Phoenix Music Blog

Big Latin is aptly named, and not just because he's rocks some 3XL threads. The affable, Oakland-born DJ has been living large as a star of PHX's Latin scene for as long as we can remember. Over the past six years he's been in the mix at various discotecas and dance nights across the Valley, from Club Rain in Scottsdale to La Perla in Glendale, or promoting gigs by such big-timers as the Kumbia All Starz.

These days you can find Big Latin blasting out the BPMs for hundreds at a few downtown Phoenix hotspots ever Friday and Saturday until the wee hours, enticing chicas to shake their culos to cumbias, salsa music, and other muy caliente tracks.

His skills as a party instigator is just one of the reasons why we tapped him to star in the debut edition of DJ Dossier, where every week we'll give y'all the 411 on the numerous spinsters and turntablists populating the Valley's nightlife landscape. And it won't be just another rundown of where and when they'll be working the wheels of steel, but rather a lowdown into who they are and what they do, as well as dropping some juicy stories.

For instance, Big Latin's got a humorous yarn about working at a club in Old Town Scottsdale, where Latin nights are few and far between.

But you'll have to git the jump to get the skinny.

Name: DJ Big Latin

A.K.A.: Andy Herrera

Club night(s): Fiesta Fridays at Macayo's and Saturdays on the back patio at Club DWNTWN.

Preferred genre(s): I pretty much love all Latin music. Cumbias, reggaeton, bachata, a little bit of salsa, and lots of hip-hop. I've learned to blend everything together.

Weapon(s) of choice: Two Pioneer CDJ-1000 digital turntables. I'll be honest, I'm not doing the Serato thing just yet because I'm old school. I get six or seven CDs with a whole bunch of MP3s and just mix 'em all together. I like the feeling of grabbing a CD and putting it inside, instead of looking at a computer and hoping it doesn't crash.

How did you start out: I used to DJ when I was a kid, 15-16 years old, living in Oakland. Me and my other friends went to Berkley and got 12-inch vinyl at Rasputin's and at Rainbow Records and Tower Records. Bought up all the vinyl and got some Pioneer [Technics] 1200s. I kinda stopped when I was 18, but when I got older I started doing it again while working at Club Caribe spinning Spanish music and the bug bit me. I loved cumbias and bachatas and all that.

The track you can't get outta your head lately: Tito El Bambino's "El Amor."

How do you get a party started: I just look at the crowd, kinda feel everybody out. At DWNTWN you always start with a Los Chicos Aventura cumbia or the Kumbia Kings. That's an instant no brainer and it gets everyone out on the dancefloor.

How has the PHX Latin dance scene changed over the years: Everything's kinda like segregated now. You've got the urban music/Top 40 crowd, you got the Latinos who don't want to listen to Latin music too much. (They're like, "Yo that's enough, go back to hip-hop"). And you got straight up Latin clubs like DWNTWN and Club 602.

I remember back when they just had dance nights and played every kind of music. It wasn't a Latino night, it wasn't an urban music night. Dance nights were just dance nights. And that's when it was fun, that's when it was crackin. Everyone was just partying and it was fun to be around that crowd. Now it's all different.

Most memorable DJ moment: Dos Equis hired me to do a gig at a [Scottsdale club] once. The managers at the time were tripping out thinking I was gonna play Daddy Yankee all night or some shit, or stuff they only hear at the Mexican supermarkets. One of 'em gave me a look that said, "Shaved head, Mexican, Scottsdale, Saturday night...this guy's gonna drive away my crowd." He told me before I started DJing, "Please, don't play no Spanish music. Can you do English? Your name is Big Latin and all." And I was like, "No, that's cool. I'm down." When I ended the night at 2 a.m., two bouncers ran out to my car to get my phone number because I did such a crackin' job that he was interested in getting me back. That was funny as fuck.

And the experience you'd like to forget: Covering for DJ Rubas at DWNTWN and I just bought these Denon CD players that were supposed to accept USB. And I bought two eight-gig USB drives loaded with all these songs. It was packed that night, but for some reason the players went *poof* and froze up. So there was no music for two minutes. At the Mexican clubs, if you screw up they shout "¡Cu-le-ro!" ["asshole" en Español]. That shit was embarrassing. I wound up taking those Denon's back.

What else are you working on: I'm on the road a lot with DJ Kane of the Kumbia Kings, who I manage. We do a lot of shows in Texas and California.

Where else can we find you: I'm helping out with the DUB Magazine Car Show at the Convention Center on June 13. Also at the Lowrider Car Show and Concert in Tucson on June 27.