Scene in SA's Summer Soirée Playlist 2025
Curated and Written by Novasoul
Congratulations are in order, we made it to another sizzling Summer! Without exaggeration, I think we deserve a break from these intense headlining days, don’t you? Adults need Summer breaks too. And let there be no shame in how you choose to enjoy your time away; take a siesta, join one of the many trending running clubs, book a sojourn from our city, plan a staycation, touch some hot sand with bare feet, or catch some salty warm waves.
Speaking of waves, I have been honored to once again collaborate with my friends at Scene In SA to select some sound waves that I feel our souls need now more than ever. This year’s Summer Soirée Playlist was curated as melodic medicine with the intention of bringing us closer together through movement. Whether that be intimately to your significant other, or stepping in sync with a future friend on a dance floor as these tracks transition from breezy simmering soul to sprinkles of uptempo Afro-Latin baile and disco beats.
Disco, you say? Yes, the music that never dies (thankfully), and for good reason, since its four-to-the floor percussion patterns and infectious soulful vocals gave birth to several genres like house, techno, electro, early rap, nu-disco, and even hyper pop. Additionally, the opulent disco parties of the 1970’s popularized by our Black, Latin, Gay, and Queer communities helped usher in larger dance clubs and thus more advanced sound systems to accommodate these posh open spaces. Earlier this year, I was blessed to deejay a couple of personal ‘bucket list’ events, including The WEBB Party’s Studio 54 disco themed fundraiser! Alas, born decades too late, and not in New York, my feet would never glide across the dance floor at the infamous night club. However, these scintillating rhythms reached my ears via my parent’s immaculate disco and funk vinyl collection, and thus my passion poureth.
My second dream event was in February when I deejayed San Antonio’s unique annual Newlywed Block Party which occurs at midnight on the eve of Valentine’s Day. It is truly a magical occasion when dozens of couples simultaneously say “I do” on the steps of the Bexar County courthouse in front of a massive gathering of family, friends, and fans of romance. Being a native to SA and having provided music entertainment for a plethora of weddings, I have always wanted to soundtrack this fiesta of love. Aphrodite must have heard me when I was hired for this year’s party at Main Plaza! Participating in commitment ceremonies has become grounding for me, as I am reminded of this eternal universal truth:
LOVE RULES ALL.
Inspired by both of those euphoric experiences (and an ounce of naiveté), I selected these twenty songs of the Summer Soirée Playlist for their themes of love, self-love, celebration, and baby-making tempos, all sonic stimuli for us to get closer together. It seems nearly common knowledge by now, but thanks to decades of continuous scientific data, dancing has been shown to have positive psychological benefits, elevating our feel good hormones which can reduce our stress and increase our social connections. With that in mind, muévete, and blast this playlist everywhere! ■
Novasoul, aka Robert Gonzales, is a San Antonio based DJ and independent record label owner/artist. For booking info: djnovasoul@gmail.com
Upcoming Novasoul DJ performances:
‣ How We Do at Jandro’s Garden Patio A monthly hip hop and beats showcase hosted by Jose ‘Spy MC’ Perez
‣ We Need SOULutions at Carmen’s de la Calle Spoken word open mic monthly hosted by Andrea ‘Vocab’ Sanderson
Follow on Instagram: @_novasoul for complete DJ schedule & event details.
