Martelo is one of the hottest new talents on the underground music scene, nailing down a weekly residency at Ministry of Sound and shows on pirate stations Freeze and Bassline before even reaching the age of 20.
Now part of the yOyO family, he's the International Tour DJ for Santigold, has received props from the likes of Diplo and Jay Z and played festivals all around the world, including the current British Summer Time series in Hyde Park, where he played at the Casa Bacardi Stage, which celebrates the sound and soul of Bacardi's Cuban roots by showcasing a host of established artists and must-see new talent.
Read on to discover Martelo's Ultimate Playlist and the stories behind the selections...
You can check out the Casa Bacardi Stage at British Summer Time gigs in Hyde Park through to 10 July - check the website for for the full lineup. Follow #CASABACARDI for festival updates this weekend
Favourite sad song
"Does what it says on the tin really. I can’t even listen to it. Yeah I’ve been heartbroken. It hurts man, like, yeah."
Favourite song from your childhood
"This is hard. Ahhhh, okay. Well, I don’t know if these are my favourites, but I do remember the first two records I ever bought. I got them at the same time and I was about 10 or 11 years old.
"The first one was the West Side Story soundtrack and the other was Thin Lizzy’s Greatest Hits.
"I think my favourite though is Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson. My mum used to listen to them all the time. Smokey, Stevie Wonder, all of those artists. I would dance around like a nutter."
Favourite song that no one else has heard of
"Probably Wayne Chin’s cover of Won’t Do For Love. It’s just really nice – those 80s digi dub, casio reggae vibes. Can’t even remember how I found it. I’m not trying to be a dick either when I say that. You know when you get people who are like, precious over songs. But I genuinely don’t know where I got it. Good luck finding it."
Favourite club anthem
"Aly-us, Follow Me. It just reminds me of my formative club years. I heard that song every week for about 10 years. I remember hearing it in clubs when I was about 13 years old. Yeah, I got in trouble a few times for getting into a club, but genuinely I can remember hearing this at nights like Cookies and Cream and Twice as Nice. It’s big."
Favourite song to hear at a wedding
"Favourite song at a wedding? I’ve actually played at a few weddings. But so much pressure though, it’s like the most important day of someone’s life. I like weddings. Brown Eyed Girl always gets played at every wedding I’ve ever been to. There are some artists and songs that are just right for weddings you know? Because they cross over age groups, black weddings, white weddings, just okay for all weddings.
"The last wedding I went to was my Auntie’s. She’s in her mid-40s, so there was loads of northern soul, early rave, Happy Mondays. I love that you get to a certain age and you just don’t care what you should and shouldn’t play.
"I DJd at Raff Daddy’s wedding and I remember hearing Church by The Two Bears. Haha. I can’t remember if I played it, or he played it, but it was just a massive loving, perfect song. That’s probably my favourite."
Favourite one-hit wonder
"Olive, You’re not Alone. It’s just a great tune. It was a good time in my life, like 96/97 – I was about 12. Ripe side of life, but probably sad about a girl or something. I think I appreciate that song more now as an adult. Like, it definitely wasn’t a novelty song. There’s nothing cheesy about it at all. It’s just great."
Favourite lyric from a song
“Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.”
"We played that at my dad’s funeral. Played it on his final journey. It’s just like, live your life, make the most of it because it flies by. And he did, definitely."
Favourite current song
"Kendrick Lamar, Alright. I like him man, he’s so honest. It’s refreshing. He’s not afraid to be himself and that song is just, uplifting and has a positive message. Like, he’s popping up in protests and marches and stuff. I guess it gives us hope."
Favourite song from your own music
"Well obviously I’m a DJ, so I have to think about mixes I’ve done.
"There was a mix I did for the BBC to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence. It was 50 years of British music inspired by Jamaican culture in 20 minutes. Just super quick mixes, double drops and all that, it was a great set.
"There was a time when the BBC wouldn’t play reggae, they thought it was a fad. So Nicky Thomas wrote a song, It's a long walk to the BBC – what was that like, 53 years ago? That was in the set - and just loads of old ska, rocksteady, all the way up to the Clash. Jamaican music is the root of all that, it’s inspired so much British music – especially underground music."
