Meet Shahaan Dalal in this week’s #IDSpotlight!
Name: Shahaan Dalal
Rave Name: Huggy Bear
Age: 28
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Current City: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: IT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShahaanDalal
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/HuggyBearImages
Instagram: @huggyismyname
What was your first electronic music event?
My first event was EDC 2008. Yeah… you heard correctly, EDC 2008! I will never forget walking through the entrance and just feeling the amazing energy around me. Being able to see all of the beautiful people, smiling and dancing to the music i love so much! It truly became the happiest place on earth for me. Such an epic event to be my first, and I’ve been hooked ever since!
What/who influenced you to attend your first event?
Trance music had been my love for music for a very long time and when I was in the dorms at Cal Poly Pomona, I would have friends tell me about raves and music festivals all the time. I finally was able to go to my first event with my awesome friend Erica and her boyfriend at the time.
What is one moment from an event that was special and why?
Hmm… There are soo many!
To give a little back story…Throughout the year of 2010, I had started going to every event with a FREE HUGS sign and I have loved every moment of it! To be able to go to the events that I love so much and to spread the joy of hugs to all, it really is magical.
I was at one of my favorite events, EDC 2010, the last EDC in Los Angeles. It was the second glorious day at the happiest place on earth. I had just walked into the entrance with my group of friends and three of us out of a group of approximately 10-15 people had FREE HUGS signs. We decided that we would plant ourselves by the entrance and create a massive group of people welcoming everyone in and giving hugs! It was so much fun, we all shared many hugs and made tons of new friends.
Back to my special moment… It was the first day at EDCLV 2014 and we were enjoying a set when someone runs up to me and gives me a big hug. She then quickly asks me if I was at EDC 2010 (I was) because she was hoping that she would run into me. She said that EDC 2010 was her first event and that she remembers the first thing she saw when she entered the event was my FREE HUGS sign and loved it. She said that it had set the mood for the rest of the day! :D
What is your favorite festival or event?
How can you pick a favorite festival or event? Hmm, let’s see… I love EDC, Dreamstate, and pretty much any Insomniac event. CRSSD festival in San Diego is another amazing event!
What is your favorite electronic song and why?
I don’t have a favorite song and could never pick one.
Who are your favorite artists?
Solarstone, Above & Beyond, Bryan Kearney, Menno De Jong, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Carl Cox, Eric Prydz, Jordan Suckley, Klingande, London Elektricity, Infected Mushroom, Moderat, Tycho, Simon Patterson, etc.
What are your favorite genres?
Trance, techno, house, D&B. Basically anything but Trap and Dubstep
What do you feel your “Identity” is in the electronic music community?
I am Huggy Bear! The name was given to me by a random group of people who I met at an event that I was soloing. Ever since then, I have embraced my identity of being Huggy Bear. I started going to events with a FREE HUGS sign and started embracing who I was. I am the guy who loves embracing others into my life, to be able to spread Peace, Love Unity and Respect (the motto I live by). Not only do I embrace this identity in the electronic music community, I live it every day.
HUGS!
Is there anything else you would like to add about yourself for the readers?
I very much love this community, it is what keeps me going in life. It is what I live for! One of my favorite hobbies is to be able to capture moments at various events through my photography.
I have met so many wonderful people and some of them have become my best friends in life. I would never trade this community for anything! I love you all!
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