90’s Dream Girl
Photography Mik Primacio.
A Q&A with DJ Butta B.
Text Pia Cortez
Photography Mik Primacio
It’s not always that you find a DJ who can give you slick beats to rock to and at the same time finesse the dance floor with their moves - but Bea Alonso Te, aka Butta B can do just that.
Her most recent mixtape with Manila Community Radio harkens back to a slow roll of the good ol’ times, reminiscent of life pre-pandemic. Nights at Boogie in Poblacion, Makati where she hosted deLight on Thursdays for sounds and vibes as smooth as you guessed it, her eponymous moniker.
Manila’s fragile healthcare system and infrastructure has yielded several flip-flopping of shelter-in-place orders (ECQ, MECQ, flexible MECQ, what?), with businesses seeing the devastating economic (and mental health) effects of the pandemic. In true Butta B style, our girl has been continuing to spread good vibes and good music through livestreams with Black Market Manila, inspiring folks with her creativity through zine issues with Pagasa PH, and doing collabs for typhoon relief work. All of these, while still looking fly.
We caught with the boss B for a few q’s:
Photography Mik Primacio.
Photography Mik Primacio.
How’d you get into DJing?
Butta B: I actually never thought of getting into DJing. I was a dancer all my life until I was 20. I had a couple of knee injuries and because of that I had to take a break from dancing. I struggled to find another hobby that really spoke to me. By that time, I was working in the nightlife industry. One day, I get a call from a friend who asked if I wanted to learn how to DJ. He was planning to open up a DJ school and needed someone to test out the curriculum to be offered. I thought about it for a second, and it all made sense. I was always into music growing up. I love digging for songs to dance to. Music and dance to me go hand in hand so the idea just clicked and I haven’t looked back ever since. I’m grateful every day that I get to do it.
Can you describe your personal style? Any icons that you love?
Butta B: My personal style is very 90s inspired. I like both feminine and masculine silhouettes so I always try to find a good balance in every fit. My favorite look is a bit street, comfortable, with a touch of sexiness to it. Some of the icons I love are Rihanna, Aaliyah, and Sade.
Photography Mik Primacio.
Photography Mik Primacio.
If you were to throw a party, which artists dead or alive (in whichever industry/ies you like) would you invite?
Butta B: I would love to hang and have a drink with my fave, Aaliyah. That’d be the dream.
Who inspires your work, music + creativity?
Butta B: I say the people around me. Most of my friends are creatives from different fields. Their work inspires me and pushes me to be better at my craft.
What are some places that Pinays should def come visit when things are better/safer & why?
Butta B: One of my favorite places to go to unwind is Siargao. Other than it being the surf capital of the country, it’s the best place to just chill. Nice beaches, good people, and always just an amazing time. Another place I’ve fallen in love with recently is Dumaguete. It’s a city by the beachside. It has that old city charm but with new hip places.
