{"id":220450,"date":"2026-03-25T22:29:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T22:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/220450\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T22:29:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T22:29:11","slug":"cumbia-goth-party-is-building-community-in-dallas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/220450\/","title":{"rendered":"Cumbia Goth Party is Building Community in Dallas"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSoy Darks is a genre-defying event transforming Dallas nightlife.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Jordan Smith<\/p>\n

On a packed night at Charlie\u2019s Star Lounge, the room warms up slowly as cumbia rhythms roll through the speakers, steady and hypnotic, pulling people onto the dance floor<\/a> almost without thinking. Hips sway, shoulders loosen, laughter cuts through the air. For a moment, it feels like a familiar Latin party \u2014 communal and joyful. <\/p>\n

Then the shift happens. The percussion fades into icy synths, basslines deepen and the mood darkens as goth, post-punk and new-wave<\/a> textures creep in. The lights feel lower, the movement sharper, more intentional. Strangers dance side by side, fully locked in, as the night slides effortlessly from celebration into something more defiant. This is Soy Darks<\/a>, and in Dallas nightlife, there is nothing else quite like it.<\/p>\n

Founded and curated by DJ and community organizer Ari Villa, Soy Darks has quietly become one of the city\u2019s most distinctive Latin-forward dance parties, a space where goth, new wave, EBM and cumbia coexist without apology. What started as an experiment has grown into an award-winning monthly party that reflects a broader hunger in Dallas for community-driven nightlife rooted in culture, resistance and joy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoy Darks is the party,\u201d Villa says. \u201cI run it, I put it together, it\u2019s my baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going Dark<\/p>\n

Villa didn\u2019t set out to create a genre-defying event. Long before Soy Darks, she was immersed in underground music scenes, including punk, electroclash, goth and more, collecting records as a teenager and later DJing \u201980s and new-wave sets at art and fashion events. In 2014, she began spinning publicly while working as a contributing fashion stylist for The Dallas Morning News\u2019 glossy magazine, leaning into left-of-center selections that didn\u2019t always fit traditional club expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just playing weird stuff,\u201d Villa says, laughing.<\/p>\n

\"GothDJ and community organizer Ari Villa is the founder of Soy Darks.<\/p>\n

As her reputation grew, so did the invitations. She played at the Boiled Owl Tavern in Fort Worth and did various guest sets for La Bruja Presents, where her darkwave and EBM selections stood out. After one of those sets, Charlie\u2019s co-owner Corey Howe approached her with an offer: if she wanted to build something of her own, the door was open.<\/p>\n

At the time, Villa didn\u2019t even own turntables. It took nearly a year before she was fully equipped, but by then, she had a bigger question on her mind. <\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to compete with something that already existed,\u201d she says. \u201cI had to figure out how to make a niche.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dallas already had a goth scene, a strong one<\/a>. The answer arrived from multiple directions at once.<\/p>\n

Villa had spent years working as a community organizer in Fort Worth, focusing on empowerment rather than reactionary politics. By the time she stepped away from that work, she still felt the pull to bring people together, especially as political and cultural tensions intensified nationwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt like literally the week before every party, something horrible would happen,\u201d Villa says. \u201cAnd I\u2019d think, \u2018God, we need this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Around the same time, she began paying closer attention to the resurgence of cumbia, not just as a genre, but as a movement. On the West Coast and beyond, cumbia was being reclaimed as something raw, communal and deeply political.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say cumbia is the new punk,\u201d Villa says. \u201cIt\u2019s resistance music.\u201d<\/p>\n

She remembers watching videos of hundreds of people dancing together on a bridge on a Sunday afternoon, no cover charge, no hierarchy. \u201cThat\u2019s what we need,\u201d she thought.<\/p>\n

Soy Darks was born from that realization: a space where her goth roots and cumbia\u2019s communal spirit could meet without dilution.<\/p>\n

The first Soy Darks events in late 2024 and early 2025 were modest. The party initially ran every fifth Wednesday at Charlie\u2019s, a slot that doesn\u2019t come around often. But the Halloween edition before last changed everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt went off,\u201d Villa says simply.<\/p>\n

From there, Soy Darks expanded organically, popping up at Spinster Records and eventually traveling to the Rio Grande Valley in collaboration with Chulita Vinyl Club, a women-led, LGBTQ+ and POC DJ collective rooted in creating safe, community-driven spaces and using vinyl as a form of cultural preservation and resistance. The party found its footing at Charlie\u2019s, where it now runs every first Saturday of the month, a prime slot that reflects its growing draw.<\/p>\n

Villa doesn\u2019t frame herself as the star of the night. Instead, she sees her role as a curator and connector. She anchors the party with goth, EBM, \u201980s and new-wave selections, while inviting guest DJs to bring their own interpretations of cumbia and Latin dance music<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t spin cumbia all night,\u201d she says. \u201cI curate the space.\u201d<\/p>\n

That openness has made Soy Darks a magnet for DJs across identities and genres. New Year\u2019s Eve featured a trans Chicana DJ. Pride Month went genre-fluid. Some nights skew darker; others lean celebratory, filled with Bad Bunny edits and party anthems.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell everyone, \u2018do your thing,\u2019\u201d Villa says. \u201cThat\u2019s your experience. The common denominator is cumbia, discovering it together.\u201d<\/p>\n

For regular attendee Roman, Soy Darks\u2019 evolution has been unmistakable.<\/p>\n

\u201cI go any time there\u2019s a Soy Darks event, which is usually about once a month,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s a really good blend of culture there. I love to dance, and the music is always good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roman discovered Dallas\u2019 cumbia scene within the last year, but he\u2019s watched Soy Darks transform in real time. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been to shows where I was one of only four or five people dancing,\u201d he says. \u201cWatching it grow has been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

That growth, he believes, comes down to Villa\u2019s approach. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of it has to do with Ari and the way she cultivates her community,\u201d Roman says. \u201cShe\u2019s authentic when she speaks, and she\u2019s always uplifting the Latin community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GothDJ Mutemor spins records at a Soy Darks event at Charlie\u2019s Star Lounge.<\/p>\n

Villa is quick to deflect credit. Soy Darks, she insists, has always been a collective effort. Early events partnered with De Colores Collective and ICE Out of Tarrant, blending nightlife with community outreach. Vinyl collectors and DJs from across Texas, including Cumbia 319, Flash 45s, JoannaChills and Sue Problema, have helped shape the party\u2019s sound and reach.<\/p>\n

Chulita Vinyl Club, in particular, has been instrumental, hosting Soy Darks for D\u00eda de los Muertos and amplifying its visibility through a massive online following.<\/p>\n

Villa also credits her DJ mentor, Mike Cuevas, also known as Mutemor, for helping her navigate the technical and professional side of the craft. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe set the tone from the beginning,\u201d she says. \u201cHe\u2019s had my back the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n

That spirit extends beyond Soy Darks. Villa runs a monthly femme vinyl takeover at Common Good, a listening room and coffee shop in East Dallas, and frequently collaborates with female DJs and collectors across the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dallas scene is supportive,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople share gear, share knowledge. You just have to take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

That seriousness paid off when Soy Darks recently won Best Latin Night at the Dallas Entertainment Awards, a notable achievement in one of the country\u2019s most Latin-influenced cities. Villa sees it less as validation of her own work and more as recognition of the space Charlie\u2019s provides.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a layup when you have a dance floor like that,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople come ready to move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Soy Darks shows no signs of slowing down. March featured another \u201980s night. April welcomes Cumbia 319. In May, Soy Darks Presents will host Ant\u00eb, a cult-favorite darkwave act with Dallas roots, blending live synths, post-punk influences and Spanish-language elements.<\/p>\n

For Villa, the future isn\u2019t about scaling endlessly; it\u2019s about staying grounded. \u201cIf you focus on the good stuff, it all works out,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

On the dance floor, as cumbia rhythms collide with cold wave synths, it already has. <\/p>\n

Soy Darks returns to Charlie\u2019s Star Lounge next on April 4. The event is free and 21+.<\/p>\n

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