Orchid Nights

DJ hellotones “El hijo de PueblaYork”

hellotones “El hijo de PueblaYork” is a Bronx-born 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 ‘80s. Exposed to the bass-rattling rhythms of Cumbia at post-Baptism church basement celebrations from an early age, 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 “El hijo de PueblaYork” 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 the genre to all dance music lovers. Learn more about hellotones “El hijo de PueblaYork” on Instagram.

Coolmarx

Mark Saldana, aka Coolmarx, grew up as a social dancer during his teenage years. With years of experience, he now offers local cumbia sonidera dance lessons to his community. Born and raised in Queens, NY and now based in Brooklyn, Mark embraces all regional forms of Cumbia–from Cumbia Colombiana and Ecuatoriana to Peruana and Mexicana. The music he’ll be playing represents a mix of Mexican communities, and it has developed multiple styles of dancing, including Cumbia Sonideras. Learn more about Coolmarx on Instagram.

Cinthya Perez

Cinthya Perez is a proud Mexicana native to the Bronx. She is passionate about cumbia, acting, dancing, and activism through the arts! By fate, she embarked on her acting journey at Open Hydrant Theatre Company. She is also active in artistic activism in Queens. Most recently she performed as a contemporary dancer in Proxima Tierra with Kaleidospace for A Street Art & Climate Action Festival. Her previous Open Hydrant Theater debuts include the 2023 Winter Short Play Festival as Connie in Play the Papers for Lupe; the Fall Short Play Festival as Evelyn in Evelyn and Adam; Beth in My Man the Wolf; Daisy in In Arabia We’d All Be Kings; Waitress in Almost Maine; Gem in the Urban Waves Short Play Festival; and as a singer Elke in 54 Below Future Fest.

Kacia Flórez

Kacia Flórez is a Colombian-Ecuadorian Queens native singer-songwriter whose music is inspired by folkloric rhythms of Latin America. Her mission is to preserve and uplift genres that in recent years have been overshadowed by the commercialization of music. Consisting of storytelling and tradition, she acknowledges the impact folklore has on its listeners and seeks to reconnect younger generations to those compositions which are the hallmarks of who they are today. Kacia has performed for the Ecuadorian American Cultural Center, The Queens Museum, The Museum of Human Achievement, and has been involved with ongoing community work through Queens-based art collective Kaleidospace. Today you can check out her latest release, Kacia Flórez – Vol. 1, an EP honoring her Andean roots, on all streaming platforms.

Originating in Mexico in the 1980s, cumbia sonidera is named after its DJs (sonideros), and is known for its use of instrumentals like the guacharaca (a maraca typically made from a gourd and filled with seeds) blended with voice and electronic variations. At dance parties (sonidos), cumbia sonidera is characterized by changes in tempo and rhythm, creating a unique blend of Latin sounds and making it impossible to stand still.