Tara A. Spears
When we think about dancing or a special occasion party, the image that often comes to mind is of someone behind a turntable, headphones on, mixing tracks under pulsing lights. Contemporary DJs have developed record spinning into an art form, a career, and a global phenomenon. Jaltemba Bay is fortunate to have a very talented and professional DJ, Adan Gonzales, Sonales y Luz Extreme, 322 151 2683. Having Adan as your entertainment is guaranteed to make your party lively and fun. Adan is a master of innovation, upbeat attitude, and a love for sound that transcends languages, music genre, and generations. As a true music man, Adan uses recorded music to unite strangers and create an uplifting experience for them.
No longer limited to vinyl, Adan now uses USBs, laptop, and cloud-based downloads. The essence of being a great DJ is connecting with an audience through a carefully selected presentation of songs. “I’ve always loved listening to music and being around people,” explained Adan. “As a kid in Baja California all I wanted was to hang on the beach with a radio and ride the waves.” He chose Jaltemba Bay for its natural beauty, mix of people and opportunity to start his entertainment business. Adan may not be the only DJ in town but he is the Best one!
DJs do more than play records at parties but also remix them live, often adding spoken commentary (toasting) while manipulating the music’s tempo and energy to suit the crowd. To do their job well requires that the DJ possess both knowledge of 1000s of songs across all genre plus have a massive sound system with specialized equipment. Gregarious and personable, Adan is a master at reading the crowd. “Being an entertainer utilizes my passion for music and enables me to transmit emotions to people. Really, I have so much fun as a DJ that it’s like a gift to me instead of job!” Adan manages to smoothly lead the group to a good time. More often than not, he and his music are the heart of any social event.
Adan said the biggest challenge to being a DJ is the transfer and set up of the equipment. “We have gone to Guadalajara to work on several occasions and my crew had to unload and carry the equipment up six sets of stairs. Another difficult-but beautiful- setting requires carrying heavy equipment along the sandy beaches. The worst challenge involves outdoor venues: dealing with the rain!”
In the years since 1983 when Adan first pursued his dream to become a DJ, he and music have changed a lot. The production of music is different as access “moved from LPs (vinyl), to the cassettes, to the CDs and now to digital and I have had to adapt” said Adan. “The types of music also have been transformed adding new styles. It is so much more than just rock & roll, pop, rock, country, reggae. Now there are the northern border, ballad Grupera, cumbia, bachata, sauce, meringue, hip hop and more.” Each audience likes to hear their music and when the DJ personally likes a style, the DJ can transmit it better at the event.
In addition to his paying gigs, Adan has donated his talent to several fundraisers. “Being a DJ gives me the time to be able to participate in events where I help my community.” Adan volunteered for TEN YEARS as the entertainment for the Walk for Prevention/Breast Cancer Mammogram fundraiser. He was the spirit that made the party so fun and memorable. Adan continues to support the cause by participating at the CW reincarnation, Rock the Block, each February. Besides those causes, Adan has provided the background music and brought the guests to their feet for seven years at the Women to Women galas. He says that the reason he volunteers is “for the simple fact that being able to do what I love (DJ) enables me to participate as a friend, not as a client.”
How does Adan prepare for an engagement? “I listen to the client’s preferences, asking if there is a theme. A list, as such, is not chosen, I prefer to read the group.” More important is to respect the age of those present, consider what is the occasion (a birthday being a different vibe than an anniversary, for example.
Even the social level and whether there are more men than women present. When a selection has a positive impact, he notes the genre. “The typical contract is four-five hours depending on the type of party. Wedding and Quincenaria contracts are five hours but the client can hire extra hours to keep the party going.
“My personal favorite music depends on my mood of the moment. I listen to all the genres but if I have to choose, I lean more to the classic rock of the 60s and 70s. I really like to listen to Marco Antonio Solis because of the way he writes his songs.”
When asked to share a memorable gig, Adan replied: “One occasion I worked on a birthday of a very well-known doctor in Penita. I played from 7pm on Saturday until 11pm on Sunday of the next day without stopping. I only took a couple of breaks to jump into the pool to refresh and take my sleepiness away. It was a very happy and fun party!”
Music is a universal language that resonates with people across cultures. It has the power to evoke emotions, communicate ideas, and bring people together. “I just want to thank all my clients and friends for giving me work. I’m also grateful because I can live in a beautiful town where I almost grew up. I only seek to leave a positive mark on those I meet around Peñita.” We thank you, Mr. DJ, for getting the party started!
