BUSINESS Sacramento DJ feels the music
CYNTHIA MORENO
Vida en el Valle
(Published Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 09:18AM)
SACRAMENTO -- Disc Jockey Enrique 'Suave' Lluch believes he has the right music for all the right moves.
Since he began his disc jockey business nearly 20 years ago, the Mexicali native said the opportunity to play music for people came about in the most unusual way.
"My close friend was the manager at El Torito Mexican Restaurant, and one day they decided to start promoting a salsa night one day out of the month. So, he told me to grab some cool CDs and any equipment I could use and to play some music," said Lluch.
Salsa nights grew in popularity, and piqued his interest in becoming a professional disc jockey. Lluch began to invest his earnings in equipment, although he didn't know how to use it.
"At first, I would just play around with it to get a feel for it and I had a tremendous interest in learning how to use it. Before I knew it, I was using the equipment pretty efficiently and started to get requests from people who were interested in having me DJ at a wedding or other special occasion, so evidently, I felt I had to turn this into a business," said Lluch.
Music has not been a stranger in Lluch's life. Ever since he was a kid, he would listen to the music his parents played at home and he would watch them dance. His brother, a dancer, helped him better understand how music makes one dance and quickly noticed patterns of rhythm and sounds that gave him a greater desire to move and express himself. He would later find the experience to be very helpful.
"I started to have a deeper understanding of music and what people like. Luckily, I have been able to keep this going for a long time now and I don't limit myself to the type of music I play," said Lluch.
In 1991, Lluch opened Latin Motion, and it quickly gained popularity throughout northern California and around the state. He has performed at more than 300 weddings. He has also performed at quinceañeras, baptisms, birthday parties, Christmas celebrations and anniversaries from Los Ángeles, to San Diego and Lake Tahoe.
For Lluch, it's all about satisfying his clients who come from different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities.
"I get together with each client, invite them to dinner, tell them about my services and ask them what they are looking for. I am a perfectionist and I strive to have every performance turn out exactly the way my clients envisioned, if not better," he said. "It satisfies me to be able to play music and be part of the special memory of my clients, whether it's at their wedding, anniversary or simply a birthday party."
Lluch tries to keep up to date with the latest trends in music from all different genres and attends an annual conference in Las Vegas geared at promoting the latest equipment in technology so he is up to date on the best and latest equipment whether it is lights, smoke or sound. As a monthly subscriber to various musical groups, he stays informed on the latest jazz, rock and roll, country and hip hop hits and spends hours at record stores to listen to new and old albums.
Because he comes from an "older generation" he turns to his 24-year-old son, DJ Alejandro, or his brother, DJ Tomás Rico and nephew, DJ César, to stay updated. Alejandro uses social networking to stay in the loop of the music industry--everything from browsing iTunes, scanning the Billboard rankings or watching YouTube videos. The radio is an important tool too.
Still, it's the Latino music that gets people from all ethnic backgrounds, dancing to the beats.
"There are certain songs that just get people going because the beats are contagious. It doesn't matter whether or not a person knows the lyrics to a song," said Lluch, who ranks 'Suavemente' by Elvis Crespo and 'La Vida es un Carnaval' by Celia Cruz as top favorites.
Other dance-moving songs are 'Sabor a Mí' by Los Panchos, most songs from Luis Miguel, recent hits by Pitbull and the all-time favorite 'Volver, Volver' by Vicente Fernández.
"The difference between our disc jockey service and others is that we do the impossible to cater to our clients. We are professional, flexible and are very attentive to the needs of our clients. We are more than DJs, we are wedding coordinators. It is our responsibility to make sure the atmosphere at an event is joyous, fulfilling and runs smoothly," said Lluch.
This year, Latin Motion received the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's small business of the year award. Lluch says the award is a testament to their hard work and also, their mission--to give back to the community.
"I was once a farmworker before getting a government job and becoming a DJ. I firmly believe that it's important to remember who we are, where we come from and to help others when we have fulfilled our dreams," said Lluch.
Each year, he DJs for free for the Leukemia Foundation, public school events, and, El Festival de la Familia, among others.
