Anyone now foolish enough to doubt that Miami is the single most rocking polyglot metropolis on the planet need look no further than toward the worldly wile of Robbie Rivera, the Puerto Rico-born, hometown hero whose Juicy mix of Latin-backed globalism can be heard over every airwave between here and eternity, as well as on the floors of the most legendary dance clubs on earth. The same-named 17-hour marathon has been a Music Week highlight since it first kicked at Nikki Beach back in ‘05, and the 2013 edition promises to be equally all that and then some. Add spins at the Surfcomber Pool Party, LIV and Cameo, and you get a four-on-the-floor score suitable for circumnavigating the whole wild world.
Only four mega hot events this Music Week – guess Robbie Rivera’s not much in a demand, huh? Yeah can't complain! Been doing this for a long time so I guess I am good! Jajaja. I love performing so being able to play four different events this year rocks. First a pool party at the Surfcomber Hotel, then a set at the posh mega club LIV, then my big one Juicy Beach at Nikki and last my closing party at the legendary Cameo Theatre in Miami Beach.
Of the quartet, Juicy holds a particularly special place for you, doesn’t it? Yes, I am very passionate about my brands, Juicy Beach and Juicy Music. My wife Monica came up with the brand name and look of the events. The first Juicy Beach was in 2007 at Nikki Beach and we had DJs such as Steve Angello, Bob Sinclar, Axwell, Benny Benassi, Mark Knight, Deadmau5 and many more. Many of today's big names have performed at Juicy Beach so today we are still going strong and getting bigger.
Juicy’s more than a mad annual bash though, isn’t it? It is. Outside of Miami we’ve produced Juicy New York at Governor's Island and Juicy Ibiza at both Amnesia and Privilege in Ibiza. And of course there’s Juicy Music, the label, and The Juicy Music Radio Show. It's a music/party lifestyle brand based on the vibe and sound of our parties and the music we release. We like big sounds mixed with awesome happy people!
Will Juicy’s expansion affect the scope of 2013’s party? We plan to do larger events in the U.S., but the event at MMW will not change. This summer we are doing six Juicy Beach events in Las Vegas; we are also doing Juicy Beach in New York City and Los Angeles. I want to do another one in Miami for 18+ plus crowd, since we have a lot of younger fans who cannot attend and I want to do something for them. We feel that now it's the time to expand as we have more people helping! This is not an easy industry!
The Surfcomber Pool Party is also a MMW institution – how long have you been spinning that throwdown? This will be the second time I perform at this spot. It's a very local Miami party, so for me it's always a blast. It's my first party at MMW so you get to listen to all my new music before Juicy Beach! I test it all there.
Any specific moments you care to recount for the fans? At the first Juicy Beach it rained and it was cold and windy. It did not stop the 3,500 people from attending!
The Scene
Then there’s LIV and Cameo, two of the most renowned venues in the world, wanna give us a quick bit about both? I have played at LIV before, but never during MMW. I know this will be a sick night especially since my set time is at 3 a.m., after my friend Benny Benassi. I have been going to Cameo since 1992, so it brings me a lot of memories from back in the day! It's gonna be great performing for the closing of Miami Music Week.
Of all the DJs descending upon Miami this week, who are you most keen on catching? I want to see Eric Prydz perform. He is an amazing EDM producer but I have never seen him DJ. He is playing at Space which is a perfect club for his style.
Catch Robbie Rivera at The Surfcomber Pool Party, LIV, Juicy Beach and Cameo. For more information check his site.
