About Me
I head up Hot Stepper Productions with my bro and partner Carlos. I also dj under my pseudonym Moreno.
Hot Stepper Productions is one of Toronto's premier club event companies operating for 13 years. Currently Hot Stepper organizes Toronto's top deep/soulful house event "Garage 416" which has been rockin' it for over 10 years. We also have organized the soulful/funky "Bump N' Hustle" events for 12 years and continue to present jazzy, leftfield, electro, Afro and Brazilian vibes.
GARAGE 416: I run Toronto's premier event for garage, deep and otherwise organic house music called Garage 416. In September '98, recognizing the factional state of the soulful house scene, I organized events which brought together the numerous players into a focused party. I spearheaded the first party which was held in the intimate Granite Lounge. Since the first sold-out party, Garage 416 has outgrown numerous different venues. The highly anticipated Garage 416 parties, which initially attracted 300 people per event, grew tremendously in size; the two-year anniversary attracted 1500! Garage 416 has played host to over 45 Toronto based DJs including the likes of Nick Holder, Dino & Terry, Kevin "KAJE" Johnson, Peter & Tyrone, Abacus, and Blueprint, plus international artists such as "Little Louie" Vega, Norman Jay*, Joe Claussell*, Danny Krivit*, Francois K*, Timmy Regisford*, Tony Humphries, King Britt, Lenny Fontana, Teddy Douglas, Karizma, DJ Spen*, Robert Owens, Mateo & Matos*, Matthias Heilbronn*, Jerome Sydenham*, Steve "Silk" Hurley, Neil Aline*, Dennis Ferrer*, E-Man*, Lady Alma*, Michael Watford*, Marques Wyatt, Kaskade*, Phil Asher, Byron Stingily, Franck Roger*, Ame*, Kamati Pinkston*, Monique Bingham* and DJ Spinna.
BUMP N' HUSTLE: In February 1996 Hot Stepper along with the Vibes N' Stuff DJ team of Paul E. Lopes and Mike Tull presented a live and DJed soul music showcase called Bump N' Hustle. From the first sell out night at the Rivoli Club, the Bump N' Hustle proved to be wildly successful and is unrivalled as Canada's hottest ongoing soul party. Bump N' Hustle is currently running as a super hot DJ night at the monthly Rivoli and after all this time was selected as the #2 party of the year 2003 by NOW magazine. Vocalists, MCs, and spoken word artists were in the early years featured as guests at Bump N' Hustle in a cabaret style presentation including Glenn Lewis, K-OS, Divine Earth Essence, Alana Bridgewater, Wade O Brown, Naomi N'Sombi, Jully Black and a parade of others. The evening is capped by the Bump N' Hustle DJ roster which includes Paul E. Lopes and Mike Tull spinning funky jazz, Latin/Brazilian, rockas reggae, broken beats, underground/classic hip hop, rare groove and soulful house. The Bump N' Hustle has also been performed with special guests such as DJ Frankie Cutlass, dancefloor divas Gwen McCrae* (Gwen drew 900 people in -35C weather two weeks after New Years!), Taana Gardner* and Wunmi*, as well as DJs Gilles Peterson*, UFO* , Rich Medina* and Karl Injex. In April '98 we presented "The Ghetto Opera" musical urban drama performance to the sold out Opera House. Bump N' Hustle was also part of Harbourfront Centre's summer music programming between 1996 and 2002 as a soul weekender on three stages featuring such guest performers as Roy Ayers, Maceo Parker, The Mighty Sparrow, The Herbaliser Band*, N'Dea Davenport, Zapp and Roger Troutman, and Esthero.
OTHER PARTIES: As part of our independent concert/show presentations Hot Stepper presented the first two Bebel Gilberto Toronto dates, shows for several Ninja Tune Records artists such as Amon Tobin (four times)*, Bear + Task* (Up Bustle + Out), The Herbaliser and Roots Manuva*, DJ Vadim* with Mr. Thing* (Scratch Perverts) Blurum 13 and Killer Kela* We presented two sold out United Future Organization parties, the "Deep Concentration" tour featuring top turntablists Cut Chemist* (Jurassic 5), Peanut Butter Wolf*, Kid Koala, and world DMC champ A-Track*. Other guests have included Cup Of Tea Record's DJ Louis*, New York's DJ Chillfreeze* and The Enforcers* featuring Dego from 4Hero, Stretch, Rebel and MC M.A.D. In August '98 Hot Stepper co-produced the JVC Urban Rhythm Festival, a four day event featuring King Britt's Sylk 130*, Gilles Peterson, DJ Ease* (Nightmares On Wax), J-Dub, Fred Everything, Pucho and The Latin Soul Brothers* and others. We continued our relationship with JVC Jazz until the festival was discontinued after 2002. In June 2003 Hot Stepper Productions ventured into the club business by launching Tangerine Bar & Lounge on the emerging entertainment strip of King Street West and also launching Tangier in May 2004. We have since returned to our primary focus of independent events throughout the city. Hot Stepper has also been retained to provide services for various other companies and events including: JVC Jazz, UP! Festival, Ontario Science Centre, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto Blues Society, Air Canada Centre, The Guvernment nightclub, and the Art Gallery Of Ontario for an Andy Warhol retrospective party featuring Grace Jones. Our past weekly dance nights have included "567" in 1996 at The Left Bank featuring live music, DJ's, fashion shows and art exhibits. 567 events included the CD launch party for America Is Dying Slowly on behalf of Warner Records for The Red Hot Organization which was also a fund raiser for the Black Coalition for Aids Prevention, an after party for the Chanel show, the Hoax Couture summer fashion show, a show for Babylon Clothing, and photo art exhibits by Michael Chambers, Christoph Strube and others. Other nights included "Funktion" Saturdays at Granite Lounge, "Overproof" Friday's at Bauhaus, "Pleasures' Friday's" at the Guvernment's V.I.P lounge, "The Real" Fridays at Satellite Lounge and "Groove On" Saturdays at Void. With 5 million people, Toronto is the centre of media and the music scene in Canada. It's one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world and this diversity is found in the crowds Hot Stepper attracts. We have some of the most mixed crowds in this country and most others (a major boast-but it's the straight truth). Hot Stepper events are always greatly anticipated for their excellent entertainment quality, professionalism and mature urban clientele. All events are legal and licensed (no kiddie parties or raves).
VISITING TALENT: Being active for over eleven years, Hot Stepper has presented the likes of: A-Trak*, Abacus, Ame*, Ann Nesby, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Amon Tobin*, Barbara Mendes*, Bear + Task (Up Bustle + Out)*, Bebel Gilberto*, Carlton Rosebure*, Caron Wheeler*, DJ Chillfreeze* (Giant Step), Choclair, Cut Chemist*, Danny Krivit*, Dego (4Hero), Dennis Ferrer*, Dino & Terry, Dominique Keegan, DJ Cam*, DJ Ease* (Nightmares On Wax), DJ Food*, Karl Injex, DJ Louis* (Statik Sound System), DJ Spen*, DJ Vadim*, E-Man*, Esthero, Franck Roger*, Francois K*, Frankie Cutlass, Fred Everything, Gilles Peterson*, Gwen McCrae*, Heavyweight Art Installation*, Herbaliser*, J-Dub, J. Sinister*, Jacksoul, Jason Palma, Jay Dee*, Jenifa Mayanja*, Jerome Sydenham*, Joe Claussell*, Jojoflores, K-os, Karizma, Kaskade*, Kid Koala, Killer Kela*, King Britt & Sylk 130*, Lady Alma*, Lenny Fontana, "Little Louie" Vega, Luke McKeehan, Mark Andrus*, Marques Wyatt, Maseo (De La Soul), Mateo & Matos*, Matthias Heilbronn*, Medeski Martin and Wood, Michael Lange*, Michael Watford*, Michie Mee, Miguel Graça, MKL*, Monique Bingham*, Mr. Thing*, N'Dea Davenport, Nick Holder, Nicky Siano, Neil Aline*, Norman Jay*, One Step Beyond, Patrick Dream, Paul E. Lopes, Peanut Butter Wolf*, Peter & Tyrone, Peven Everett w/ Séance Divine, Phil Asher, Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers*, ?uestlove*, Rich Medina*, Robert Owens, Roots Manuva*, Roy Ayers, Slam Mode*, Stacy Kidd*, Steve "Silk" Hurley, Taana Gardner*, Teddy Douglas, Timmy Regisford*, Tony Humphries, Turnstylz, United Future Organization*, Vikter Duplaix, Wunmi*, Zapp and Roger Troutman, and of course local artists too numerous to mention here.
* - denotes premier Toronto performance
