Moombahton
Encyclopedia
Moombahton is a sub-genre of electronic dance music
that was created by American DJ
and producer Dave Nada (aka Dave Villegas) at a high school
homecoming
"skipping party" for his younger cousin in Washington, D.C.
, in the fall of 2009. The specific event that stimulated Nada's development of the Moombahton genre was his slowing the Afrojack
remix of the Silvio Ecomo & DJ Chuckie song "Moombah" to 108 beats per minute, a tempo near that of the reggaeton
. The name of the sub-genre itself comes from the portmanteau of "moombah" and "reggaeton."
Between fall 2009 and spring 2010, Nada perfected his vision of the new sub-genre in the recording studio
utilizing intuitions and insights garnered from the "skipping party" experience to create a five track EP of newly-minted Moombahton tracks that was released in March 2010 with the promotional assistance and support of DJ Ayres and DJ Tittsworth at T & A Records
However, Nada's "Moombahton" was much more than simply "Dutch House pitched down to 108 BPMs." The original Moombahton tracks feature not only the standard moombahton 108 BPMs but also: chopped vocals, layered a cappella
vocal tracks, extended and enhanced build-ups and the introduction of new drum
s and percussion elements. These are some signature characteristics of the sub-genre. "
, Fader Magazine, Mixmag
, XLR8R
Magazine, Nylon Magazine, Spin Magazine, The Washington Post
, and Rolling Stone
Magazine. BBC Radio 1
aired a "Moombahton special" programme presented by Toddla T on February 3, 2011.
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
that was created by American DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and producer Dave Nada (aka Dave Villegas) at a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
"skipping party" for his younger cousin in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in the fall of 2009. The specific event that stimulated Nada's development of the Moombahton genre was his slowing the Afrojack
Afrojack
Nick van de Wall, born 9 September 1987, commonly known by his stage name Afrojack, is a Grammy Award winning Dutch music producer and DJ. Born and raised in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, He was listed as number 7 on DJ Mags top 100 DJs of 2011...
remix of the Silvio Ecomo & DJ Chuckie song "Moombah" to 108 beats per minute, a tempo near that of the reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
. The name of the sub-genre itself comes from the portmanteau of "moombah" and "reggaeton."
Between fall 2009 and spring 2010, Nada perfected his vision of the new sub-genre in the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
utilizing intuitions and insights garnered from the "skipping party" experience to create a five track EP of newly-minted Moombahton tracks that was released in March 2010 with the promotional assistance and support of DJ Ayres and DJ Tittsworth at T & A Records
However, Nada's "Moombahton" was much more than simply "Dutch House pitched down to 108 BPMs." The original Moombahton tracks feature not only the standard moombahton 108 BPMs but also: chopped vocals, layered a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
vocal tracks, extended and enhanced build-ups and the introduction of new drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and percussion elements. These are some signature characteristics of the sub-genre. "
Media
Moombahton has been featured on NPRNPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, Fader Magazine, Mixmag
Mixmag
Mixmag is a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as "the world's biggest selling dance music magazine", with an Audit Bureau of Circulations audited circulation of approximately 21,250...
, XLR8R
XLR8R
XLR8R is a magazine and website thatcovers music, culture, style, and technology. It was founded as anewsprint ‘zine in 1993 by publisher Andrew Smith in Seattle; themagazine currently has offices in San Francisco and New York...
Magazine, Nylon Magazine, Spin Magazine, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Magazine. BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
aired a "Moombahton special" programme presented by Toddla T on February 3, 2011.