After we reported on a little hero last week, we thought it was a good occasion to introduce you to one who has walked the earth a little bit longer. Meet Patricia Lay-Dorsey, a 72-year old American photographer, who has been practically unable to walk after she was struck by multiple sclerosis. Many may think of this disease as hugely disabling, Patricia is actually more actively outgoing than your average 20-year old. Especially when it comes to music and festivals, because ‘Grandma Techno’ is somewhat of a dance music fanatic.
While covering Detroit’s Movement festival back in 2005, totally unaware of the concept of dance music, she immediately connected to the music the atmosphere and the people. During the end of the 2005 edition somebody doing a survey for the festival came up to her to and asked what she liked better: “House or techno?”. She stated that she didn’t have a clue what the differences were. Now, however, she knows her way around the entire dance music family tree it seems: “Now I can give you trance, I can give you dub, you name it”.
Yearly visiting the festival ever since, Patricia became a local hero, and in 2012 a short documentary about her was created. In ‘They Call Me Grandma Techno’ we see Patricia being a valued part of the festival experience, while riding the terrain on her motorized scooter, making friends with people a third her age and shaking it to various DJs like Carl Craig and DJ Sneak. The respect she gets from the festival goers is as inspiring as her words on the scene that she has grown so fond of. The video is a small reminder of the potential dance music has on connecting people, and a tribute to an extraordinary lady.
You can read an extended itnerview with Patricia here
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Source: Insomniac
