-Name: Isabel González Toro aka Isa GT [pronounced en ingles Gee Teeh]
-Age: better not to go there…
-Roots: Medellín, Colombian now London resident
-Are you the most known musician from Medellin after Juanes? You are really joking! Nah I dont think there’s that many people that know me…only people that are into the music I like and play, Juanes is massive!
-You started DJing with your friend Claudia in 2000, what were you doing at the time? I was in college studying design, and doing theatre too. At first we didn’t know how to mix… I think we haven’t even learned to this day…nah just joking! We have been always really into music and collecting music, so it was logical for us to start djing. Claudia now divides her time between Berlin and Medellin, she’s got a brand of accessories called Lace.
– Were you familiar with the London music scene when you moved there? I moved to London to live with the person I was with at the time. I wasn’t familiar with the music scene, not more than listening to British music my entire life.I am into many different genres, I started djing electronic music in this case house music and before I went to London, I started compiling a collection of old salsa vinyls from the 60’s and 70’s as I knew they were gonna be difficult to find once I was there…then when I moved, two blocks from where I lived there was this bar that offered salsa lessons. I just turned up one day and asked if I could play my salsa records there…
-Name three songs you would play back to back on a typical DJ set right now:
Such a difficult question…at the moment I would say…
“Straight Boy-Lil Wayne” by Zombie Disco Squad: Its such a killer…its got every other rhythm I love, big up for my boys of ZDS!
“Selfridges Girl Not On Myspace (Boy 8 Bit Remix)” bt Lethal Bizzle:… the remix…the lyrics…and LB’s vocals sound so London…it makes me homesick!
“No Pasma” Crookers feat. Isa GT: …that song is gonna be out on my EP…you’ll have to listen to it at one of my gigs! so far the response of the people who’ve heard it is positive…people goes crazy to it!
– Speaking of your EP, explain to us how to do “El baile del pelao,” your first single that comes out in May. hahaha! its sounds like its got its own dance! I should actually invent one…you see that gives a lot of results…in Latin America there’s always that thing of the new rhythm comes with a “dance”… “El baile del perrito”…”El baile de la botella”…so Im so gonna work on that and put it on Youtube.
– What do you think about of the current hype with cumbia, cumbia villera, baile funk, etc? I think is great! Colombian cumbia is such a powerful rhythm! I personally love it…it’s got some roughness to it…I think is gonna be really cool to see what people can come up with… Baile funk I looooove…there’s the beats, the very well known samples, the vocals and the lyrics…some people hate it, I think its complete art…it reflects some people’s reality…it makes me imagine things, places and situations its…well, rough!
– What did you think of the NYC scene when you played at Nacotheque recently? It was a lot of fun, I think the people who went enjoyed the set and Amylu and Marcelo are such nice guys! I love the way they stick to their guns and have a night that is unique on its kind, kinda the same thing me and my gfriends do in London with *GIRLCORE*.
I cannot figure out the New York city scene yet. In London I feel part of something…I know the people who make the music I DJ, we play together at parties and WE put parties together… I need to hang out more in New York to give an actual opinion.
– How has the Miami experience been like? Oh man is warm and sunny and I have some cool friends here, I haven’t seen in ages and now they introduced me to some really cool new friends…what else can you ask for? I am in love with the deco architecture of South Beach! I think it could be the most amazing set for films…Im surprised there aren’t tons of films set in this area!
– Any future USA plans?! Im gonna concentrate on getting the live act together and be ready for when the opportunities come…
– What is a cosmopolatino anyway? Dunno…first time I hear that word ever! Sounds like metrosexual or something.. I would say is a person from Latin America who hangs out in Big cities and is part of cool things that are happening…? am I right?…not sure if I like the word…
Isa GT is playing tonight, January 8th at the Attic in South Beach (yes, that’s Miami) and tomorrow January 9th at Savalas on Bedford Ave. alongside her pal DJ Jaclyn from the Bangers…Then, she plans on being in New York for a few days…to meet the boys from Radioclit who are playing January 12th @ Studio B, and then heading back to London after a nice American sejour.