Pride. Freedom. Sexuality. Joy…House music!

Pride. Freedom. Sexuality. Joy…House music!

1 July, 2008 | 10.34AM

• Written by: Beatportal
• Filed under: Music News: gay pride, nyc

Those five words best describe NYC’s Gay Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29th— a parade unlike any other.

Thousands of New Yorkers gathered outside in the pouring rain throughout 5th Ave. to celebrate one thing: PRIDE.

Pride for what? I learned that it went far beyond sexual preference, and it wasn’t only homosexuals who were celebrating that day.

On Sunday, June 29th, the citizens and visitors of New York City celebrated their right to dance in the streets, their right to freely express themselves through feather boas and glittered faces, and their right to house music, of course!

It was quite a magical feeling. I agree with DJ Johnny Vicious when he said, “Pride to me is about happy people who love house music.”

Along with Johnny Vicious, the Beatport “disco float” included artists DJ Ricardo!, Yoko “ONO”, Quentin Harris, Joi Cardwell, and Andrea Carnell. 

Host Franklin Fuentes energized the float with his commanding narrative of what gay pride is, chatting on the mic with each of the artists down 5th Ave. as the music rocked.

You could hear the crowd cheering as he preached what this day is all about, hitting home the fact that Franklin truly is fierce.

Ultra Records‘ DJ Ricardo! kicked off the day on the 1s and 2s with cuts from his ‘Out Anthems 3’ CD.

Andrea Carnell performed ‘There is a Place’ out on KULT Records.

After singing her heart out and dancing like there’s no tomorrow, I spotted her taking a breather on possibly the only spot available to sit on the float, and decided to join her and get to know the saucy singer a little better.

“People should enjoy their sexuality, and explore it,” she said to me when I asked her why PRIDE was so important to her.

“You shouldn’t close the door based on gender alone. It’s about the person.”

DJ Ricardo! juiced the crowd until 34th St. where Johnny Vicious took control. 

Johnny came on the decks like a racehorse out of the gate, firing his arsenal of tracks and new productions.

The float started to shake from all the booties bouncing, while the drag queens strutted their stuff and waved their decorative fans to the beat of the drum.

Meanwhile, Beatport distributed 10,000 free download cards to the crowd with tracks from the artists performing.

Dressed in go-go attire, afro wigs and armed with bubble guns, the Beatport dancers rolled down the city streets, bouncing beach balls to all the onlookers, keeping the party alive.

Jumping on the mic at 23rd St. while DJ Johnny Vicious rocked the decks, Joi Cardwell’s presence on the float was enchanting. 

The combination of stellar talent brought the party to the next level.

Her sultry and soulful sound permeated the streets of mid-town Manhattan, adding a delicious element of funk to the booty-shaking house tracks. 

I asked her what pride meant to her and why it is so important.

“Liberty, expression, sensuality….it’s so amazing to be living in a city where we have so much freedom, and where people can truly express themselves”, she said with passion.

“However, we still have a long way to go.”

I found out it was Joi’s third year attending the parade. “When I realized that this is who I am, that was it.”

Beatport was also honored to have the legendary Yoko “ONO” launch the float down 5th Ave.

When it rains, it pours, and it certainly poured on the day of the parade.

Rain usually marks the end of any outdoor event, but not for the gay pride parade—if anything, it made things wet and wild! 

There is something so liberating about dancing in the rain, especially on city streets, and Quentin Harris certainly didn’t seem to mind the downpour.

With two umbrellas over his head and water dripping off the decks, Quentin never skipped a beat.

Quentin shook his booty, waved his hands in the air and spun some fresh and funky house all at the same time, while everyone in the streets focused on this legendary DJ and producer.

Quentin played his famous club hits, ‘My Joy’ mixing into ‘Work This P*ssy’. 

As the float rolled down 8th St. the crowd went wild when he dropped ‘Beautiful’.

Joi Cardwell’s impromptu vocals laid over Quentin’s track offered a magical vibe to the March down 5th Ave.

This March couldn’t have been filled with more spirit and PRIDE!

Beatport would like to thank all of the labels involved, their artists, and DJs performing on our float.

Big thanks to our Marshall Joe Berinato and Matt Carmichael.

Special thank you to Yoko “ONO” for supporting our participation in the parade. Your presence was magical and not possible without the help from Rob Stevens, Rob Di Stefano, Kip Kouri and Amanda Keely.

Respect and admiration to the million parade-goers who with stood the rain and waved their flags in the air, as we blasted our passion for dance music in to the streets of Manhattan.

Thank you to the city of Manhattan for supporting such an event. Proud, strong, and by far one of the greatest cities in the world.

We look forward to next year!

Words by: Special guest bloggers Kevin Green and Helene Sandi

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