Global sounds took center stage as Montreal DJs put on an eclectic mix.
On Saturday, Feb. 3, Porqueria continued its week of global sounds with an event at Nouvel Établissement, a bar and venue in the Mile-End neighbourhood. Founder Samia Liamani curated and played alongside a list of local DJs composed of Jashim, Gurafiku, Teo2k, Chloe Lallouz, A$h Banks and Manalou. Together, they brought an unparalleled creativity to their sets and a vast soundscape rooted in several cultures.
The musical selection carried on brilliantly for five hours with a succession of bangers. Jashim kicked things off with some techno before leaving the turntables to Gurafiku. Taking over, Gurafiku began playing some sped-up amapiano which added a unique momentum to the genre. She also embedded her heritage into her set by incorporating Caribbean music styles like Konpa and Rasin (Haitian roots music), while proudly waving around a Haitian flag.
Teo2k remained in dance music territory, blending deep house, afro house, and making a signature inclusion of Brazilian baile funk music. He also self-awaringly joked about having an array of remixes of Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” playing at least four different ones. Chloe Lallouz followed suit with one of the most versatile showcases of the night. She brought in some Latin influence with Latin vocal samples, dembow and reggaeton, in addition to some entrancing techno tunes. Liamani’s set was a culmination of all the previous sounds, seamlessly interchanging between reggaeton, Afrobeats, and baile funk. She also took to the mic to salute the crowd and fuel them even more.
A$h Banks hopped on the one’s and two’s to treat the crowd to a deep house set, one of her fortes. She brought a heavy bounce to the table and some addictive beats which prompted a strong response from the crowd. She even ran back a remix of Booba’s “DKR” four times, given the crowd’s increasingly eager cheers in response to it. Manalou closed things out on an equally high note as the attendees clapped along to her tracks and chanted her name in unison. She notably paid homage to her background by incorporating Arabic music, vocal tracks, and remixes, dancing along to them from behind the DJ booth.
Despite being a smaller venue, Nouvel Établissement was packed to the brim with energy. From the crowd members chanting along, to the unanimous dancing happening across the room, the hype was off the wall—some crowd members even danced while hanging off the venue’s decorative cages. Liamani took notice of these displays during her set and praised them for bringing the raw, dirty energy that Porqueria is all about. The guests were also perfectly dressed to the “future rodeo” theme, with cowboy hats, jean jackets, and silver to be seen all throughout the room.
Porqueria brought out an undeniable level of creativity from its DJs and beautifully showcased an array of cultures and musical genres from all over the planet. Montreal is constantly booming with its multicultural music scene, which Liamani’s exceptional curation captured flawlessly.
