New York City, 1977; black and gay communities are still fighting for social equality, same-sex dancing in public is illegal. Then for the first time a nightclub opens its doors. It welcomes those who struggle to be welcomed elsewhere. The beginnings of house music booms from its speakers. Nearly three decades later and four years in the making, Director Josell Ramos tells the very story of where dance music and its culture began, with ‘Maestro’ the DVD.
The majority of ‘Maestro’ revolves around two clubs, the ‘Loft’ and ‘Paradise Garage’. Back then cameras were not allowed inside, but Ramos searched, and found original footage from both venues. Dark, gritty and slightly out of focus, here we are allowed a short but intimate look into the fashion and the extraordinary dance styles of the time. Effectively combined with this rare imagery are recent clips of ex patrons who speak with intense passion about a place whose walls embraced creativity and knew no judgement.

Tragically though, this community was also affected by devastating loss. As we come face to face with those who lost friends and lovers to AIDS, none is more affecting than the death of Paradise Garage owner, ‘Michael Brody’. Too ill to carry on, Brody closed the club after 11 years in operation. Fortunately, the Garage’s last night was captured on film, with Larry Levan on decks, diva Gwen Guthrie giving it her all on stage and artist Keith Haring dancing alongside a throng of devoted punters.

Recounting their past, the music they played, the techniques they mastered (all of which are now standard DJing practices) and the crowds they worked into a frenzy are Loft owner ‘David Mancuso’, the Godfather of House ‘Frankie Knuckles’, Gallery owner and DJ ‘Nicky Siano’, DJ and Producer ‘Francois Kevorkian’ and the first DJ to beat mix ‘Francis Grasso’. Each a pioneer in their own right, they speak utterly without pretension, as though completely unaware of the social and musical impact they have had on this scene.

Then there is DJ Larry Levan. Passing away in 1992 at the age of 38, Levan was the DJ’s DJ. His greatest passion in life was sharing music with others, and punters and DJs alike would flock to Levan’s “Saturday Mass” to dance and watch in awe as he played for hours on end. Each of the people interviewed by Ramos speak of Levan with such a rare level of fondness and respect, that you soon come to understand that all those who knew him, no matter how briefly, became better people for it.

No one however, sums up the Levan legacy as exactly as his closest friend Frankie Knuckles. In the most tender of conversations, Knuckles thanks Levan for what he has passed on to the dance community. “It is because of what Larry created that we can produce and play music for a career. It is because of him that we can all go out to dance and express ourselves without being judged.”

The film closes fittingly with a series of todays’ “Maestro’s”; each and every one a product of those featured here. Whether or not you know your dance scene roots, ‘Maestro’ is a documentary you cannot afford to miss. Chances are it won’t win any technical awards, but it has an incredible story to tell, and if you love dance music in any of its forms, you really should take the time to learn where it all began.

Rating:  4.5/5