John Thompson
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (June 13/05) - Paul Okalik, look out. Nunavut's centre of power might not actually reside in the premier's office, but behind the myriad of knobs and buttons of the Iqaluit Legion's sound mixer, where Alex Simonfalvy stands four nights a week.

Alex Simonfalvy makes bodies move at the Iqaluit Legion where he works as a DJ. He has some control on the music he plays, but he knows it's the crowd that ultimately decides what songs he plays.

As resident DJ, he decides what music Iqalungmiut and visitors, young and old alike, listen to as they bump and grind the night away.

Born and raised in Iqaluit by his Inuk mother and Hungarian father, Simonfalvy began his DJ career in high school.

Now 28, he says he spends most of his day listening to satellite radio and downloading music he likes for his sets in the evening. His musical tastes run the gamut from rock to rap to country.

"I listen to pretty much anything," he said.

That doesn't mean he can play anything. Crowds at his venue are notoriously picky, and will often clear the floor in seconds when an unfamiliar song is heard.

"It takes two to three weeks for the crowds to get used to a song," he said. He tries to coax the crowd into newer material later at night, but some songs never fly.

"Never play country after midnight," he warns.

Popular staples of his sets include King of the Dancehall by Beanie Man and Rich Girls by Gwen Stefani. Every now and then he likes to throw down an old Prince song and tries to play his audience's requests.

Simonfalvy usually draws the line at Eminem, though. "He's too popular."

Reluctant to acknowledge the true power he wields, Simonfalvy acknowledges he enjoys working in a venue where social status dissolves and cabinet ministers and janitors come together as equals on the dance floor.

"I love it when the whole floor is packed, and you can feel the heat from the people. It shows they're having a good time."