Interview from 2008:

Q. WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

A. SF Bay Area

Q. WHAT GOT YOU STARTED IN DJ’ing?

A. My twin brother Alex and I have been into music from the get go.    I was hooked after watching the Herbie Hancock’s “Rock-It” performance (Herbie Hancock’s Future Shock album was my very first vinyl record that I had won in a break dance contest in 4^th grade) and the movie, Beat Street, back in the day. 

Q:  HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME DJ SUAVECITO?

A:  I was going to school one day and heard the awesome melody on the radio.  “La-la-la-la…”  It was a song by Malo, Suavecito.  I love the lyrics and melody to that song!  And in Spanish, Suavecito (suav-eh-see-t’o) means smooth.  I actually got a chance to interview Richard Bean from Malo and told him thanks for making the song.  If I remember correctly, I think he wrote that in math class!

Q. WHO WERE YOUR FAVORITE DJ’S WHEN YOU WERE LEARNING THE ART OF DJ’ING?

A:  When I was in 4^th  grade, I’d be stuck to the radio listening to the mix masters, both Cameron Paul and Michael Erickson, on the radio and wanted to do exactly what they did…mix on the air...and flawlessly.  I also used to listen to Theo Mizuhara, Alexander “The Blade” Mejia, Chris The Rebel, Glen Aure, Dave Meyer, Greg Lopez, and of course Jazzy Jim!  Jazzy is still awesome to this day!!  These guys all have qualities that I love to listen to…from their scratching and technical aspects, to the smooth blending and transitions of the music.  It’s as though they were telling you a story through their mixing

Q. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DJ’ING?

A. Since about mid 80’s…hmmm…I was ‘tape editing’ songs together in ’85 (yes, using the pause button on a Fisher dual cassette boom box), but in 87 is when my grandfather help me purchase my first Technics SBD-SL35 belt drive turntable with a pitch.  I bought my first Pyramid mixer (w/echo…LOL) at Sound and Sites Electronics on Mission St. in SF.  What was cool was that one of my favorite record shops, Creative Music Emporium, was a few stores down.  So after I finished talking to folks at the SSE, I’d walk down and see Joeseph at his store and buy the latest 12” single.   I can still smell the incense as you walk in!  I also used to dj for Fantasy Direct, from Pleasanton, back in the day which helped me learn to play for big crowds.

Q: HOW HAVE YOU SEEN DJ’ing EVOLVE OVER THE TIME SINCE WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED?

A:  One word…computers…One program…Rane Serato Scratch Live.  I gotta tell ya that I was a hold out for a while, thinking ‘keep vinyl alive’ but when I actually saw the flexibility that using a laptop and Serato gives you, I was sold!  Gone are the days of lugging in 10,000 record crates to one gig because you never knew when you were going to need that one song!  Now it’s all at your fingertips.  Transitioning over to the digital world is the biggest change for sure.

Q: HOW DID YOU GET INTO RADIO AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN IT?

A: I grew up listening to Bay Area legends Marcos Gutierrez, Michael Erickson, John London and the Morning Zoo Crew with Renel, Theo Mizuhara, Lisa St. Regis, Evan Luck, Chuy Gomez and of course Rick Chase on KMEL.  They were always so entertaining to listen to.  I had been wanting to get into studio work and learn the behind the scenes of radio and in ’93, a counselor told me about the radio station we had at school (Ohlone College in Fremont).  I was hooked!  I started my internship at KMEL and was extremely fortunate enough to be assigned to mid-days with Michael Erickson.  One of the legends and reasons I got in to DJ’ing!!!  He helped me and gave me pointers on music programming for mixing and taught me a lot about radio.  In addition to helping Michael during mid days, I was also fortunate enough to have helped Renel and The Morning Zoo both in the studio and on the streets with Davey D. in the KMEL JAMZ Trailblazer, Chuy and Rosary in the evenings, and Sway (MTV) at night.   I worked with the Street Team for a while as well. I was serious about learning the business and I think you have to be exposed to all day parts and all the different pieces of the puzzle that make up a radio station to really understand it.  I learned a lot from all the jocks I helped out and also learned a lot with Rich Chase.  Watching him run the board (press all the buttons on the mixing board in the main studio) was like magic!  He had this ‘Big Bertha’  full of carts that had all his sound effects, comedy bits and everything you used to hear Rick play on the air.  His sense of timing was impeccable!  I remember Rick asking me to run the board for his first broadcast remote from Disneyland!    After KMEL, Michael Erickson hired me on at 98.1 KISS fm as a board op.  From there, I was hired on as a mixer at Z95.7fm with Dj Mark Christopher and Dj Davey D (Aura & Shaboom in San Ramon).  I eventually moved on, but all the while, I was still helping JJ Amaya in Fremont at 89.3 KOHL fm on his Lowriding With JJ, an oldies dedication show reading the Shadow Traffic reports every Tuesday from 6p-8p.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR PASSION FOR, RADIO, MUSIC, OR BOTH?

A: I actually have a passion for both, but in addition to that, I have a strong passion for the art of dj’ing itself!  It’s a facinationg thing really.  It’s as though I were playing another instrument.  There’s the turntablism side of dj’ing and then there’s the mixing side.  I’m from the mixing side of the house.  I love creating a vibe and feeling the energy that comes from within.  I call it “creating a harmonic convergence.”

Q. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE  DJs?

A. There are several djs I like because of the way they have taken dj’ing to such a new level.  I am talking about djs like Dj AM, Victor Meneguax, Greg Lopez, Jazzy Jim, The Rock-It Scientists, Dj Five, Dj Spider, Kevin Scott Slammin Sam and many more others have continued to evolve and refine the dj world.

Q. IF PEOPLE WANTED TO HEAR YOUR MIXES, WHERE CAN THEY GO?

A. I am currently on the air at MOViN 99.7fm in San Francisco.  Our mixx team rotates all day parts, from Early Morning Quickie Mix with Baltazar and Maria at 6:30a, the Boom@Noon Mix with Alexa, The 5 O’clock Happy Hour with J Love, and on Saturday Nights during Club MOViN that starts at 8pm.

Q. WHAT WORDS OF ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGSTER THAT WANTS TO GET IN THE GAME?

A. Ask questions, know the music, feel the music, dj because you love it and have a passion for it.  Be aware of changes in the game...evolve with them.  Keep up with technology.  Network with other djs and folks in the industry.  Pay attention.  Practice…all the time.  Practice…oh did I say that already?  Something I tell new djs is to learn to create mixes that make sense.  Make it pleasing to the ear.  Don’t just mix songs because the beats per minute are the same.  Make sure the instrumentation and keys don’t clash.  Let the mix flow.  Make it sexy!  I can’t tell you how many times I hear djs blend to songs that almost seem like they were fighting with each other.  Here’s something to think about…break your music up into categories.  For example, A, B, C, and D.  When you’re making a mix for a demo, a mixtape, or for on air, rotate your music (categories).  Don’t clump all of your ‘powers’ (A for example) together.  Sprinkle in something that was hot a while ago and some fun music in between.  Then throw them a curve ball…that one song that’ll make ‘em say “oh snap!  He played that? Cool!”  Always keep forward progression you’re your mixes.  It really creates an awesome energy.   Find your own style and perfect it.  Don’t try too hard, but challenge yourself. 

Q. ANYTHING ELSE?

A. hmmm...oh yeah...yes, I was that Dj on Wife Swap on ABC.  Would you happen to know the date and time and the family involved from the original airing?  LOL!  People randomly come up to me and say "You're from Wife Swap!"  

Dj SUAVECITO… "Oh So Smooooooth" 

Alexa, myself and Baltazar @

El Balazo in Pleasonton

Crystal, myself and Alexa!!!