ChinaShop » Angel Tagudin http://www.chinashopmag.com Music Art Fashion and Film Online Cultural Magazine Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:46:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Winter Music Conference at the Clevelander http://www.chinashopmag.com/2010/03/winter-music-conference-2010-r-i-p/ http://www.chinashopmag.com/2010/03/winter-music-conference-2010-r-i-p/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:41:24 +0000 Angel Tagudin http://chinashop.designenginela.com/?p=23965 Continue reading →]]>

This month, the Winter Music Conference in Miami celebrated its 25th anniversary, and it’s safe to say things have come quite a long way — and maybe not so long — since its inception in 1985. But there’s been some speculation about the WMC in the past few years: is it relevant? Or has it devolved from the trend-setting, groundbreaking event thousands of people flock to every year, to something insipid and boring?

Beat Street, Winter Music Conference 2010

Over the past three decades dance music has been what many might call consistently inconsistent, maintaining a sort of progressive stagnation in its evolution as it struggles to retain some sense of originality. In L.A. especially, one need only stumble around the Sunset Strip to see dance has evolved from the dark days of disco, progressed into New Wave-y territory in its heyday, and come around full circle again. Specifically to the point where disco is becoming acceptable again, and where dress and music from 1983 is more the norm for some people than the exception. 3000 miles away, WMC stalwarts A-Trak, Lil Jon, Jazzy Jeff and Steve Aoki did their best to sort of challenge this notion, while a few surprises like Travis Barker ‘s match-up with Aoki, as well as Danny Tenaglia’s debut of a new Lady Gaga remix track (along with an incredibly long and entertaining set) kept things on an original level with a bit of genre-crossing.

Neon nights

And if there was a decline in attendance, it didn’t really seem to show — all the clubs were pretty packed. Greg Wilson, Crazy P, and other WMC aficionados had everyone shaking their respective booties like their lives depended on it, all til the wee hours of the morning. The general consensus seems to be: come if you can, at least once in your life: The Winter Music Conference is both a geek-tech haven for aspiring electronic musicians wishing to network or acquire more gadgets for their trade, to even those who aren’t so much into electronic music as just having a damn good time.

Winter Music Conference Goils
Outside The Clevelander

Last year we remarked on the fact that, if anything, the Winter Music Conference has proved dance music is much more of an institution than anything else (and arguably many other genres) It garners new listeners every day, adding to a rabid fan base; every day countless electronic musicians from all continents emerge to break barriers in music or (many of them) start their own label.  Needless to say it’s doubtful there will be any shortage of fans in the nearby future. And regardless of whether you find the genre to be mostly redundant or revolutionary, the great thing about the WMC is that it proves there’s countless styles of electronic music, and judging by the tons of people who come here, something different for a lot of them. ULTRA proved once again to be a groundbreaking dance marathon, while the usual marathoners like Victor Calderone, Lee Burridge, and J- Boogie were to be found everywhere from the Bently Hotel rooftop party to the Beatport Pool Party, it was hard not to get into the mood.

Dancing at the WMC

It went by fast

Photos by Angel Tagudin

WMC Decadence Beat Street, Winter Music Conference 2010 Neon nights Winter Music Conference Goils Outside The Clevelander Dancing at the WMC It went by fast Winter Music Conference 2010 Winter Music Conference 2010 Winter Music Conference 2010 The Party Begins, WMC 2010 The Party Begins, WMC 2010 The Party Begins, WMC 2010 One of Several Partiers, Winter Music Conference One of Several Partiers, Winter Music Conference One of Several Partiers, Winter Music Conference One of Several Partiers, Winter Music Conference WMC in Miami 2010 WMC in Miami 2010 WMC in Miami 2010 WMC in Miami 2010 Dancers Dance at the WMC Dancers Dance at the WMC Dancers Dance at the WMC Dancers Dance at the WMC Winter Music Festival Dancers Dance at the WMC From All Over the Globe: WMC From All Over the Globe: WMC

]]> http://www.chinashopmag.com/2010/03/winter-music-conference-2010-r-i-p/feed/ 0 B-Boy Legend Ronnie Abaldonado – Day 2 http://www.chinashopmag.com/2009/06/b-boy-legend-ronnie-abaldanado-day-2/ http://www.chinashopmag.com/2009/06/b-boy-legend-ronnie-abaldanado-day-2/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:51:27 +0000 Angel Tagudin http://chinashop.designenginela.com/?p=8017 Continue reading →]]>
B-Boy clinic led by RonnieBoy

The Clinic
Day two began with a two hour b-boy clinic lead by Red Bull BC One champ and 17yr veteran Ronnie Abaldonado.  After a brief meet and greet, Ronnie (accompanied by the Red Bull DJ) launched into a challenging routine that hurtled the students through the basics of B-Boying with the style only Ronnie could bring.

With over 20 B-Boys (and B-Girls) in attendance, the warehouse rehearsal studio heated up as everyone got busy learning how to sharpen their toprock, spice up their footwork, and build toward the perfect freeze.  Later on, the students showed Ronnie their power moves in an impromptu cypher.

Learning the steps

Ronnie demonstrates “exaggeration of arm movements”

The girls from Enigma Dance Kru showed Orlando that they came to do work

A clinic participant works on his power move

The Movie Premiere
The highlight of the weekend was the worldwide premiere of “Turn it Loose“, a documentary about six world class B-Boys battling it out to become the Red Bull BC One Champion.  Breakers traveled to Orlando from all over the US from places as far as Colorado!

Ronnie with Thanarat “Terry” Phuvapaisalkij from Colorado’s dance2live Crew

Thanarat “Terry” Phuvapaisalkij  and Yuta (a fellow breaker) from dance2live Crew hopped a Greyhound bus from Colorado to Orlando just for the world premiere and a chance to dance at an event judged by Ronnie.

“My buddy Yuta found out about the Orlando event JUST THIS WEEK so we bought $300 bus tickets so we wouldn’t miss out” recalled Terry.

When asked what would make him drop everything and travel nearly 2,000 miles (and over 40hrs) to Orlando Terry explained,

“Being in Colorado means being cutoff  from the B-Boy scenes on the East and West coasts.  This was our chance to meet Ronnie and see a movie about us, a movie about B-Boys.”

Who could argue with that?

As the theater filled all the way to the top row, David “MEX ONE” Alvarado led a Q&A session with Ronnie.  The enthusiastic crowd of over 100 B-Boys and B-Boy enthusiasts participated in a conversation about the future of B-Boy culture and what it takes to claim the number one spot.

Q&A at the Shakespeare Theater in Loch Haven Park

“Turn it Loose” at the Shakespeare Theater in Loch Haven Park

B-Boys from all over attend the premiere of “Turn it Loose”

Judging from the cheers and gasps during the film, “Turn it Loose” was a hit with this crowd.

Terry called from a stop on his 40+ hour bus ride home to share his thoughts on the film.
“I thought it was great” he enthused over the phone.  “Before the movie I had this perception that the top B-Boys were superhuman…but after the movie I could see tha tthese guys are really just like me.” After a pause he added, “It gives me inspiration to back get back home and work harder.”
Words and photos by Angel Tagudin
Red Bull B Boy Clinic in Orlando Red Bull B Boy Clinic in Orlando Red Bull B Boy Clinic in Orlando Red Bull B Boy Clinic in Orlando Red Bull B Boy Clinic in Orlando Contestants at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Contestants at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Contestants at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Contestants at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Contestants at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Hanging out at the B Boy Clinic with Red Bull Hanging out at the B Boy Clinic with Red Bull Hanging out at the B Boy Clinic with Red Bull Hanging out at the B Boy Clinic with Red Bull B Boy Clinic at Red Bull B Boy Clinic at Red Bull B Boy Clinic at Red Bull B Boy Clinic at Red Bull B Boy Clinic at Red Bull At the Red Bull B Boy Clinic At the Red Bull B Boy Clinic At the Red Bull B Boy Clinic At the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Students jam at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Students jam at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Students jam at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Students jam at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Students jam at the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Turn It Loose Premiere Attendees Turn It Loose Premiere Attendees At the Turn it Loose Premeire At the Turn it Loose Premeire At the Turn it Loose Premeire Students of the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Students of the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Students of the Red Bull B Boy Clinic Turn it Loose Premiere Turn it Loose Premiere
]]> http://www.chinashopmag.com/2009/06/b-boy-legend-ronnie-abaldanado-day-2/feed/ 0 Turning Ronnie Abaldonado Loose – Day 1 http://www.chinashopmag.com/2009/06/turning-ronnie-abaldanado-loose-day-1/ http://www.chinashopmag.com/2009/06/turning-ronnie-abaldanado-loose-day-1/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:51:20 +0000 Angel Tagudin http://chinashop.designenginela.com/?p=7648 Continue reading →]]>
Left to Right: David “MEX ONE” Alvarado, Jose’ “Keebz” Chapa, and Ronnie Abaldanado”

Ronnie Abaldonado (Red Bull B-Boy RonnieBoy representing Full Force & Super Cr3W) descended into the sweltering Orlando heat for the worldwide premiere of “Turn it Loose“, a documentary about six world class B-Boys battling it out to become the Red Bull BC One Champion.

Joined by the winners of this year’s “Soul Cypher Jam”, Ronnie got down to business in Thornton Park’s “Graffiti Junktion.”  Ronnie is considered a fixture within the international community of B-Boys so it’s no surprise that local breakers like David “MEX ONE” Alvarado and Jose’ “Keebz” Chapa are on a first name basis with the former Red Bull BC One Champ.  With conversation around the table ranging from the resurgence of B-Boy culture in mainstream media to event promotion and merchandising, it’s clear that for these guys  B-Boying is about more than just dance.

Ray “Sticka” Robles, a 13yr veteran of the art explains,

“The greatest thing about B-Boying is that it gives you good, humble feelings…all these different artists respect each other cuase we do it for the dance. It’s nice.”

From the start of the night, it’s evident that each of these guys see their role in the B-Boying community as more than just enthusiasts, but rather ambassadors for a culture that many have claimed to be dead.

Like Abaldonado, Robles has been dancing for more than half of his life and has already seen his share of sacrifice for the art.  He left his family in Texas and moved to Orlando where he continues to hone his skills dancing at a local theme park.

“B-Boy life…it’s got it’s ups and downs, you know? Sometimes I feel like I ain’t doin’ this shit forever. It’s a struggle…but I love it.” Robles says.

Though a lot was said about the struggle, more was said about Ronnie’s example and the hope it brings for the future of B-Boying.  If Orlando’s enthusiastic reception of “Turn it Loose” is any indicator, B-Boys around the world will soon have a lot more to look forward to.


Ray “Sticka” Robles and Ronnie Abaldonado trade war stories


World class B-Boys breaking bread at Graffiti Junktion

After dinner, the crew spent a night out in Orlando.  The first stop was a packed house at Tabu Nightclub and then hours later, The Dragon Room on Orlando’s historic Church Street.


Tabu Nightclub welcomes Ronnie


A packed house at Tabu Nightclub

Ronnie and crew

The Dragon Room’s DJ keeps the crowd moving


The Dragon Room


Cramped spaces couldn’t stop this local
The Red Bull B Boy Clinic The Red Bull B Boy Clinic Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 The Red Bull B Boy Clinic begins The Red Bull B Boy Clinic begins The Red Bull B Boy Clinic begins The Red Bull B Boy Clinic begins The Red Bull B Boy Clinic begins Premiere for Turn It Loose Day 1 Premiere for Turn It Loose Day 1 Premiere for Turn It Loose Day 1 B Boy Clinic at Turn It Loose premiere B Boy Clinic at Turn It Loose premiere B Boy Clinic at Turn It Loose premiere B Boy Clinic at Turn It Loose premiere Day 1 of the Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 of the Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 of the Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 of the Turn It Loose Premiere Day 1 of the Turn It Loose Premiere ronnie-and-ray-discuss-b-boy-culture.jpg Rhymes and Red Bull at the Turn It Loose premiere Rhymes and Red Bull at the Turn It Loose premiere Rhymes and Red Bull at the Turn It Loose premiere Rhymes and Red Bull at the Turn It Loose premiere Rhymes and Red Bull at the Turn It Loose premiere Live at the premiere of Turn It Loose Day 1 Live at the premiere of Turn It Loose Day 1 Live at the premiere of Turn It Loose Day 1 Red Bull B Boy Clinic enthusiasts hang at the Dragon Room Live at the premiere of Turn It Loose Day 1 Turn It Loose Premiere Turn It Loose Premiere Turn It Loose Premiere Turn It Loose Premiere Turn It Loose Premiere
]]> http://www.chinashopmag.com/2009/06/turning-ronnie-abaldanado-loose-day-1/feed/ 1