As the home of rising star Dusty “El Dusty” Oliveira, Corpus Christi is quickly becoming a capital of cumbia. The local DJ and music producer released his first studio album, “Cumbia City,” on May 11. A native of Corpus Christi, Oliveira said his album speaks for what modern cumbia means to his hometown.
Oliveira first hit the scene with his song and music video, “Cumbia Anthem,” which was nominated in the Best Urban Fusion/Performance at the 2016 Latin Grammy Awards. The song opens the new album followed by 13 other tracks.
[image id="26666" title="El Dusty Cumbia City Album Release"] El Dusty’s first album, ‘Cumbia City,’ was released May 11. The album is all about what Latin music means to his hometown of Corpus Christi. Courtesy photo
His music reverberates with hip-hop drumbeats, old-school samples, and lyrics in both English and Spanish, which create his own distinct style. That distinction is important to Oliveira, who said he doesn’t want his songs to be pigeonholed as Latin music but to be thought of as “music that people can dance to.” Cumbia is known for reflecting local culture in its sound.
Over the past two years, Oliveira’s music career has exploded. He was featured as one of The Rolling Stone’s 10 Artists You Need to Know and Billboard’s 5 New Latin Acts to Watch. At the start of 2018, he embarked on a two-month, nationwide tour to promote his album with Cut Chemist, another class-act DJ and producer.
Constantly on the road, Oliveira plans to headline a tour of his own at the end of 2018, while fresh opportunities pop up every day. As this article was being written, he was in New York City shooting a commercial with McDonald’s. He is currently in talks to have tracks from his album pushed on the radio while also planning an entire radio promo tour.
“People are starting to come to me rather than me going to them,” Oliveira said. “I wasn’t trying to be a radio artist, just maybe a regional Mexican band. I didn’t think it would come around commercially.”
Even as he jet sets across the country, Oliveira stays true to his roots. Proclaimed the “Unofficial Mayor of Corpus Christi’s Music Scene” by Texas Monthly, he wants to see a change in downtown Corpus Christi.
“I’m an entertainer; I’m an entrepreneur,” he said by phone from New York. “Corpus is growing really fast. I want to make a difference there. I want to do something for the city’s cultural and artistic development.”
Named Person of the Year at the Corpus Christi Under 40 awards, Oliveira is being recognized for his contributions to the city and its community. He runs Turntable Academy, a program for aspiring young DJs, while his wife, Cecy Trevino, runs Chicas Rock, a girls-only music camp dedicated to performance.
Oliveira spearheads the Silent Disco at Fiesta de la Flor and is playing a large role in the upcoming Que Bueno Taco Fest in September.
What’s next for this up-and-coming musician? More music, more tours, more videos, more collaboration.
“We’re keeping it moving,” Oliveira said. “It’ll feel like it’s going to be something big.”
Find and listen to El Dusty’s album, “Cumbia City,” on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, and other music-streaming services. Follow him at facebook.com/eldusty for the latest updates.