DJ TONY PEREIRA

The cumulative effect of the mind-blowing mixes in the darkened confines of Club X'treme at Campal here, sent the groovers rocking late into Sunday night, but the new raja on the DJ circuit was Tony Pereira, who reigned supreme at the Goa regional round of the
Smirnoff & Times Music War of the DJs competition, marking the month-long musical fiesta that culminates in a gala national final on December 15, 2000.

In the fiercely fought competition of pure talent and raw energy, which went into a nail-biting finish, DJ Tony was taken down to the wire by DJ Yuri J. Ribeiro and the second runner-up DJ Vernon Furtado.

The contestants were judged on the basis of technical prowess, creation of break beats, running mixes, originality, showmanship and crowd response.

The event provided the much-needed platform for disc jockeying across the country. Today, the war of the DJs has evolved to become an event that is an aspiration and a destination, and one that brings out the best musical talent in the country, said Mohita
Arora, Marketing Controller, UDV.

In the third year in the country, the Smirnoff Times Music War of the DJs event was well received by the city's trendy party animals that poured on to the dance floor well past midnight, jamming to the tempo of groovy tunes spun by the DJs and getting mixed as never before. The Goa round, which had six DJs shortlisted for the regional finals, drew a huge crowd comprising celebrities, music-loving Goans and a number of Mumbai socialites. MTV VJ Cyrus Sahukar and Shenaz Treasurywala, hosted the event. DJ Nasha (Ritesh), two-time DJ champion opened the event with scratch demonstration followed by live wire performance by Abbey and Rahul.

Smirnoff has been associated with Times Music in organising the DJ Mixing championships for the last two years. Ravi Bhatnagar, Vice-President, Times Entertainment, said, "Times Music has developed unique genres and discovered exceptional talent over the past three years. The War of the DJs is a very significant platform for a partly neglected tribe and we are glad to have given DJs an opportunity to circulate in the music industry, as well as give them a strong and legitimate face through this competition. We have also built a huge brand around the DJ and his product."

The event was managed by Fountainhead with Goa Marriott Resort as the official host.
(TOINS)