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Of wine and desi drinking habits
Photos: H. VIBHU
In the haze, the pink light kisses his profile as the staccato beats of the music follow the green laser strips that seem to settle nowhere, flitting from scene to scene. What music is it? No one is sure, for it’s a clever bit of remix that DJ
Savio has dished up. But they sure enjoy it and the rhythm goads on even lazy feet to tap. No legs are still and that is what makes DJ Savio click. Juggling with music is his forte.
Successful
“The first song and they are trying to fall into the groove, the second one is groovy and by the fourth, hey, it’s bingo!” This is how Savio describes his kind of deejaying. At 34, Savio is the oldest in the profession today and the most successful in the city.
DJ Johnson who started out earlier than him, gave up the profession midway. Simply known as DJ Savio, few know his real name: Savio Joseph Mendez.
“I do around 50 shows a month. My boys help out.” Savio has a 20 member staff, managed by his wife, Melna, who takes care of his call sheets and costumes.
Photos: H. VIBHU
No, he has not learnt any kind of music, “though being an Anglo Indian and a party animal helped.” Neither has he tried to master any musical instrument. Rhythm and tunes were always in his blood, but he never dreamed of making a career of it.
Aerobics
Savio strayed into deejaying from aerobics and physical fitness training. “I always wanted to be someone in the world,” he confesses. The last thing he wanted to do was join his father in his handicrafts business.
Savio was a national level cyclist, who chucked his M. Com course to do a PG course in physical education. “I was personal trainer for some time and my clients always told me the music I played for their workouts was very good. That set me thinking and I tested my skills at deejaying at small parties. I found that I made ten times more money as I made training people. So I stepped into the DJ’s shoes, 13 years ago,” Savio explains.
Fresh music
So what does he play? English most of the time. Progressive house music, Arabic and Bollywood music are popular as also lambada and good retro. “I have original retro tracks,” he says showing a suitcase full of it.
He picks up music as soon as it is released, as having the latest always helps. From his Taj Malabar days, he has gone far, to Dubai, at Coconut Underground, the only Malayali disco in Karama, Dubai and all over the country.
From a small 20 minute-party to a 12-hour New Year’s eve party, Savio has done all kinds of shows. His star performance, he says, was at the banquet hosted by the Sri Lankan President at Colombo for CEOs of top IT companies in Asia, who came for a conference. He played English retro and Punjabi pop there.
Listening to music is the homework that a DJ has to do everyday. Busy Savio does this while travelling.
Technical support
The other professional need is being technically well equipped. Eighty per cent of his earnings are ploughed back into buying the latest sound systems. “I upgrade every other month and that is why I am in the field,” Savio smiles.
Wearing trendy clothes is a must too. He picks up designer wear from Bangalore, Kochi as well as Chennai.
Wife Melna reminds him about his Mumbai flight and asks if packing is done. “I am going to play music at a Godrej family party tonight,” he says as he checks his packed gear once more.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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