Footprint, a few Notable Steps
On The Quest To Cultural Architecture
Catalyst:
Setting off lasting, influential changes in Latin music's presence in Canada—creating pathways, reshaping cultural landscapes, and proving the viability of Latin music in spaces where it hadn’t yet thrived.
Influential Figure: Renowned for pioneering Latin music fusion in Canada, breaking barriers and connecting diverse audiences with Latin rhythms.
Years of Contribution: Instrumental in opening doors for Latin music, art, and culture; responsible for numerous firsts that have shaped today’s landscape.
Crossover Radio Pioneer: First promoter to introduce Latin music to crossover radio, challenging skeptics within the industry who doubted the viability of Spanish-language music in mainstream Canadian radio.
Pioneering DJ: First Latin music DJ to produce and release Latin music compilation albums in Canada. (See portfolio for more details.)
Latin Music Buyer: First dedicated Latin music buyer for a Canadian major music retail chain.
Artist Management: First Latin music artist manager in Canada.
Consultation: First Latin music consultant for several of Canada’s major record labels.
Record Label Work: First Latin music record label executive / director in Canada.
Executive Production: Among the first Latin music executive producers in Canada.
Radio Innovation: One of the first producers, hosts, and DJs of Latin music crossover radio shows.
Crossover Radio Show: The first producer, host, and DJ of a Latin pop and dance music crossover radio show.
Contractual Milestone: The only Canadian Latin DJ to hold simultaneous contracts with various major record labels.
Cheer Record Pool: Integral member of the acclaimed Cheer Record Pool, enhancing the presence of Latin music.
Latin Record Pool - Global Latin Grooves: Created and managed Canada’s only Latin music-centric record pool, partnering with New York DJs Rich Hernandez and Eddie ‘Luv’ Arroyo (Ricky Martin’s touring DJ) of City Sounds NY.
DJ for the Longest Street In The World Anniversary Celebration: Served as the Latin DJ for the closing party commemorating the 200th anniversary of Toronto's Yonge Street, which was attended by over 250,000 people.
Event Production: Contributed to the event production team that showcased Ricky Martin for the Living La Vida Loca Tour at Sunrise Records, successfully closing off a large section of Yonge Street for the event, which drew several thousand fans
Record Label Establishment: Established Canada’s first and most successful Latin music record label, with a distribution legacy spanning partnerships with EMI, Sony, and ultimately, Universal Music Canada.
Defying Expectations: Known for challenging industry executives who claimed that Latin music in Spanish would never make it to mainstream Canadian radio, ultimately proving them wrong.
Dj Collectives: Member of several DJ collectives, including the Wavebabies, a group of eclectic professional DJs delivering a diverse range of electronic and house music, responsible for Latin grooves programming on mainstream radio and online.
Current Engagement: Currently featured as the Latin music DJ for the Euro Klassik Car Show, contributing to an exclusive DJ collective showcase produced by DJ and producer Matt Lok, alongside some of Canada’s top DJs.
Collaborations and Connections: Maintains valuable relationships with top DJs, artists, musicians, producers, managers, label executives, and club owners, both in Canada and globally, with whom he has collaborated, led business with, or simply cherishes as friends
Noteworthy collaborations include partnering in the current Kongruv venture with longtime friend and producer Gerard Brizwela, renowned for his Latin rework of Mariah Carey’s “My All,” the track that gave Bachata a new direction. He is also the former artistic creator, director and producer of the Dominicanada Show-band and Tumbao Inc.
Charles Kabouth: Collaborated with the legendary club owner to introduce Latin music across various of his venues, significantly enhancing Toronto's nightlife scene.
Asoon Brothers: Partnered with the Asoon Brothers to integrate Latin music into their eminent venues.
Joined forces with local DJ J.P. (Jean Pierre Rouja), a prominent promoter and DJ in the fashion scene, to create and establish the iconic Sangria Latina nights at Stilife (a Charles Kabouth legendary venue), Toronto’s most elite club at the time. This marked the first Latin music nights in a non-Latin club in Canada, facilitating the crossover of Latin music to a more diverse audience.
Worked closely with Memo Acevedo, one of Canada’s most accomplished Latin music figures and world-renowned Latin drumologist. As bandleader of the award-winning Banda Brava, Acevedo pioneered Latin Nights at Berlin, celebrated as Toronto’s longest-running Latin music series.
Island Club Latin Nights Launch: Launched this vibrant summer event series at Ontario Place, which thrived for eight seasons, becoming a fixture in Toronto’s Summers ant it's cultural scene.
Reggae Meets Latin Groove Party: Co-created and hosted this unique fusion event at the Jerk Pit, blending Reggae and Latin rhythms to celebrate cross-cultural sounds and heritage.
Theater Curation and Voice-Over: Provided curation and voice-over work for Memo Acevedo’s theater presentation, which highlighted the rich heritage of Latin American rhythms.
Boa: Introduced Latin grooves to the elite late-night crowd at this legendary Yorkville hotspot, cultivating a deeper appreciation for Latin music among Toronto's nightlife enthusiasts along with the fashion, film, arts & entertainment crowd.
Served as DJ and music programmer, enhancing Canada’s top Latin gay club with its crossover appeal and broadening its audience base.
Infused Babalú with an energetic Latin party vibe, crafting and establishing a signature sound that became a major draw for patrons. Upon its rebranding to Babalu’u, continued to contribute to the venue's thriving Latin scene, setting a direction that would later be followed.
Developed the Latin soundscape and vibe at Xango, Toronto’s prestigious Latin venue, elevating its profile within the city’s nightlife.
Assumed the role of Saturday night resident DJ and head of programming at Luxor, a mega-club with multiple rooms and international acclaim, featured in numerous magazines. There, led a premier DJ crew and cultivated an electrifying atmosphere that showcased Latin music and cultural elements, creating a distinctive experience for diverse audiences each night.
Co-owned and operated Caoba, a successful eclectic resto-bar-lounge in Toronto’s College Street district, drawing inspiration from Latin America, Spain, Italy, the Middle East, and Africa. The venue became the preferred choice for after-parties for iconic acts such as the Buena Vista Social Club, Afro Cuban All Stars, Juaquín Cortés, Los Pericos, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and many other Latin mega-artists.
During his residency at Lula Lounge, he delivered a core old-school New York-style Latin sound infused with Cuban and Brazilian elements, helping to shape the venue's unique identity at the time. During his tenure, he was recognized as one of the two best Latin DJs in the country.
As the Latin House and Groove Specialist, he was handpicked by the ownership of the Laurentian Room, led by renowned club and restaurant entrepreneur, commercial realtor Trevor Barryman. The venue catered to a stylish, fashion-forward, affluent crowd, seamlessly blending both straight and LGBTQ+ communities.
Actively participated in the development of several nightspots and venues both locally and internationally, contributing to the evolution of the Latin nightlife landscape.
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