Ever find yourself bored witless on another night out and wonder if you’ve gotten grumpy and cynical? Do you, in the immortal words of Johnny Rotten, ‘ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?’ It seems more and more of us feel like there was once a golden era; a ubiquitous affordable scene of gigs and raves and great nights out that has vapourised into a puff of ennui. Since the awful shutdown of times (that we aren’t supposed to talk about any more) things have got rather meh. So it was some intrigue and delight that I found myself talking to Roberto Crimaldi about his pet project, MONGA.
Described as a collective that seeks to revitalise Oxford's after-dark culture (which it’s also fair to say has suffered from increasingly stiff council and university regs), MONGA curates nights of music and immersive visuals in creative spaces by transforming local venues and engaging with the community. They want to bring fresh energy, inclusivity, and creative expression back to Oxford nights and offer an experience that appeals to students, locals and visitors alike.
So Roberto, why Oxford?
I was waiting on a decision for a Master’s degree I’d applied for in Italy, when I decided to visit one of my best friends who was living in Preston at the time. I didn’t get my Master’s place, but I met my girlfriend and when she got a job in Oxford we decided to move down together. We discovered a much more beautiful city than Preston, that was for sure. That was back in 2021.
When I saw the acronym MONGA I did laugh a bit because obviously I couldn't help thinking of MAGA. Is there a satirical element to the name?
Ha, people have said this before. But it’s about helping the local community – it has nothing to do with MAGA for sure – so yes, I guess there is a satirical element. But basically it’s because I used to try and go out when I first came to the city but there wasn’t much to do. A lot of locals told me that it used to be a really great city for music and nightlife. They told me about Radiohead and Supergrass and the good buzz that was here. So I just had this thought; why don't we try to bring that back again? Make Oxford Nightlife Great Again – MONGA. Obviously it is a catchy name.
It’s certainly catchy and satirical, but is MONGA just about having a good time? Or is there a more subversive element to it?
I grew up Caracas, Venezuela and began my journey as a DJ, musician and event organiser when I was a student dealing with the political situation under the dictatorship of Chavez and later Maduro. Some friends and I would organise house parties that became safe spaces where students, artists, poets and filmmakers could connect, share ideas, and experience music and visual arts in a creative way. We were having fun, but at the same time, these events were also networking sessions.
So that was the No Sobrevive Nadie, the Nobody Survives events that you curated in Caracas?
Yeah, that was Nobody Survives.
When I read your bio I equated that with nobody surviving extreme political tyranny – for sure – but also let's party until the end of the world: a mirror up to tyranny yes, but also party in spite of it…
Exactly – because this was between 2015 and 2017 after Maduro came to power. It was a time when students would gather and demonstrate in the streets because there had been an election and the opposition had won, but Maduro stayed in office anyway. There was a military and police crackdown against demonstrations, and students were attacked and killed – because the government had the military and police in their pocket. But at the same time, in Venezuela, ‘no one survives or I didn't survive’ is also metaphor to say ‘I got super drunk - literally passed out because I had such a good time’. It is a perfect metaphor for those times because as a student you want to have fun because you just can't think about political instability, 24-7.
So, going back to how Oxford nightlife was during this golden period everyone reminiscences about, did the Oxford indie music and rave scene cater for everyone or was it just the students?
Locals talked about the golden era when the city fell more alive at night in general for everyone – more venues, more music, more personality. My goal with MONGA is to concentrate on people who live and work in Oxford as well as welcoming students. I'm always scouting for new DJs for our events and many of them are still in uni. Obviously after Covid, many businesses got affected, so I connect bars and local pubs to bring people in and create music events that combine visual projections of art or science as well. For example, in April, we're going put on our second night of The Tech Lab, which basically shows images from a microscope on the walls throughout the night alongside the music. We team up with local academics and artists for this. Sometimes we project images from classic films like 8 ½, Clockwork Orange, Tarantino films, that kind of thing.
I see you're wearing a Metallica T-shirt and I'm thinking that you’re also into hard rock as well as rave.
Music has always been a big part of my life. I grew up with many influences. My grandparents are from Italy, so they’d play Italian classic music on vinyl, then I discovered rock music thanks to my father, he would play Guns N’ Roses or Metallica in the car and he gave me my first guitar. I love The Beatles, too. Stones, Bowie, Talking Heads…
A lot of the music you use on Instagram posts are Latin fusions, like the techno take on Pete Rodriguez, I Like it Like That…
Well, I also grew up listening to a lot of Latin music from Cuba. I love Salsa, and I like to introduce Latin music to audiences through remixes, but also music from India and all sorts of other places… That’s what I love about Oxford – it’s so multicultural.
What is on your typical playlist?
I like to play a lot of electronic music, for sure – Daft Punk, Cassius; a French Duo, LCD Sound System, Gorillaz, New Order, Tony Esposito for example, The Prodigy, as well as some rock and more billboard stuff.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for the future of MONGA?
It would be amazing one day to have one big venue, like Ministry of Sound or the Hacienda but in the meantime, I think the beauty of MONGA is that we bring our signature events to different existing venues, creating a great atmosphere where they in turn can thrive. I’d love MONGA to become a massive movement for the city – I’d love to be the godfather of new artists, bringing life to different venues around the city, and see the city's nightlife reborn. That would be my dream.
The Tech Lab will be on at Tap Social on 4 April from 7pm – Free Entry – reserve your spot on Eventbrite and for more information about the movement, visit monga.uk, or find them on Instagram @wearemonga.
