DJ Afro Talks Fiesta: ‘A Journey Of What Our Culture Has Evolved Into

I’m Jose Luis Pardo. I’m a DJ, producer and musician, appearing at Fiesta both as DJ Afro and in my band, Los Crema Paraiso. My love of music began with vinyl records – I used to spend a lot of time playing them at home by myself.

Teenage years came by and I fell in love with the guitar, played in school with different bands and ended up starting the band Los Amigos Invisibles. We were high school friends that were lucky enough to tour the world thanks to our record label Luaka Bop’s faith in 6 guys from Caracas doing Latin dance music.

Los Amigos’ shows were always planned as a party and it was kind of hard to get a DJ to set up the mood with what we were being inspired by, so I started DJing myself before the shows and not so long after that, when I got a pair of headphones, I realised that I was a DJ and my DJ life started being parallel to my band’s life.

After a few years touring with Los Amigos and as a DJ, I met Neil Ochoa and we joined forces to open a studio together, and to start a new project based on our love for Venezuelan music and our desire to start playing around New York’s jazz clubs.

Los Crema Paraiso’s El Debut became the first recording we did in our studio, and we discovered that we were in love with what we were doing musically. It sounded like nothing else, and when you feel that, you want to celebrate it and share it with everyone you know.

I grew up in a rich oil country that was always looking to what was happening outside, surrounded by people with a strong desire to prove they were cool and cosmopolitan. Then you grow up and realise that under the trends and inside your walls there are all these colours that you never cared to see before because you took them for granted.

As a music person, I started discovering old Venezuelan albums that were brilliant but totally forgotten by my generation, Then, I moved to New York to look for better opportunities and, after not having most of the things I took for granted in my hometown, I started loving what I am, where I come from, what I had around when I grew up.

Being in New York opens your eyes to so much culture but also makes you realise what you are and where you come from, and I chose to be proud of that and use it to my benefit.

If I were to describe Latin American culture to someone who knows little about it, I’d talk about the beautiful charm of imperfection, chaos, being able to laugh about all that and still think it’s sexy. That, and the food, women, music and weather!

It means so much to represent my culture at Fiesta. Los Crema Paraiso and I as a DJ will do our best to show Sydney a journey of what our culture has evolved into.

We don’t want to be like anyone else, we are just what we are. We come with something that doesn’t sound familiar but it will make you feel at home. Los Crema Paraiso’s show is really trippy and high energy, and DJ Afro will just make you smile while you dance.

DJ Afro will appear at Fiesta on Saturday October 11 at 4:25pm and again on Sunday October 12 at 4:30pm. Los Crema Paraiso will appear at Fiesta on Saturday October 11 at 5:40pm and again on Sunday October 12 at 3pm.

EVENT DETAILS
Fiesta Darling Harbour
October 4-6 and October 11-12
Full program and getting here

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