The Host with The Most
The art of DJ'ing without DJ'ing

David Mancuso could be called one of the first American club DJs, except he doesn’t even call himself a DJ. He doesn’t produce music, do beatmixing or even change the tempo, things typically associated with DJs. Mancuso uses the music as the artist intended, but does not just throw some records on the turntables and let them play. Mancuso is a “musical host,” he says, and he carefully makes his music selections to set the mood for his parties. “It was always about friends and music,” Mancuso says. “It was never meant to be a business or to take it beyond that.” Yet in 2005, the Dance Music Hall of Fame inducted Mancuso because of his contributions to the history of dance music. Mancuso shares the honor with only fi ve other DJs presently, because the organization, which originated in 2003, only recognizes industry officials 25 years after their initial contributions Some of the artists inducted include Barry White, the Bee Gees, Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer.

A Musical Host
So, if he’s not a DJ, then what does Mancuso do, and how did he become legendary in the industry? “I produce my own parties,” he says. “The parties I do in New York have evolved over 38 years. Some of the folks attending are third generation on my list. I don’t advertise. I don’t promote them. I just go through my mailing lists.” Mancuso remains mum about the loft’s location because it is his private residence, but the secrecy has not been an obstacle for attendance. The first party was Valentine’s Day, 1970, and after nearly 40 years, Mancuso is still going strong. 

A Loft of Legend
Essentially Mancuso’s loft parties could be called the “longest running rent party” in New York. But his operation has expanded to include parties outside his home. “I’ve been going to Japan for 11 years and London for five, and those two in particular are closely designed after what I do in New York,” Mancuso says. “They’re basically an extension of what I do in New York. I personally stay out of the commercial zone, though. Being hired as a DJ is not where I live at all. “If you’re hired as a DJ, you have to play certain music. I don’t live there. That’s for somebody else. I play anything from Vivaldi to James Brown.” The privacy of his infamous loft parties allows Mancuso to get past the cabaret laws, because he does not sell alcohol or food. He simply hosts a party, friends pitch in for the costs, and everyone has a good time. Perhaps surprisingly, Mancuso’s hip loft parties are family friendly. “Because I don’t need a cabaret license, there is no age limit,” he explains. “That’s where the social progress comes in. We get all age groups, nationalities and all different cultural backgrounds. Everyone gets along because everyone is there for one reason each other and the music.”