TRTD Mix 006: Coco Maria

Hailing from northern Mexico and adopting many homes across Europe, Coco María's taste for sunny, high-vibration sounds permeates into her work as a DJ, producer and Worldwide FM host on her flagship show Breakfast Club Coco.

Radiating with the warmth of Afro and Latin-inspired rhythms, her TRTD Mix is influenced by her Central American roots and the sense of transcendence that is generated from music. ‘Dancing with your eyes closed’ is Ana Lucia's declaration of music's unifying power to build safe spaces and foster self-expression on the dance floor, and can be heard alongside a Q&A on her sonic influences.

Become a TRTD member for access to the download and tracklist with all profits donated to War Child.

--

First off, a huge thank you for donating your time to the TRTD Mix series. Why is The Right To Dance and War Child something you want to lend your support to?

I would like to help raise awareness of the importance of feeling safe in public spaces. I was born in a warm family environment but as I grew up, I realised that as a woman, it was not so safe to be out in the world. I would like to contribute to changing that and to keep working for children around the world doing what they can do best: enjoying life!

Throughout history, people have fought for the right to dance for a variety of reasons, from personal to communal. Why is dancing and, more broadly, dance music such an important part of your life?

For me playing music and sharing my love for music, as well as experiencing the energy that this generates is one of the most rewarding, nicest feelings in the world. The power of music: how we can tap into emotions and feelings with a song and feeling human.

Could you tell us why you chose to theme your mix around ‘Dancing with your eyes closed', how does that tie into our four core pillars of 'Community, Freedom, Identity, Self-Expression', and how does your mix represent your theme?

When I am on a dance floor or in a place where I can dance with my eyes closed, is because I enjoy the music and most importantly: I feel so safe that I can let go.

Are there any particular tracks from the mix you’d like to highlight?

I would like to highlight “Toma que toma”. It is a song I loved as a child and it has children singing. This reminds me of my family, growing up in Mexico and how dancing was such an awesome, normal part of my life. In school, family reunions, and birthday parties, dancing was one of the ways to express ourselves and dance all together: children and adults.

Taking a step back, how has 'Dancing with your eyes closed' been important to your journey in music?

When I select music, I want to spread positivity and help people feel good, so good they can dance with their eyes closed and for a moment (that can extend beyond the dancefloor), forget imaginary boundaries of expression, self doubt...

Are there communities or moments within dance music culture that have felt unifying to you?

Festivals; and as I mentioned before, dance culture in Latin America—in my case, my family and friends since I was a little girl.

If you could go back to any dance floor in history, what would it be and why?

I would like to go back to pre-hispanic Mexico and join a “mitote” which were the special dances that the native peoples in the north of Mexico used to organise. Gathering around the fire and spending a couple of days dancing and singing. These dances had the purpose of unifying the groups and making peace with other tribes.