“Yung Bruxa” Mix and Interview with Izla

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My girl Izla (Ivette Ale) released her first mixtape a few weeks back. She tried to be all shy about it, but I was like grll please.

Ivette Ale is the co-creator of Azucar, a queer latin dance party, that has inspired a whole host of new queer events in Brooklyn and NYC. Under the DJ name Izla, she’s been killin the dancefloors left and right.

I asked her a few questions about her new mix and her “Sad Girl” Azucar party that is tonight in Bushwick:

Tell us a little about your mix: 

YUNG BRUXA is a blending of dark tropical sounds you can dance AND cast spells to. I incorporate everything from Mexican tribal beats and digital cumbia to vogue and club music. The aesthetic is what I’m calling TROPIKVNT (pronounced TROP-E-CUNT). It is my very first mix so I really wanted to tap into my roots for this one and have it reflect my various identities in a cohesive way. With that in mind I feature music from brown and black women artists I love, like Princess Nokia and Bomba Estereo.

Who is on the cover art?

The cover art is actually an image of Frida Kahlo as a young girl. As a queer Mexican woman, Frida resonates with me in a profound way. I found that image particularly haunting and beautiful, so I photoshopped it to give her a sain halo out of hte moon. She’s also serving some serious Mexi-Goth Wednesday Adams in this picture, which I love.

What are some of your musical influences? 

My musical influences are pretty far reaching. Ska was my introduction to underground music in my early teens and it is still one of my favorites, particularly first wave Jamaican Ska. You can’t help but feel happy when you listen to ska music! I’m half Cuban and grew up listening to a lot of Caribbean beats, from Salsa to Dembow, and it continues to influence the types of music I gravitate towards. And, of course, Selena was and continues to be a huge inspiration. She is the mother of digital cumbia and really translated cumbia from our parents music to our generation.

…and you Goals for 2015?

2015 is the year I start producing music and DJing internationally. I wrote music and studied music theory when I was younger so producing feels like a natural extension. And it doesn’t hurt that my DJ partner is vogue and moombahton producer SKYSHAKER. We’re DJing together under the moniker “JAK & JANYCE” and plan on putting our TROPIKVNT sound on the map this year.
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You have an Azucar tonight. Can you tell us what a “Sad Girl” is? 
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A Sad Girl is someone that makes space for their sadness. Whether its space on the dance floor or on Tumblr, Sad Girls have all the feelz and let themselves release it. A Sad Girl is also a badass chola from L.A. I grew up at the intersection of punk music, L.A. Chican@ culture and the rise of social media in the late 90s/early 2000s, so the idea of an emo-goth-chola-weirdo posting her pics on Instagram is something I can relate to and identify with. This next Azucar is not an “Anti-Valentine’s Day Party” as much as it is a love letter to that weird brown girl with so many feelings.
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Azucar is on 2.14.15 at Bizarre, Bushwick. Info and RSVP HERE.