Local female deejay Christalyn Concha has had a rough week.
She's had her car broken into and her digital camera stolen, she was ticketed for speeding and then she sideswiped a moving van.
Fortunately for Concha, she's got a lot to keep her optimistic. As one of the few female deejays in Albuquerque, Chrystalline - her stage name - is doing what she loves best, playing music. In only three years, Chrystalline has succeeded in becoming a major figure in the lady deejay circuit by helping sponsor events and performing her heart out.
She'll tell you her rise to local fame wasn't painless. There were times when male deejays gave her a hard time and mistook her efforts for a joke. She said many men devalued her efforts because she is a woman in a male-dominated profession.
"When I first started, guys would be standing behind me, watching my every move," Chrystalline said. "Guys can be very competitive."
But the intimidation didn't stop her. She kept people dancing, and that gave her motivation.
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At the same time, Chrystalline realizes that her gender may have helped her secure a spot in the deejaying circuit. Still, she said, she has what it takes to move a crowd and that has been the core reason for her success.
"I am a commodity in the sense that there aren't tons of lady deejays (spinning records)," she said. "But that doesn't make me any less of a deejay."
Chrystalline became interested in spinning records while at a party. She didn't like the technique used by the deejay who was spinning.
"He kept building up the energy and then bringing it down," Chrystalline said. "I want to keep it building, and rocking and moving and keep everyone in a flow."
When she first started, Chrystalline focused on house music, along with drum and bass. Still, she said, house music is her passion.
"I think house speaks to my feminine side," Chrystalline said. "House hits your heart. Drum and bass speaks to my male side because it hits your stomach, your root. It's harder, more aggressive."
She said she chooses the music she plays according to whatever side is "speaking to her" at that moment in time.
Amazingly enough, Chrystalline is a self-taught deejay.
"Most of it comes from trial and error," she said. "One day you'll just be spinning a record and a lightbulb goes off and the next thing you know, you're making music. When I would let myself feel it - become a part of the music - that's when the lightbulb would go off."
Chrystalline's musical inspiration comes from international DJ Mark Farina - an artist she has since met and co-sponsored. She said she admires Farina because "he always keeps the crowd moving." Chrystalline is currently co-sponsoring Farina's "Air Farina" tour, which will land in Santa Fe on Wednesday night.
In addition, Chrystalline has recently started a weekly show called "Release at Rebar," featuring six local lady deejays including herself, Lorraine, Marisha, Jennifer, Phylli and Morningstar.
Chrystalline also takes part in "Genesis," the Golden West's monthly breast cancer benefit featuring deejays, bands, dancers and visual arts. She also plays at the Light Club twice a month. Additionally, she is co-producing tonight's show at Rebar for Tortured Soul, a three-piece, house band from New York that performs live music.
Apparently, Chrystalline has enough distractions to keep her from focusing on the negative.
"Music is my release," Chrystalline said.
The fact that she's maxed-out all her credit cards promoting shows doesn't seem to bother her in the least. In fact, she beams when she says, "I'm just a poor artist who just got robbed."
