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Snowboy The DJ

Currently a resident DJ at The South London Soul Train; the biggest Funk and Soul night in the world, Snowboy was, until recently, the resident at the award-winning ‘The Good Foot’ at the world-famous Madame Jo Jo’s in Soho every Friday playing 60’s and 70’s Funk, Soul, Rare Groove, Latin Boogaloo, Mambo, Ska and R&B.

Latin percussionist, recording artist and band leader, Snowboy, has also been a DJ since the classic Jazz Funk days of 1978 where he used to hire out the UK’s No 1 Black music night club, ‘The Goldmine’ (made famous by the legendary Chris Hill), at the age of 17 to put on special Jazz Funk nights. It was his knowledge of Jazz, Latin, Funk and Soul records that inspired him to take up percussion and has since made 16 albums and 22 Latin, Funk and Soul singles and recorded and played with artists such as Lisa Stansfield, James Taylor Quartet, Jon Lucien, Sam Dees, Imelda May, Mick Hucknall, Mica Paris and Incognito.

As a DJ, along with Keb Darge he was one of the originators of the world-famous club night ‘Deep Funk’, spawning a world-wide scene under that clubs name. He was a resident at The Jazz Café for 16 years, The Blue Note in Hoxton, London, and he ran the world’s number one real Jazz Dance night,’The Hi-Hat’ for 13 years – which attracted dancers from all over the country. He regularly performs all over the world in countries such as Australia, Greece, the USA, Singapore, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Bangkok, Norway, the UK, Canada and Spain.

Not to be pigeon-holed, although known for Jazz Dance, Latin, Soul and Funk, as a collector, his 30,000 piece record collection comprehensively covers Swing, Blues, Jump Jive, Rhythm and Blues, Ska, Jazz Funk, Disco and all forms of Funk such as Washington Go-Go amongst many other styles.

Snowboy is also a music historian and considered an authority on many styles of Black music. In 2009 he had a book published on the history of the UK Jazz Dance scene called “From Jazz Funk And Fusion To Acid Jazz”, contributed to a book on the history of Washington Go-Go Funk and was the first journalist outside of Chicago to document their ‘Juke music’ and their corresponding dance style ‘Footworking’. He wrote for the famous Funk and Hip Hop magazines ‘Big Daddy’ and ‘Grand Slam’ and is currently a columnist and reviewer for ‘Blues And Soul’ magazine.

Snowboy has three ‘Hi-Hat’ Jazz Dance compilations already released, another of Washington Go-Go Funk, called ‘Meet Me At The Go-Go’, a Mambo compilation called ‘Afro Cuban Kaleidoscope’ for Fania Records, ‘Snowboy presents New Vintage’ on BBE (and has 8 others in the pipeline for them) and a 'Good Foot' one for ACE. He has also done sleeve-notes for countless compilations of different music genres

Other career highlights include proudly being a music curator for Wayne Hemingway’s annual award-winning ‘Vintage Festival’, a part of the DJ team for Alex Lowes’ legendary yearly ‘Southport Dance Weekender’ for 21 years – which is possibly the most important dance music event of its kind in the world, ‘Love Soul’ Soul weekender in Ibiza and Snowboy even runs his own enormously popular 30’s & 40’s weekender called ‘Riviera Swing’ in Torquay every November.

In 2006 he featured in a list of the 40 most influential British DJ’s of the last 40 years in ‘Blues And Soul’ magazine and was the music producer and programmer for 4 years for the number one show on BBC Radio 6 – ‘Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show’ every Saturday.

Photo of Snowboy © 2016 Irven Lewis