Pride Weekend: Danny Tenaglia - Djoy De Cuba

The momentum started building in early '70s New York, when a barely 10 year-old Danny first got the feel of vinyl in his hands. Enthralled by the music of artists like The Trammps, Marvin Gaye, African Hugh Masekela, and Giorgio Moroder, he started to collect records. In 1979, he discovered legendary nightclub Paradise Garage, where DJ Larry Levan's rich, genreless blend of music seemed to mirror his own "no boundaries" policy. Inspired, Tenaglia would soon embark on a successful career as a DJ and producer. His discography includes remixes for artists such as Depeche Mode, Madonna, Green Velvet, Yoko Ono, Blondie, The Orb, Faithless, Janet Jackson and many more. The title of his 1995 debut artist album on New York's Tribal Records described his sound perfectly: Hard & Soul. A trio of label compilations - Mix This Pussy (1994) and Can Your Pussy Do The Dog? (1995) for Tribal, and Gag Me With A Tune (1996) were the first Tenaglia sets clubbers could take home to dissect. In 1996, Danny landed a Saturday night residency at NYC’s Twilo, a position that upped his profile worldwide. In 1998 Danny released the LP Tourism. It featured the now classic tracks "Elements" and "Music is the Answer". In 1999 Tenaglia spread his DJ wings at his weekly residency at NYC’s Vinyl. The night was named "Be Yourself”, and a city tired of drama embraced this barebones, music-centric night with open arms. In 2000 the release of his Global Underground mix, Athens, lit the international fire, bringing Danny across the European continent. Alson in 2000, his annual party at the newly-opened superclub Space during Miami's Winter Music Conference attracted artists, industry types and fans alike. Tenaglia was hailed the "DJ's DJ" and his remix of Green Velvet's "Flash" won "Best Remix" at the UK's Muzik Awards, where he was also awarded the "Best International DJ" prize. In the two years that followed, Tenaglia released another Global Underground installment titled London, received a Grammy nomination for his remix of Depeche Mode's "I Feel Loved," and won a Dancestar Lifetime Achievement award. Tenaglia’s "Be Yourself" nights in NYC would go on to take Dancestar's 'Best Party' award in 2003 and 2004. Since then Danny has continued to tour the world, bringing with him the embodiment of the “Be Yourself” vibe. In 2008 Danny released a single, "The Space Dance", named in honor of his first weekly residency during the summer of 2008 at Space Ibiza. Immediately following that, Danny released Futurism, a DJ mix compilation with a nod to the modern dance floor and his outlook for tomorrow's sounds. After over 30 years of DJing Danny still continues to tour around the world. His commitment to playing new music and incorporating it with music from his past is still a very big part of his performances. Towards the end of his sets he can often be seen on the dance floor, mingling and dancing with the same people who came to see him perform. At the moment it seems that for Danny Tenaglia, the future is only the beginning.