Events

*Ages 18-20 entry by advanced ticket only

Ultra Nate Bio
by Michael Paoletta

In her two decades of making music, Ultra Naté has remained a musical chameleon, embracing a variety of sounds, from R&B/hip-hop, soul and disco to house, rock and electro-pop. Her reasoning for doing this is quite simple: “I hate boxes,” Naté says. “Where’s the fun in being totally predictable?” She continues, “It’s always important to experiment and be a bit of a maverick in your [musical and personal] stylings. Win, lose or draw, when it’s all over, people will respect you more if you don’t always play it safe.” Indeed.

Twenty years after sashaying onto international dance floors with the club anthem, “It’s Over Now,” Naté stands tall and proud, proving that artist longevity, though not common for singers of dance music, is alive and well—and a real possibility for those willing to work hard for the money.

Ultra Naté’s 20 year anniversary in the business comes at a time of non-stop work and recording sessions. In addition to prepping her eighth studio album Hero Worship (set for release in 2011), Ultra Naté’s been busy in the studio with David Morales (for his upcoming album and hers); Robbie Rivera (for his new album); Quentin Harris (a project entitled Black Stereo Faith that Naté describes as “sexy soul meets rock with a twinge of disco funk”); Nervo (co-writers of David Guetta’s worldwide chart topping “When Love Takes Over” featuring Kelly Rowland) and Nicola Fasano (Italian DJ/producer responsible for the club hit “75, Brazil Street,” which was reworked by rapper Pitbull for his smash single, “I Know You Want Me”) and a new EP project with Baltimore’s Unruly Records crew entitled “Things Happen at Night” (a mix of hyped-up hip-hop grooves, raw house beats, heaving bass and ass-shaking beats). Additional collaborations include “Waiting On You,” a funky disco duet with Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams,”Right Now,” with house music innovator Todd Terry and the chart-topping “Destination,” with Tony Moran, a circuit party anthem which has just gone top 10 on Billboard’s club chart.

At the end of the day, and 20 years on, Naté’s maverick style has not changed. It remains intact. She says her creative process, over the years, has not changed either. “I still work in many different ways,” she explains. “I’m very open to trying things differently. Remember: I don’t like boxes.”

When asked if there is one moment from her two decades in music that will be forever embedded in her mind, Naté pauses. Smiling, she says, “It was in 1998 when ‘Free’ had hit its stride. I was performing at an outdoor festival in front of 300,000 people. Midway through the song, I had the sound engineer stop the music so that I could hear the people sing the song a cappella. It was a sea of 600,000 hands in the air, singing a song I wrote—a song that came from my one little self.”

Well, this “one little self” continues to move forward with several currently smoldering collaborations and a new full-length due in 2011. “I want to continue to be in your face,” says Naté. We wouldn’t want it any other way.

Chris Burns bio:
via Resident Advisor

Chris Burns has pioneered his way through the DC creative landscape via an original DJ style inspired by the disco culture of yesteryear with a modern, house twist. By emphasizing versatile programming, innovative mixing and the effective creation of strong moods on the dance floor, he has gained a loyal and diverse following in D.C. and beyond. As a result, Burns has received numerous awards and critical acclaim for his unique approach to contemporary dance music.