Bombon

GALLERY: ARTEQUE Houston with Peligrosa All-Stars, Bombon & Chingo Bling - Remezcla

Already an upbeat yet jazzy tune, Gracie Chavez takes "Dreamin Eyes" and gives it a lil more bounce and a low end which provides a distinctive Hip Hop feel. It feels more like a dub than a remix, but will get you moving regardless. Enjoy - Bama Love Soul Blog

Para cerrar, varios lindos remixes variados, que amplifican el poder moombah por 2, de...Gracie Chavez. - Cassette Blog

Este remix de Squincy Jones & Gracie Chavez a “El Dougie” de CSD ya tiene buen tiempo online. Pero lo incluimos porque nos gusto mucho la forma de su cumbia hip hop… ellos le dicen crunk cumbia. La verdad es que el bombo clap junto al raspar de la quijada crean un groove circular que puede estar encendido durante días. Esta track es buen ejemplo de ello. -CassetteBlog.com - Cassette Blog

“OGT is the ideal artist to hype up the start to another one of our classic cumbia posts. The Houston-based artist sent us his music not too long ago, and it was a pleasant surprise. OGT produces mash-ups and original works with a wide range of Latin influence. Though mostly digital cumbia and cumbiaton, his use of moombah and global bass lazery sounds gives his music a sense of quality. All else aside, the most important thing is the intense crunkness that is emitted by these bomb-ass tracks…” —CassetteBlog.com - Cassette Blog

The Houston Festival Foundation presented MEGA BAILE con BOMBON, Houston's Hottest Tropical Dance Party - Supersized. - KHOU Channel 11

In recent years, Chavez has created avenues to promote popular Moombahton and Tropical dance parties across the city, including working with her Bombon counterparts OG Bobby Trill, DJ Navo, and Panchitron. She takes pride that her parties are interactive affairs, often incorporating live percussion and stepping away from the DJ booth to dance with the crowd. - Houston Press

Best Club DJ/DJ Night nominee - Houston Press

[Bombon] isn't a traditional Latin Night party by Houston standards, but it very well might be the best the city offers. - Houston Press

POR JOSÉ ANTONIO SIMÓN
FOTOGRAFÍAS DE PRENTICE DANNER

Los DJs son agentes de viajes musicales, o al menos así lo ve Gracie Chávez, una apasionada DJ de Houston que forma parte del grupo Bombon, que fusiona los mambos y cumbias de México y Colombia con los sonidos más modernos de la música electrónica.

La joven DJ es hija de padres mexi-canos originarios de Monterrey, nació en Brownsville, Texas y creció en la ciudad de Houston, en donde radica.

Gracie nos hace viajar al pasado en una nave de sonidos con su peculiar estilo que la ha colocado en la vanguardia de la escena musical de esta ciudad texana. Pero ese estilo tiene una historia. Nos cuen-ta que su padre cuando era joven tenía fama de tener los discos más modernos y exclusivos. Eso marcó su vida y la acercó a ritmos de todas las latitudes, especialmente a los de sus raíces latinas.

Además de hacer mezclas por demás interesantes y tener muy buena música, Gracie siempre busca un diálogo con su público. Para ello se vale de la observación, y al tocar, por ejemplo, una cumbia de Celso Piña so-bre el ritmo típico de antro, Gracie logra que uno se sienta inexplicablemente lanzado a la intimidad del hogar. Tal vez ella recuerda su infancia mientras gira la tornamesa y vislumbra esa imagen cuando podía bailar sin pena alguna frente a toda la familia, inventando sonidos, tonos y contrastes. Su sueño es llegar a componer y mezclar su propia música, así como explorar otros instrumentos como el bajo.

Gracie y su grupo de DJs Bombon se han dedicado a insertar los ritmos latinos en la música electrónica, lo cual ha tenido un gran éxito en los sitios donde tocan. El grupo está compuesto de DJs, productores y percusionistas del área de Houston, y están creando juntos una mezcla que hace eco en generaciones de latinoamericanos y además en público de otras culturas y gustos musicales. En sus presenta-ciones en vivo incorporan instrumentos que hacen de esta experiencia no sólo una salida a bailar sino todo un movi-miento. "Estamos comprometidos en enriquecer el arte y la cultura de nuestra comunidad, trabajando con artistas locales y organizaciones musicales", comenta Gracie.

Poco a poco, los DJs están siendo más reconocidos como artistas y creadores. En el 2004, Berklee College of Music integró la tornamesa a su curriculum académico. Incluso existe un videojuego en el cual se puede "tocar" la tornamesa, y tal vez todas estas innovaciones hayan contribuido a que las ventas de música electrónica estén mejor que nunca. Al preguntarle a Gra-cie su opinión al respecto, nos explicó que la tornamesa es un portal que hace fácil el acceso a la música. "Qui-zá no todos podremos cantar, pero sí mezclar canciones", dice la DJ. Esto no quita que la tornamesa presente sus propios retos: "Nosotros como DJs también tenemos que practicar y buscar inspiración", asegura cuando le preguntamos si es más fácil ser DJ que instrumentista. Sin duda la tornamesa tiene un grado importante de creatividad y sofisticación, sin embargo, a Gracie parece no costarle trabajo dominarla. Ella ha encontrado así su propio estilo e inspiración musical para ofrecer las mejores mezclas del momento.

LAS 10 ROLAS QUE GRACIE ESCUCHA CUANDO VIAJA
"Far Nearer" (Nadastrom & Sabo Moombahton Edit) Jamie xx

"Bombay" El Guincho

"I am Legend"Heartbreak & Munchi

"Baby I’m Scared"
Corcovado & Boyfriend

"Deep Burnt" (Thomas Blondet remix) Pépé Bradock & The Grand Brûlé’s Choir

"Motivation" (Bombon edit) Panchitron

"Ease the Pain" Cam Jus

"Night Day" (ACs Moombahsoul Mixdown) Al B. Sure

"Brown Sugar"DJ Sabo

"Más cerca" Daims

GRACIE GIRA LA TORNAMESA EN:
THE LOT
4212 Washington www.thelothouston.net

FOX HOLLOW
4617 Nett Street www.foxhollowhouston.com

BOONDOCKS
1417 Westheimer www.facebook.com/boondocks.houston

THE FLAT
1701 Commonwealth www.barflathouston.com

For Gracie Chavez, DJs are like musical travel agents, transporting listeners to a different place. The passionate Houston-based DJ is part of Bombon, a group of DJs that plays a fusion of Mexican and Colombian cumbias and mambos merged with modern electronic music. Though Gracie was born in Brownsville, Texas, and grew up in Houston, she is the daughter of Mexicans from Monterrey.

Gracie has an undeniably unique style and some sweet beats— both of which have brought her to the forefront of Houston’s music scene. Her unique style, however, has a story of its own. Apparently, music runs in the family, as she tells us that her father is quite the music lover, having been known for having the latest and most sought-after records in his youth. This left its mark on her, bringing her closer to different styles of music, especially Latin beats. Currently, Gracie and Bombon are working on integrating Latin rhythms with electronic music, samples of which they have already successfully played in different venues. The group, comprised of Houston area DJs, producers and percussionists, are creating mixes that resonate not only with generations of Latino Americans, but across cultures and musical tastes.

To the question of whether being a DJ is easier than being a musician, Gracie responds, "DJ’s also need to practice and search for inspiration." Like a musician and his or her instrument, there is no doubt that the turntable is central in terms of creativity. However, Gracie easily makes the turntable her own, creating her own special style and creating Houston’s hottest musical mixes. - Enviva Magazine

Last Thursday, WGF headed down to the Montrose for a couple of Cinco de Mayo parties. ¡Gritos!

First up was DIRB! / BomBón’s Patio party at Avant Garden. Bar was fully-stocked outside, and there was a piñata! DJs Gracie Chavez and Dayta were on the decks when we arrived. Selectors Alex and OG Bobby Trill were on hand. Music and weather melded into a palpable ambience (*and there was Tequila!).

Even Lana the dog was crunk for Cinco!

Gracie and Dayta really captured the spirit of the night with mostly mid-tempo, Latin-infused joints ranging from disco, to cumbia, to funk, to hip hop, to house. Like six cups of funk in your mole, chamaco!

Really danceable tunes all night on the well-decorated patio. Taco truck was in full effect outside, and they had margaritas and a selection of tequila on hand by the outside dancefloor. It was good seeing people out enjoying themselves, representing las razas, las culturas.

Later in the evening, we moved it over to Boondocks for Raise it Up, where Squincy, Dayta, Gracie, and other crew were on hand to throw down.

At one point, Dayta channeled the power of all three laptops and began to glow!

As we’ve come to expect from this extended family, the music was funky and on blast – and EQd just right. Squincy was throwing down bangers early on, and people were feelin’ it inside and out.

Props to DIRB! / BomBón / Raise it Up for a proper Cinco de Mayo! - We Get Famous blog

DJ's Gracie Chavez, OG Bobby Trill, Navo, and Panchitron hosted their monthly Bombón dance party at Fox Hollow on Saturday night, Jan. 7, 2012, providing party-goers with a mix of Moombahton, Tropical, Cumbia, and Salsa beats. The theme of the night was Quinceañera, and included hostess Miss Mel dressed in a colorful traditional quince gown, a birthday cake, and a photo booth by Dama Y Catrin.com. The night was sponsored by local sneaker boutique The Tipping Point.

PHOTOS BY MARCO TORRES - Houston Press

DJs Gracie Chavez, Panchitron, OG Bobby Trill, and Navo held their monthly Bombon party on Saturday night, March 3 2012 at Washington Ave club Fox Hollow. They teamed up with Austin's Peligrosa DJs Orion and King Louie for a night of Cumbia, Moombahton, Tropical, Salsa, Baile Funk, y más. The night was hosted by Ms. Mel and also included an artist reception and live painting by Liz Ortiz.

PHOTOS BY MARCO TORRES AND JAE TOVAR - Houston Press