#native dj

Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has a rich history and vibrance that draws the souls of its creative listeners. EDM has at its roots, electronic sounds of genres that are heavily influential and ever evolving, including house, techno, trance, electro, dubstep, and drum and bass. This predominantly underground music scene has especially in the past year been gaining more popularity. As I have been an avid listener of EDM since middle school I hope that the mainstream industry that is now trying to market this genre does not taint the allure, uniqueness and spirituality of what this genre means to me. Like other genres, music is a global language that has the power to heal the soul and as tribal peoples have known, is a vital way to instill important messages and lessons. It is a connection that is special to each individual. Numerous Natives have come across this genre and have used it as an outlet of their creativity. 

Evi Red Elk is a multi talented musician who is a drum and bass DJ, as well as a drummer and singer for his group, Red Power. He is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and for both genres of music has traveled around the country including Montana, Nevada, Florida, California, and South Dakota. Evasive, Evi’s DJ stage name, currently plays monthly at Sodo Nightclub and has also played at Blondie’s Ultra Lounge, and Subterranean Nightclub, all in Colorado Springs. Beta Nightclub, The Church, Bar Standard, Vinyl, and Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom are all Denver based hot spots that he has graced the dance floors for. Evasive is expanding his audience by playing at other prime locations across the U.S. including The Beauty Bar, in Las Vegas, Nevada and more. NM received the opportunity to catch up with Evi and ask him to share his story and current projects with Indian country. 

NM:Where are you from? Nation?

I am Dakota/Lakota/Cahuilla (Ka-we-ah), My father was Dakota from the Fort Peck reservation, my mother is Cahuilla from the Agua Caliente tribe and Lakota from Pine Ridge.

NM:How did you first get involved in the electronic music scene?

I first got involved with the electronic music through my older sisters. They had a major influence on a large portion of the music I listened to growing up, from hip hop, punk, heavy metal, and of course electronic music. As a kid I always had an infatuation with the Dj because I thought the fact that they were scratching these records and making it sound dope, as I'm sure most kids did. I started listening to the old electronic cd's my sisters gave me from when they used to go to shows from the 90's. This electronic music ranged from house music, trance and even jungle. I went to my first show when I was about 13 and from then on I was hooked. I would always try and go to all the shows but being so young my moms always told me no. I did get chances to go when I would go stay the night at friends houses we would sneak out and go. A few of my friends had older brothers that knew the right people back in the day and that's how we would get in. Always being one of the tallest kids in school and out of my friends the door guys never questioned me because of how tall I was. Either way when I was about 17 is when my eyes were really starting to open. 

From when I was about 14 or 15 I got really into beat boxing and underground hip hop and thought that was my calling, going to all the hip hop shows with one of my old friends from 6th grade. He introduced me to a guy that owned a local record/coffee shop called Soul Mechanics. It was a chill place to go and network and pick up records and watch b-boys practice and meet all sorts of artists from all walks of life and all elements of hip hop. Through Soul Mechanics is where I met DJ's Skip Ripkin, GHoST, and Osyris, who were junglists and Skip was a hip hop/junglist/bboy. Osyris was dating a girl I had known since we were kids and she invited my girlfriend and I to go with them to a show he was playing at some warehouse. It was the first time my girl had ever been and we had a blast. From then on we would become good friends. At that time I wasn't a huge fan of jungle. I was more into house music, it wasn't until I met the guys from SOB Productions in 2006 that I got into jungle, drum and bass, and break beats. The circumstances of our meeting weren't the greatest because we had met after a mutual friends funeral, but I guess it was a blessing in disguise. I had a long conversation with them and we clicked so we exchanged numbers and that next weekend they had invited me to go with them to see Disco D. and Bassnectar at The Root in Boulder. I then became part of the SOB street team promoting all over Colorado Springs and in Denver. Then I decided that year that I wanted to learn to do what they were doing. The music was becoming more real to me, so I asked them to teach me so they did. Roman spent a lot of time breaking everything down for me and really helped me understand. I'm pretty sure it was Christmas of 2006 that my mother got me my first pair of turntables. From then on I spent as much time as I could learning to perfect my mixing skills. So that's what brought me here today.

NM:What genres are you involved in within the electronic scene?

Currently the genres I'm involved with are drum and bass, break beats and lately I've been venturing off into a somewhat fairly new genre, well new to Colorado anyways, it's called footwork. I also spin juke music, but in all reality I can spin just about anything you hand me. 

NM:How have your creative processes changed overtime?

My creative process's have changed due to my love for music, I went from being a pow wow and sun dance singer, to being a hip hop head/beat boxer, and now I mainly do EDM. I honestly don't think my creative process has changed that much besides genre's. I've always had an ear for quality music ever since a young age, the only thing that's changed now, I noticed, is my love for music. It's more real now. 

NM:Do you think that there is a large community of Native’s that listen to 

EDM?

There are a large number of Natives that I meet on the daily in person or on the internet that love EDM. There also numerous Native American producers that are popping up all over the place not only in the states but in Canada as well. Shout out to A Tribe Called Red. Those boys kill it. 

NM:Do you have any themes that you portray in your work?

No themes in my music really, I like to keep an open mind and not limit myself to a theme or a label. I think my music speaks for itself. It's very upbeat and fast pace at about 174 BPM's, very in your face type of beats. Makes you want to jump and move your feet. 

NM:Tell us about your drum group:

I've been raised around the drum since I was very young and have always been drawn to that drum and around 7 years old I decided to learn how to sing and drum properly. From then on I learned pow wow and ceremony songs as well. Currently my drum group the Red Power singers are very new still and I only have a couple other singers, but my EDM music career keeps me so busy that I rarely get to practice with them and I rarely get to go to powwows because I'm constantly playing shows on the weekends. But when we do get together we jam out. 

NM:Have you ever merged or thought of merging the two genres together?

I have thought of merging the the two together, like with drum and bass and plan on producing some tracks like that soon so keep posted to my fan page for the release dates. 

NM:Do you have any other outlets of artistry besides your music?

My children and my music are everything to me, I also have a passion for aggressive inline skating. That was my life before DJ’ing. I skated everyday of my life for about 6 years solid and then my dreams were shattered one day when I broke my left knee when I was 17. I was laid up for 9 months because I split my knee cap in half. 

NM:How is being a musician and artist beneficial for the Native community?

Being an artist is beneficial for the Native American community because it shows and proves Natives are still here and are doing big things. It shows kids that are losing hope, that we are strong and can do anything. I was blessed to have learned when I did and actually found something that made me happy and that I loved to do. It’s a blessing to be able to do the things you love, especially as a career. There is no telling where I'd be if I hadn't committed to perfecting my skill when I did. 

NM:Are there any particular quotes/ people/moments from the past that inspire you to keep producing music?

I have two little boys Sincier is 7 and Promise is 4. They inspire me everyday to keep progressing not only in my music, but in life. Another major inspiration in my life would have to be my mother, she's my biggest fan. The people that gave me that one shot that everyone needs to get there foot in the door, they definitely inspire me to stay positive and open minded when new talent steps up and asks for a chance. Also my fans here and my peers that believed in me from the beginning and the people that still do believe in me. Those people drive me to be the greatest I can be. 

Quotes that inspire me:

"Music is my life, my occupation and my tool." - Darrison -2008 

"Good music is good music no matter what kind of music it is" - Miles Davis

"If music be the food of love, play on" - William Shakespeare

"Music can change the world" - Ludwig Van Beethoven

NM: What is a positive message that you would want to encourage youth who are struggling to keep connections to their culture and their community?

The best advice I could give anyone struggling with keeping connections to their culture and people is, stay positive and open minded, reach out to your elders, take them an offering, ask them what you want to know. Don't be afraid of learning about who you are and where you come from and never be ashamed of our Native American people, we've done many great things for our people and this land; we will always be strong and honorable people. Always remember that oral tradition is the strongest source to our history, our traditions and our ceremonies we have. Love yourself and love your family and make great use of your time here on this earth, never limit yourself to the endless possibilities one person can achieve in one's lifetime. 

We can expect to see Evi continually grow as an artist and travel more across the country to share his gifts with people of all walks of life. I’ll be listening and EDM fans will be listening to the evolving sounds of Evasive and be bumping our way to the beats that make drum and bass so exciting! 

If you think Jonathan Begay is just another Navajo DJ, the answer is more than that. Jonathan, also known as Coffe Break, is a beatmaker that's not afraid to experiment with other genres. And as we learn, he's never hesitant in passing along his wisdom and experience to fellow musicians.

  Talk about humble at heart. Jonathan, or also known as Coffe Break, is a true gentleman. Although he grew up on the Navajo reservation in Kaibeto, AZ struggling through hardships, Jonathan always made time for music and to be a positive role model for his siblings. Jonathan also thanks his love of music for saving his life. In an exclusive interview with Native Max, we discover the musical side of Jonathan.

 NM: What tribe are you from?

I am from the Navajo Nation.

NM: How long have you loved making music?

I started making music at the age of 5 by creating handmade instruments by supplies around my home. I remember my mom would get invited to sing at church/tent revivals and she would take me along. During this time I learned to hear the notes in the way a person sings as well as the basic fundamentals of playing an instrument. I feel like this is where I learned to match the voices with the different melodies that another would play.

NM: What were some of the musicians you draw inspiration from? This is hard to say and even think about. Musicians vary from locations and styles but I have always been a person who enjoyed listening to electronica music from other countries. Some of my favorite artists that I enjoy are Tiesto and Gabriel Ponte.

NM: Did music help mold your life? How? I believe music is like therapy for the soul. It is about finding you in a world full of sounds and using that to make a path for yourself. It is about listening to that special sound that only you can hear from inside, it’s about reaching a place of true acceptance and complete rescue. Music has honestly saved my life. It taught me to be strong with my imagination and bring bold creativity to share with others.

NM: What type of genre of music do you make? Why? I started as a DJ but soon came to a conclusion that I wanted to do more than just mixing tracks together. I spent 4 years as a DJ until early 2008 I started producing my first DJ Artist Album entitled, Passionate Emotions. However, I am all over the place with different genre and sounds. I don’t like to stay in one place for too long. I like to bring in a variety of styles that has a nice flow and truly matches up to my standards of music composing. I love to make piano melodies and I use that as a foundation of producing a unique style.

NM: What instruments can you play? As a little kid, I remember bringing together supplies such as 2x4’s, nails, rubber bands, and horse hair and creating something of a guitar replica. But that was only until my dad passed down his guitar to me and now I know how to play the guitar, Native flute, keyboard/piano, and currently working on learning to play the drums. As a DJ, I know how to operate all the gear and necessary equipment as well as the VSTi-Plug ins software.

NM: Any new releases coming out? I have my second album ready but sometimes I find myself going back and forth on the song selections that are currently listed. It does not take me long to create my music so I have a large spread to choose from. I also have started a series called Reservation Sunrise, and this is a mixed compilation of the many songs that I enjoy and feel a special understanding with.

NM: Where do you get inspiration to create a new song/album? I am the type of person that feeds off emotions, especially if it’s something that I can connect with through my daughters, Genevieve and Jolena. They are my true inspiration and absolutely my most important reason for what I do. I do everything for them only. Other things that get me motivated are challenges that I see in front of me. Things like mixing music genres with others have been something that presented itself and I worked towards changing those to actually be possible.

NM: What do you want people to feel when they listen to your music? I can’t make a person feel exactly what I feel when listening to my music. I just want them to hear something that can help them in a way that they see fit. I would like listeners to be able to hear a positive message of hope, happiness, and encouragement but that is truly something that needs to come from the individual themselves. I am not the everyday composer that brings up music to destroy or be a negative influence for people; I am a musician that wants to effect change in people for a better life.

NM: What is your advice to a young Native who wants to create music? As I shared with other Artists who are featured on my first DJ Artist album like: Rachael Redhair, Turquioze Boyz, Da Preacherman, Jessy L, and countless others is to truly separate yourself from the world and become ONE individual with your own tracks. It is an important key that you learn production skills if you want to be respected and known worldwide. I also would encourage them to follow their heart and use that to move you in the direction towards encouraging others to be positive among one another.

NM:  Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I can’t say that I have a solid idea where I will be in 5 years. I have so many goals/dreams that I want to accomplish and I have yet to figure out how I am going to make them all happen. I do know that I want to stretch my talent abilities into acting and being a parent. I want to continue to be a positive role model for others and help bring forth positive individuals.

NM: How do you give back to your community? Well I consider Kaibeto, AZ, as a place where I grew up at but consider Page, AZ, to be my hometown. Page is where my musical talent began to expand and a place where I met some very influential individuals like Socie Saltwater who agreed to work with me in order to gain exposure which in results landed me a spot in the top 5 of Pop music in the 2008 NAMMYs by composing a song entitled, “Let the Rain" Fall featuring Socie Saltwater. I also met Jason Baran who helped extend my music education in DJing which completely help me reach a breakthrough. I was the first Native American Electronica DJ to be invited and requested to return back to play in the Annual Powellapalooza Music Festival as well as the Annual Page Balloon Regatta. I am also a featured Artist on a Facebook page called Music Promotion of Page, which promotes any music artist that comes from the city of Page, AZ.

NM: Why do you think NATIVE MAX is such a great forum for Native talent? NATIVE MAX is promoting so many things that I would support. The concept of the magazine is a part of a mission that I stand for and would encourage others to endorse. To this point, NATIVE MAX is on what I consider the right track in displaying proper modeling and fashion. It’s about showing the special beauty that all Native People have through whatever talent they hold. There is equality and rich morals to the idea of what the magazine stands for. Any person affiliated with this magazine must live by the standards created by this great product.

  For more of Coffe Break's music, check out reverbnation.com/coffebreak1

listen to this with your coffee, it made me happy! (i move very slowly in the morning)