From the glitz of MTV to the glam of Chelsea FC's Celebrity Soccer Sixes; from East London's Notting Hill Carnival to Thailand's notorious Full Moon Party; from Vietnam to Australia, to Bahrain and beyond - Melodic House DJ Chris Samba is an international player. After a trio of successful shows in Hong Kong this year, Dragon-i is hosting the house maestro for four more appearances over the festive period.
With such a pedigree, it's perhaps surprising that Samba's start in live DJing came only recently. 'I was introduced to House music in 2000 by friend and now business partner Pablo Martinez,' says Samba. 'Having always been a keen traveller, DJing was a perfect career move, letting me see the world while doing something I love. I've been lucky to continue that life.'
One half of Samba la Casa (the company he co-owns with Martinez), Samba divides his time between playing live and acting as an agent for fellow DJs in and around Southeast Asia. 'It translates to mean 'Rock the house', which I try my best to do wherever I go,' says Samba. 'Musically, my influences are jazz, neo-soul, hip-hop, funk and disco. Think of soul with a house beat - plenty of vocals and a groove that will make you move.'
In 2003 Samba was voted one of IDJ Magazine's Top 50 producers for the year. Last year, he followed that by winning the Breakthrough DJ of the Year award at the first global house music awards. With production remix work on the likes of Donnell Jones, Mary J. Blige, Angie Stone and Jocelyn Brown completed, Samba's profile continues to rise. It's the live arena though that Samba enjoys the most. He's just completed shows with house music's finest including Chicago's Terry Hunter and Masters At Work Louie Vega.
His secret is simple. 'A good DJ is somebody who can select the right music at the right time for the right people,' says Samba. 'When I'm performing I'm constantly checking what the crowd wants. It's essential to adapt to that and keep people dancing. I also like to be inventive, maybe mixing different styles of music in with house.'
Samba moved to Koh Samui eight months ago, and has no plans to return to Britain anytime soon. Hong Kong is a potential next stop.