By: Vina Sitthisay
As many people can hear in popular music today, the dance genre is taking over. From small shows, to new radio stations, to festivals, dance music is everywhere. But where did this scene originate from? Recently President and CEO of Triad Dragons, Ha Hau sat down with Asian Avenue magazine to shed some light on the dance music industry, and how an Asian American rode the whomp and synthesizers to success.
Triad Dragons is the leader in dance music events in Denver, and has been on the forefront of the industry long before its recent increase in popularity.
Decades ago Hau and friends including John Lee (DJ Dragon) started throwing small parties, armed with his parent’s karaoke sound system and electro beats. House parties led to bigger events including a few proms. It was not until 1999 when Hau threw his first major event: Mission Impossible. This event helped catalyze a chain reaction that would eventually bring Hau from his humble beginnings to the music empire that Triad Dragons has become today.
Mission Impossible led to the emergence of a dance music underground culture, and Triad Dragons was in the center of it. The next big event that helped put Triad Dragons on the map was Caffeine. The show brought a mass of people from all over Colorado to Pueblo. Among those that attended Caffeine a majority of them were Asian people, a large part of the underground culture.
“I wouldn’t be as successful as I am if it was not for the support of the Asian community,” explained Hau.
As a leading presence in Colorado’s dance music industry Hau calls the new popularity of dance music as a gift and a curse.
“The scene isn’t underground anymore,” said Hau, it makes the vibe at the events a little different and he feels a little less special.
Because of the new mainstream nature of dance music Hau also says that there is an influx in competition. However as any strong-willed business man, he says that he welcomes the change and the competition.
Like the music that they promote, Triad Dragons is now bigger than ever, and with events like Global Dance Festival, and the upcoming Sky Lab, big things can continue to be expected from Triad Dragons.
“I was so impressed last year with the performance and the venue at Global Dance Festival. After I saw this year’s line-up, I knew I wanted to go again. I’m glad I did because it was even better than my expectations. It’s beautiful in Red Rocks this time of year so the fact that GDF is at Red Rocks is a bonus because I can enjoy the scenery, the nice weather, and the music. There were some big names on the main stage once again such as Wolfgang Gartner, Morgan Page, Above and Beyond, and Nadia Ali.
The energy was unbelievable with people dancing all night long. However, the recent theater tragedy happened only days before the show. There was a moment of silence, followed by Nadia Ali ending her set with a beautiful lullaby of “Rapture” dedicated to those lost and still holding on. It was truly amazing. I was impressed with the performers’ sensitivity and concern towards the people of Colorado during this hard time, while being able to put on a great show all on the same night.” – Jennifer Montes
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