I began learning to speak Spanish in 1980 from two Mexican-American friends who were stationed with me in the U.S. Marine Corps. They were always speaking to each other in Spanish and I found myself really wanting to be able to communicate with them. So, I week to the library on the base where we were stationed, Okinawa, Japan, and checked out a Spanish, self-teacher, book. They were surprised when I starting trying to speak to them, and laughed a bit at my accent, but soon they were helping me to gain a good pronunciation. As a natural extension of learning the language, I was listening to music in Spanish.
I first started listening to the music that my friends liked, Mexican music. However, after leaving the Marine Corps, somewhere around 1990, I was trying to impress an attractive Puerto Rican co-worker with how well I spoke the language and by my knowledge of music. She very politely told me that she wasn’t into that particular type of music. The next time we worked together, she gave me 8 cassette tapes with nothing by salsa and cha-cha-chá. I instantly fell in love with it and never turned away from it. My days of listening to Mexican music were over!
Who first taught you to dance salsa?
In the early ‘90s a friend took me to a small tavern to shoot a game of pool. That tavern happened to be the only Puerto Rican tavern in the area. I heard the salsa that was on the juke-box and ended up going to that club 3 or 4 times a week! Wherever there was a party there they would dance salsa and meringue. Soon, I met and established a rapport with many of the the regulars. They eventually taught me how to dance salsa, but not as technically correct as the lessons one would get from a school of dance. So, I first learned to dance by feeling the music from the heart! I didn’t take formally classes until many years later.
Tell me a little about your company. When, why and how was it set up?
My company, El Caobo Internacional, actually started off under the name Del Paladín. After having worked several years as a professional interpreter, I decided to try my luck at creating my own translation agency. While in college, I had received a certificate from the National Collegiate Spanish Honor Society, that in part read that I was a paladín of the Spanish language. I looked that word up and discovered that it means “staunch defender” (of a cause, for example). I liked the term so much that I used it as the name of my business. A few years later, my girl-friend at the time; who happened to be Puerto Rican, gave me the nick-name Caobo and even wrote a poem to me titled El Caobo. It was very sweet and quite flattering. When I looked up that word, I discovered that it means “mahogany”. I liked it so much that I changed the name of my company from Del Paladín to El Caobo Internacional.
There are several things that El Caobo Internacional does. From the beginning we’ve offered translation/interpreting services. Also, we offer Spanish language courses, for any level. Lastly, since I also have an extensive background in international marketing, we offer market representation.
The combination of very strong language and marketing skills places us in a unique position for success in the international marketplace.
How, when and why did you get into DJing?
Well, since I loved the music so much, it didn’t take me very long to amass a tremendous collection. So, I approached the owner and friend of a small Puerto-Rican bar and asked him to allow me to DJ. He said yes and gave me the opportunity.
Shortly afterwards, a DJ acquaintance of mine asked me if I belonged to a record pool for DJs. I didn’t even know they existed at the time, so of course I did not belong to one. He gave me the contact information for a local pool and I joined. From there, the size of my collection simply exploded! A few years later, while expanding the marketing arm of my business, I decided to ask a national pool in the U.S. to let me represent them. They said yes and I’ve been representing them ever since!
I literally get all the commercial music released by the big-name labels; such as Sony. From there, since I had so much music and a growing knowledge of it, the next logical step was to try to get a spot on the radio. I started off as the co-host of a show and once I learned the ins and out, I applied for my own show. Well, I got it!
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I just listen to music. It alone provides much inspiration to me.
Who do you admire?
I admire the artists. They work hard to pursue their dreams during a time when more often than not, they will not reach the success that they desire. It is very difficult for them.
What’s your favourite track at the moment?
It’s good that you ask “at the moment” because it changes frequently. Right now, I really love a track by Angel Canales called Hace tiempo.
What are your all time favourite tracks?
This is a question that I really cannot answer. I have many, many favourites, but for the same reason that I never give a “best of” type chart, I also never give a list of favourites.
What was the last CD you bought?
I was browsing in a music store and something moved me to purchase a CD with some very, very, old, classic Cuban music. The CD is called Mambo Cubano and has songs by Celia Cruz, Compay Segundo, Beny Moré, Pérez Prado, Tito Puente and La Sonora Matancera, Xavier Cugat and others. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought would, but it’s a good snap-shop of what the music was like in pre-Castro Cuba.
Tell me something most people wouldn’t know about you?
I was once the Store General Manager of a Sears, Roebuck and Company store; with an annual net sales volume of 32,000,000 dollars! It really was my experience with running all aspects of that retail operation that found the desire to do it for myself.
