Artists
Peppe Citarella joins PLAYNOW
From Naples, founder of Union Records and producer of «Dale» with HUGEL. His arrival consolidates the agency's afro and latin house line.
PLAYNOW is pleased to announce that Peppe Citarella has joined its roster. From Naples, head of a label with more than six hundred releases and the producer behind «Dale» with HUGEL, he arrives with a body of work that has spent fifteen years on a single crossing: afro house meeting the Latin songbook and its percussion. His music does not rest on a seasonal trend but on material he knows at first hand.
Naples, his father's records and the drummer he never became
Peppe Citarella is Giuseppe Citarella, born in Naples. His musical education started at home, with his father's soul records —Stevie Wonder, Barry White— playing long before he chose anything for himself. He wanted to be a drummer, and that first ambition explains what still sets his music apart: an attention to percussion that organises the whole record rather than decorating it.
The other half of his identity comes from the same place. A substantial part of his catalogue pays explicit tribute to the salsa songbook —«Cali Pachanguero», «La Vida Es Un Carnaval», «Celia Y Tito»— translated into the grammar of afro house. These are not quick quotations: it is a repertoire handled with real knowledge of the original material.
From «Tacalacateo» to Club Sweat
His catalogue begins in 2011 and has run without a break since. These are the milestones that map it:
- 2011. «Tacalacateo», his first hit, reissued on twelve-inch by Union Records in 2022.
- 2018. «Moyubba» is released on Nervous Records, one of the historic houses of New York dance music.
- 2021. The first edition of «Essential AfroLatinHouse», the annual compilation with which he sets out the state of his sound each season.
- 2023. «Dale», with HUGEL and Billy the Diamond, arrives on Club Sweat.
- 2024. Two records with Yas Cepeda, also on the PLAYNOW roster: «Belo Horizonti» and «OBSESIÓN», both alongside Aaron Sevilla.
Union Records: more than six hundred releases
The centre of his work is Union Records, the label he founded in 2017 according to the artist, and whose catalogue now runs past six hundred releases. That volume is not sustainable without a very clear idea of what deserves to come out. Union Records is the platform from which Citarella shapes his own sound and that of the artists who have gathered around it, and it is why his release calendar does not depend on anybody else.
His catalogue defends an idea that is easy to state and hard to execute: afro house and the Latin songbook can meet without either one giving anything up.
PLAYNOW
What he brings to the roster
His arrival consolidates the afro and latin house line of our roster, and it does so on the back of a Spanish connection that already existed: his two 2024 records with Yas Cepeda. His profile suits three kinds of booking:
- Clubs with curated programming, where a set can be built over time and lean on original material.
- Festivals and large-format venues, where the Latin, percussive element becomes the point of difference on the bill.
- Label showcases, with Union Records as the frame and artists from its own catalogue.
How to book him
Peppe Citarella is booked through PLAYNOW. Please provide the date, city, type of event, expected capacity and running times, and we will come back with availability, fee and the technical terms of the proposal. You will find his biography, styles and links on Peppe Citarella's profile, and you can write to us from the contact page.
FAQ
What style does Peppe Citarella play?
Afro house and afro latin house built on percussion, with excursions into soulful territory. His sets work in club rooms and on festival stages alike.
Which formats does he perform in?
Club and large-format DJ sets, and showcases alongside his own label, Union Records. Tell us the type of venue and we will propose the right configuration.
How do I request a date?
Write to us with the date, city, type of event, capacity, expected running times and the venue's technical equipment. We will reply with availability and a written proposal.
