Cover DJ Emel Rowe
DJ Emel Rowe
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Stream our monthly mixtape of riveting tunes curated by leading DJs and music lovers in the country
“I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you just stuck to one genre,” says Emel Rowe, director of Unknwn and CC Concepts. “It’s like watching the same film genre or eating only one cuisine for the rest of your life. Variety is the spice of life.”
For ten years, the DJ has entertained crowds on the dance floor with his flavourful mix of underground disco, house and techno “Music is at the centre of almost everything I do” Rowe enthuses.
He also played at the Equation Festival earlier this year with Saint Guel, better known as Miguel Santiago. It was his first time playing on the international stage since 2019.
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Rowe also can’t seem to shake off the memory of his post-lockdown gig at Unknwn, where they were surprised to see such a large crowd flock to the venue.
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His love for music began at a young age. His mum had to take him to the doctor, thinking that he had hearing problems, only to find out that he was quite selective with the sounds he reacted to. “I wasn’t not hearing her; I was just tuning her out for some other sound I preferred. Sorry, mum!”
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Rowe often performs at Dear Adam / Sweet Lucy, La Vien en Rose and Futurist. But the DJ has got quite a busy schedule ahead and promises more Unknwn shows in the coming days.
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“CC Concepts has been slow to come back but it will return,” says the DJ. “ But ultimately, all roads lead to Wonderfruit near Pattaya, Thailand in December. Katrina Razon’s festival in Thailand has always been awesome and a go-to for us. ”
Listen to Rowe’s eight current favourite songs that aren’t your usual club music:
- Lonnie Smith - "It’s Changed"
- Patrice Rushen - "To Each His Own"
- Sault - "Fearless"
- Donny Hathaway- "Love, Love, Love"
- Merry Clayton - "Emotion"
- The Halls of Summer - "Tranquility"
- Cleo - "When I’m In Your Arms"
- Atlantic Star - "Send For Me"
Christine Andas is a features writer and the style lead of Tatler Philippines. She mostly covers style-related content but enjoys writing about space, sneakers, and her favourite stars. She acquired a master's degree in Creative Writing at the University of Santo Tomas and has written young adult short stories which can be read online.
