BRIC House Party ft. hellotones

hellotones “El hijo de PueblaYork” is a Bronx-born and bred DJ, most recognized for championing the Latin-American dance genre of Cumbia. Carrying the title “El hijo de PueblaYork,” hellotones honors his Poblano roots as a product of parents of the Mexican diaspora from Puebla to NYC in the early 80’s.

Exposed to the bass-rattling rhythms of Cumbia at post-Baptism church basement celebrations from young, his unique approach to Cumbia is also heavily influenced by his exposure to Hip Hop and Electronic Club Music.

The Hip Hop mixtapes of his youth influenced the presentation and rollout of his early Cumbia mixes, and the influences persist in his live performances, evident in his movement, style and stage presence.

His signature style of blending Cumbia tracks is informed by his initial introduction to DJ-ing Electronic Club Music through Like That Records, an independent club music label featuring a healthy catalogue of releases, radio shows and events. Traditionally a genre rooted in sound system and MC culture emphasizing shoutouts and track selection, hellotones’ unique approach to Cumbia artfully blends a multitude of Cumbia sub-genres into a heavy-hitting, non-stop stream of tracks.

Through his DJ-ing, hellotones challenges the bounds of the Latin-American dance genre to reimagine the sounds in a one-of-a-kind way for seasoned Cumbia-lovers, and to open up the genre to all dance music lovers.