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The sound filling Laila Lounge in Kansas City this weekend is more than music — it is the rhythm of an entire nation.
Internationally acclaimed Argentinian DJ Mariano Mellino is bringing a taste of his home country to Kansas City.
He performed the night before Argentina's FIFA World Cup 26 match as part of the WORLDCUP SERIES event at Laila Lounge.
"I play house music," he said. "It's the music that I really discovered when I was young."
Widely recognized as one of the leading names in the global Progressive House scene, Mellino has spent more than two decades building a reputation for emotionally driven sets that blend Progressive House, Melodic Techno, and deep hypnotic grooves. Inspired by legendary artists like Hernán Cattáneo, Sasha, John Digweed, and Nick Warren, he has become known for creating immersive musical journeys that keep dance floors locked in from start to finish.
His performances have taken him across Germany, Spain, Japan, Israel, Mexico, Greece, Brazil, and the United States, and to some of the world's most respected underground venues and festivals. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with global electronic icons including Tale Of Us, Solomun, Eric Prydz, Artbat, Lee Burridge, Guy Gerber, and Hernán Cattáneo.
Mellino is also the creator of AUDIOHOLICS, an internationally recognized event series that has sold out venues across Argentina and helped establish him as one of the defining artists of the new generation of South American electronic music.
He says the timing of the Kansas City event is no coincidence.
"Everybody's coming to support the national team, of course," said Mellino. "And also to support the music, because people have the chance to come to the match and also one day before, come to enjoy a party. So, it's good to mix them both."
For Mellino, soccer and music share something fundamental — the power to bring people together.
"It's like a communion," he said. "It's like a ritual we make together. When we are together, we feel like at home."
On July 10, the WORLDCUP SERIES will transform Laila Lounge into a late-night underground experience curated for music lovers. It will feature immersive sound, melodic energy, and elevated production — the kind of atmosphere normally found in Ibiza, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and Tulum.
While fans will pack the stadium tomorrow for the quarterfinal, tonight they will connect over something equally powerful: a melody, a beat, and for many, the sound of home.
"When I play, I feel like I can give them just a piece of our country," said Mellino. "We grew up together, we're friends, so for me it's very beautiful for me."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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