Yes, you read that right.
Sounding just like some Weekly World News potboiler, this raven-haired Brazilian beauty swears her was conception was as a result of her birth mother's close encounter of a more lurid kind. While there's no way to verify her parentage (short of phoning up E.T. for a DNA sample), it might explain her otherworldly talents for spinning up entrancing sets of deep house, funk, and other soulful grooves at joints like the old Paper Heart way back when or at her current weekend gig at Barcelona in Scottsdale.
Name: DJ Brazilia
A.K.A.: Claudia Oliveira
Club night(s): Thursday through Saturdays at Barcelona in Scottsdale I play with a cover band called Generation, providing the backing beats and spinning between songs. I get to rap with the band too.
Where can you be found when you're not spinning: I'm usually chilling at Lola Coffee, which is my new favorite place.
Preferred genre(s): Usually its been a lot of deep house, neo-soul, funk, disco house, and jazz. With the band lately I also play a lot of newer stuff, like Rihanna and Top 40.
Weapon(s) of choice: Two turntables and a microphone, usually a pair of Technics and a Serato. I also use Reason on my Mac.
How did you start out: My sister is a DJ and used to let me come over and play her records. I liked it so much I bought my own stuff. I didn't have enough money to buy a stereo at the time, so I hooked up my $10 mixer to my TV in order to get some sound and practiced all the time. Then I played at her night at this Tempe bar and a few months later in 2004 I had a residency at the Paper Heart for PAINT with Seduce. P-Body also asked me to DJ at AZ 88 and that's where I was for the last few years and I also did Bar Smith for awhile.
What's the most you've made off a gig: Two G's. It was a big out of state party. Kind of a corporate, private party.
And the worst? Pretty much every weekend guys ask me "Do you work here?" after I just stepped off stage. C'mon, you just saw me coming off the stage, so you know that I work here. I don't understand guys sometimes.
The track you can't get outta your head lately: "Give It Up" by DatarockMost memorable DJ moment(s): When Pete Salaz asked me to play Red Monkey and guys like Senbad finally accepted me and took me in. I was like, "Okay, I'm good now." Before I was just a girl deejay to them, and they finally acknowledged me. Another moment is every Saturday night at Barcelona and there's thousands of people watching. Not only do I get to DJ, but I get to come out and rap which is something I never thought I'd get to do. That's a really big thing for me.
What's with the whole alien love child thing? Both my parents both worked for the government of Brazil. My mom was in the Brazilian FBI or CIA [a.k.a the Polícia Federal], and my dad worked for the Central Bank of Brazil, which is owned by the government. They were like Mulder and Scully where my dad was totally like into recording spirits with his reel-to-reel and trying to find out what is out there. They used to go to all these alien sites, but my mother is very, very skeptical and doesn't believe in anything. She's a Catholic who doesn't even believe in Jesus.
My mom told me a story when I was 12 about how she picked me up from a house when I was only three days old, and that's all I knew for the longest time. She didn't like talking about it because it doesn't make a lot of sense to her as skeptic, but she eventually told me the rest a few years ago: My real mother died giving birth and the woman who delivered me said I'd come from outer space. People seem embarrassed when I tell the story and think I'm crazy or childish. The only reason that I think it's true is because I don't tend to fit in anywhere and I always feel pretty awkward with everything.What's your biggest vinyl find: I found Herbie Hancock's Feets, Don't Fail Me Now at Zia for only a dollar, and it's worth anywhere between $15 and $20. It's got some some of the dopest disco greats on it and was like the beginning of house music to me.
Had any celebrity encounter?: I got to walk the red carpet at the X-Men Origins: Wolverine premiere and I met Hugh Jackman. I have a consignment deal with Vmarie and Rickie Gonzales and I was dressed pretty fabulous. Hugh me a hug and said, "Hi sweetheart" in my ear with that Australian accent. It was so hot.Anything new in the works: Next week I'm gonna start appearing at Merc Bar with Joe DiPadova (electronica, house).
