Raison d’Etre grew out of Funk-I-Tus. ‘It wasn’t planned. One week a
few friends brought instruments along and it just mushroomed from
there. There was a massive need for creative people to express
themselves; some people just came in and started pinning their artwork
to the walls! Live music was suffering with all the raves and clubs at
the time and all kinds of people came: black, Asian, white, everybody.’
Raison ‘d’Etre soon moved to regular, packed monthly Sundays at The
Spitz and started open-mic sessions soon afterwards. The club now runs
a regular open-mic session for singer-songwriters at The Pelican in
Westbourne Grove every second Wednesday, with band sessions called
Reason2b.net at 93 Feet East.
Raison d’Etre embraces music that was written yesterday alongside the
retro tunes, so at the fifth birthday bash there’ll be authentic
’50s-style R&B and bluebeat from the 9 Ton Peanut Smugglers,
upfront soul by Harambe and ‘friendly D&B and funky soul’ performed
by Something Simple. DJs La Mia Bo and Adrian Gibson add bags of
rockin’ soul and freestyle tunes to Healer Selecta’s mix too.
‘Any musician will love these records,’ he says, looking at his box of
seven-inches which is divided into categories like ‘Pounding Dance
Ravers’, ‘Buttshakers’ and ‘Pussycat Wiggle’, ‘because they are all
well performed and well produced.’ That’s one good reason why he’s just
been booked to play in the VIP Bar and the Pussy Parlour tent at this
summer’s Glastonbury festival.
‘I play what I like, it can be really obscure or an absolute classic.
It’s a classic because it’s a great song and everybody loves it. Each
time I play “Sex Machine” I feel good because for me it’s the best funk
song ever.
‘Raison d’Etre is successful because we’re playing the music to young
people not just veteran aficionadosand we don’t have a dress code even
though we love it if people do choose to dress up. It’s cooler that
way, if people just come for the music.’
Beat the Blues
The second of Nightline's 35th Anniversary gigs is hosted by DJ Healer Selecta on
8th February
at
KCLSU, Macadam Street WC2R 2NS.
020 7848 1588, nearest station Temple.
Tickets £5 students, £8 otherwise from www.ticketweb.co.uk
Check out the feature on Raison d'Etre in Time out for more details on the music.
www.nightline.org.uk for my details on the event and charity.
3 comments
Healer knows his music for sure !!
PEace out
Beat the Blues
The second of Nightline's 35th Anniversary gigs is hosted by DJ Healer Selecta on
8th February
at
KCLSU, Macadam Street WC2R 2NS.
020 7848 1588, nearest station Temple.
Tickets £5 students, £8 otherwise from www.ticketweb.co.uk
Check out the feature on Raison d'Etre in Time out for more details on the music.
www.nightline.org.uk for my details on the event and charity.
Healer rocks it every time. Its always a boogie shakdown when this man's on the decks!