Tear Em 'Up
SAO PAULO — Outsiders might associate this nation with samba, but Brazil likes its trance, electro-house and techno too.
Huge crowds turn out when big name disc jockeys come from abroad; in return, Brazil dispatches its home-grown DJs to the world.
Last year’s DJ Awards in Ibiza featured a category specifically for Brazilians, the only nation so honored; DJ Marky, a Sao Paulo legend who tours internationally every year, won out over seven compatriots.
Unlike the other DJs that won in Ibiza, however, DJ Marky may soon need a license to perform in Brazil.
Proposed legislation by Senator Romeu Tuma would regulate club and event disk jockeys in much the same way the law already protects— or hinders, depending on whom you ask — musicians, radio announcers and print journalists. This move in the Brazilian legislature has generated considerable buzz in DJ and nightlife circles recently; MTV Brazil even hosted a debate on the topic last Tuesday.
The bill — which is before the Senate’s education committee — would forbid nightclubs and event planners from hiring anyone without credentials. The law also spells out protection from unscrupulous employers, and would limit foreign DJs — who are exempted from the certification requirement — to 30 percent of the gigs at any event.
“It’s nonsense,” said Facundo Guerra, owner of Vegas, a Sao Paulo nightclub famed for its after hours party. “It would be like if a visual artist needed a license to make a painting. We have politicians who are removed from reality.”
Many agree, but the legislation was actually the result of lobbying by SINDECS, a DJ organization in Sao Paulo. Antonio Carlos dos Santos, the organization’s president of the union and a DJ for three decades, said that among the intentions of the law is to protect professionals from hacks who download music from the Internet, and to give DJs access to government retirement and health benefits.
“Clubs hire good DJs to attract a following,” dos Santos said. “Then, some friend of the owner or promoter appears, and takes the job away from the professional, working for 50 reais ($21) a night, or even in exchange for whiskey.”
source:Global Post
Huge crowds turn out when big name disc jockeys come from abroad; in return, Brazil dispatches its home-grown DJs to the world.
Last year’s DJ Awards in Ibiza featured a category specifically for Brazilians, the only nation so honored; DJ Marky, a Sao Paulo legend who tours internationally every year, won out over seven compatriots.
Unlike the other DJs that won in Ibiza, however, DJ Marky may soon need a license to perform in Brazil.
Proposed legislation by Senator Romeu Tuma would regulate club and event disk jockeys in much the same way the law already protects— or hinders, depending on whom you ask — musicians, radio announcers and print journalists. This move in the Brazilian legislature has generated considerable buzz in DJ and nightlife circles recently; MTV Brazil even hosted a debate on the topic last Tuesday.
The bill — which is before the Senate’s education committee — would forbid nightclubs and event planners from hiring anyone without credentials. The law also spells out protection from unscrupulous employers, and would limit foreign DJs — who are exempted from the certification requirement — to 30 percent of the gigs at any event.
“It’s nonsense,” said Facundo Guerra, owner of Vegas, a Sao Paulo nightclub famed for its after hours party. “It would be like if a visual artist needed a license to make a painting. We have politicians who are removed from reality.”
Many agree, but the legislation was actually the result of lobbying by SINDECS, a DJ organization in Sao Paulo. Antonio Carlos dos Santos, the organization’s president of the union and a DJ for three decades, said that among the intentions of the law is to protect professionals from hacks who download music from the Internet, and to give DJs access to government retirement and health benefits.
“Clubs hire good DJs to attract a following,” dos Santos said. “Then, some friend of the owner or promoter appears, and takes the job away from the professional, working for 50 reais ($21) a night, or even in exchange for whiskey.”
source:Global Post
Posted Mon 09 Mar 09 @ 9:59 pm
tayla
“Clubs hire good DJs to attract a following,” dos Santos said. “Then, some friend of the owner or promoter appears, and takes the job away from the professional, working for 50 reais ($21) a night, or even in exchange for whiskey.”
yep thats a global thing... and i don't even like whiskey, hic
yep thats a global thing... and i don't even like whiskey, hic
Posted Tue 10 Mar 09 @ 4:24 am
dj-e-lectric
Much as I hate the club owners that don't know or don't care what a good Dj is I don't think there should EVER be a license or union for DJs or store clerks, factory workers, librarians or any other job that does not impact other citizens health or safety.
Leave licensing to professionals like doctors, public transpostation drivers, police, firefighters, etc. where a REAL skill is needed to make sure they are trained properly for public safety.
After all guys all we really do is play music made by other people....not a very important job in the scope of society!
Leave licensing to professionals like doctors, public transpostation drivers, police, firefighters, etc. where a REAL skill is needed to make sure they are trained properly for public safety.
After all guys all we really do is play music made by other people....not a very important job in the scope of society!
Posted Tue 10 Mar 09 @ 5:49 am
tayla
exactly, hate it when someone try's to make it a closed shop, but understand where he is coming from, what happens to the kid's that are trying to get themselves out of the gutter/slums etc this maybe the only route out possible for them and he wants to close it. me thinks it's a case of i'll be alright jack stuff you.
Posted Tue 10 Mar 09 @ 5:57 am
Speedy53
In some cases, be a DJ is not the best way to get out of the gutter. In Rio, a genre known as 'funk carioca', a Miami-bass derivate widely publicized in radio, and that was born at favelas, is commonly used by drug dealers to make crime apology and, sometimes, funk parties are facades for drug sales (Well, its a world disease and not a Brazillian-only thing...). In this cases, to be DJ is just a link in the chain.
In Marky's example, a topic of the law grants a faster way to gets the license for DJs that are "commonly contracted workers", even if the contracts vigence is short. For other cases, wil be necessary a vocational course.
As TearEmUp wrote above, who will (I suppose and hope to) won with the law is the DJ himself, with the social bennefits consequents from the class regularization.
Many points of the law are still unclear and need to be brought to public discussion. But in my point of view, would be a good deal for DJs which have in the gigs their only way to survive.
In Marky's example, a topic of the law grants a faster way to gets the license for DJs that are "commonly contracted workers", even if the contracts vigence is short. For other cases, wil be necessary a vocational course.
As TearEmUp wrote above, who will (I suppose and hope to) won with the law is the DJ himself, with the social bennefits consequents from the class regularization.
Many points of the law are still unclear and need to be brought to public discussion. But in my point of view, would be a good deal for DJs which have in the gigs their only way to survive.
Posted Wed 08 Apr 09 @ 8:01 pm