Congo y Castro

Oct.18- Live at Tropicalia

Free Concert

Made up of two of DC’s most eclectic mainstays, Congo Sanchez and Selectah Castro present “Congo Y Castro,” an experience best described as “Pura Vibra”(Pure Vibes). The sound starts with a foundation of deep mid-tempo kick snare grooves, escalating the listener/dancer in to a mural of Moombahton, DiscoHouse, and Electro Cumbia that has been said to hypnotize Tropicalia goers for days at a time. One patron reported a “euphoric tingling” in her forehead and chest describing the experience as “an aphrodisiac.”Congo Y Castro have been developing their concept over the past year but have a unique history in the DC scene.

A random rendezvous at the famous “Reggae Rising” festival of 2009 in Humboldt California was the beginning of the exploratory sessions. Congo got to witness Selectah Castro along with his I&I Vibration Sound Sytem crew from San Fransisco run the dancehall every night opening his eyes to the roots of DJ culture. Castro continued to rise to prominence as a resident DJ for “Rockers International,” Reggae Wednesdays at the famous Eighteenth Street Lounge. Soon after Congo was brought into See-I (the house band for “Rockers International”) as the drummer and the story of Congo Y Castro continues. Congo began touring on drums with electronic music icons and DC legends Thievery Corporation projecting him further into the DJ/producer culture, all the while Castro, branching out of his reggae crates and into his latin roots is looking for more. Naturally the two ornament the Moombahton movement in DC with a mix of dancehall, disco, funk, proven to keep the dance floor rocking. Tropicalia uniquely has a different live act from 8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. every Friday curated by the ever diverse Multiflora Productions (Jim Thomson). Congo describes the flow of the evening…”I love taking over after a killer show and hyping the crowd for the encore…the fun part is studying the music of the live band and blending that with our sound…it makes for a fresh vibe each week.” Fridays at Tropicalia are scorching hot and full of varied talents. From burning live music, to epic dance battles, to resident DJ’s Congo Y Castro and their “Pura Vibra” it’s the place to be.