Mexican Deejays

Article discusses the Mexican population in the New York area- about 300,000, half of whom are young men, many of whom came to work to support their families in Mexico. The sonidero bailes are dancehall events with a series of five, or so sonideros (DJ's). They each play half hour sets which take the same form. Firstly, a mostly pre-recorded pump-up/"lift-off", which includes boasting (especially about the caliber of their sound system). The musical portion consists of a series of 4 or 5 longer, non- commercial cumbias, over which the sonidero reads, word for word, dedications given to him by attendees. After the performance, many of those for whom the sonidero read dedications buy a tape of the performance (from the sonidero) to send to relatives in Mexico or other cities. Throughout the performance, the sonidero makes travel references (especially space travel, incorporating his use of effects to distort his voice) and jumps between Mexico and New York references.

One of the most important pieces is the sending back (and forth- relatives in Mexico send tapes to relatives in America, as well) of tapes, much like post cards. Whereas postcards tend to draw attention to something different or unique about a place, these seem to say that despite the distance, there are still cultural elements available in America.

Question: The author focuses almost entirely on the sonidero. What do you think the scene is like outside the sonidero "booth"? Also, do you think those who buy tapes make copies for themselves- why/why not?

Which parts of the performance seem most important- music, effects and sound systems, or personality of the sonidero?