| Band Description |
‘Be careful what you set your heart upon, for it will surely be yours’, the James Baldwin credence to the old cliché that if you want something bad enough, it really can happen has special significance for Ricardo da Costa, who at 27, has been perfecting the nuances of his craft for the past 9 years. A far cry from a start equipped with no more than a smattering of vinyl & his trusty, steel twins, the foundation of Ricardo’s professional DJ career, his self taught mastery of dance floor devastation, was laid by unrelenting tenacity & a diligent work ethic.
By no means a newcomer to the industry, Ricardo’s ascent began at Azurri Cafe on Jhb’s East Rand in 1994, his recognition & draw card status climbing steadily ever since. Ricardo has graced the decks in every Gauteng nightclub imaginable from Flyhouse, Tramps, Bump & DNA to Therapy, ESP, Nexus, Sudada, Sutra, Truth & countless others. Resident of SA’s largest, outdoor dance event, H20, since its inception in 1998, qualifies Ricardo no stranger to rocking expectant, 10 000-strong crowds to obscene levels! Further afield, his music has caused mayhem in venues all over SA including Cape Town, East London, Port Elizabeth, Ballito, Durban, Bloemfontein & neighbouring Mozambique. In The last 12 months alone Ricardo has shared billing with Martin Solveig, Sandy Rivera, Simon Dunmore & Jeremy for Defected SA, Erick Morillo & Tiesto at Unity, Paul van Dyk & the D.O.N.S. for Festival Electric, Kiss with Tom Novy, Natural Groove events with Brandon Block, Axwell, Rebekah & Milk ‘n Sugar, supported Sarah Main at Pacha NYE 05/06, Erick Morillo for Heineken Thirst & Voodoo & Serano at Clubland’s ‘We Love Space Sundays’.
During early stages, pursuit of his destined career shared centre stage with Ricardo’s studies towards a BCom (Marketing). Joining Retro Music in April 2004, Ricardo played an integral role in the opening, establishment & success of this Linksfield based record store, DJ school & recording studio. He concluded a 2-year stint with Retro in May 2006, moving on to be appointed Label Manager of Soul Candi Records, a Jhb based imprint responsible for SA’s biggest selling, most successful dance compilations.
Accredited with a growing discography, the release of no less than 3 self mixed compilations, ‘Subliminal SA’, ‘Definitive Sound of Ricardo’ & ‘Ricardo presents Funksensual’ during 2003 first made Ricardo’s market appeal evident. Not one to rest on his laurels, 2005 saw Ricardo compile & mix EMI’s ‘House Anthems Vol. 1’ whilst maintaining a frenetic weekly DJing schedule & the management of Retro Music. The runaway success of the House Anthems compilation mixed by Ricardo & Kevin Grenfell was such that it demanded a follow up soon thereafter. ‘House Anthems Vol.2’ hit store shelves in April 2006 & the third & Ricardo’s final instalment for the series, ‘House Anthems Vol. 3’ is forthcoming for spring ’06.
After almost a decade on deck duty Ricardo’s hunger for turntable control & absolute dance floor supremacy shows no sign of abating. Residencies with Jhb’s most successful nightclubs Truth, Sutra, Evolution, Natural Groove & Aruba Lounge prepared Ricardo for the global stage & his October 2004 international DJ debut for Dubai nightclub, ‘Oxygen’. Locally, Ricardo’s residency on 5FM jock Roger Goode’s weekend dance show ‘the Saturday Surgery has been pivotal in exposing his unforgettable house sound to a national listenership.
Unceasingly blazing the trail that is funk, Ricardo’s uncanny musical foresight continues to turn heads locally & stir interest further afield. With his star set firmly in the ascendant, Ricardo has shown that he possesses a tremendous power… the rare, instinctive talent to mix & manipulate records in a way that makes an entire dance floor fall in love. And it is the key to becoming a truly great DJ! |
| Record Label |
Grooved Music, Om Records, USM Records, Soul Candi Music |