Whether it’s a bautizo, quinceañera, boda, or primera comunión, Latine people love a good DJ. If you’re on the dancefloor and hear “El Za Za Za” by Climax, “La Bomba” by Azul Azul, or “El Chico del Apartamento 512” by Selena, you know you’re about to go hard. In all likelihood, you’ll be thinking of the DJ’s set for an entire week after the party. Shoot, you might even ask for their information to have them at your next function.
Since the 1940s, when disc jockeys were mostly on radio, DJs have played a crucial role in our society. They blend songs to enable us to see and feel the beauty of any given mix. In turn, this helps us celebrate the beauty of our roots. The particularly good sets also serve as a foundation for great memories.
You may have heard of DJs like hip-hop’s Grandmaster Flash or EDM’s Marshmello. You may also be familiar with Latine DJs like Deorro and The Martinez Brothers. But have you considered that Afro-Latines often are the originators or make large strides for movements yet end up being left out of the conversation? Unfortunately, DJing is no different.
Though they’re not celebrated as widely as they should be, mixes from Afro-Latine DJs encapsulate the Latine experience. They’re representative of the African diaspora — often including instruments like congas, claves, and bongos — and they’re also tied to Indigenous roots. For too long, people haven’t recognized this, but it’s high time that we gave Afro-Latine people their flowers. Not just during Black History Month but throughout the year. We rounded up six Afro-Latine DJs whose mixes get us right every time.
Coco & Breezy
Afro-Puerto Rican twins and multihyphenates Coco & Breezy are DJs and producers who draw inspiration from their Boricua family. Paralleling their roots, the duo’s mixes blend house music with R&B and add some Afro-Latine grooves. A classic Coco & Breezy set is groovy, passionate, and full of energy, as the twins dance and sing along to their mixes. You’ll hear the smooth sounds of dance music, soulful lyrics, and jazz. When they’re not on the ones and twos, the duo are dreaming up ideas for their eponymous eyewear brand.
Bembona
A legend, an icon, a star. We give you the Afro-Boricua-Panameña Bembona. A self-described “multidimensional mami,” she headlined New York’s Boiler Room in June 2017. This show-stopping set featured bangers like “Who’s That Girl” by Eve, “Movimento da Sanfoninha” by Anitta, and “Cuando Escuches Reggae” by Ivy Queen. Bembona is a big fan of amapiano, afrobeats, afro house, salsa, R&B, boleros, and merengue, so her sets are wildly diverse. The Puerto Rican-Panamanian has also been a staple in music festivals, like Afropunk in 2023. Bembona is true to the DJ game, having spun the soundtrack to several Latine social movements.
DJ SuperNova
DJ SuperNova is a first-generation Dominican-American who was raised in the Bronx, NY. Since his parents didn’t speak English, they’d often blast Spanish-language tunes like merengue, salsa, bachata, and regional Mexican music. These genres are represented in each of his sets — whether he’s spinning in New York, Los Angeles, or Johannesburg. In 2023, DJ SuperNova curated Eventbrite’s Latinx Heritage Month playlist, which included classic songs like “La Dueña del Swing” by Los Hermanos Rosario, “Muévelo” by El General, and “Dile” by Don Omar. The playlist also included songs from this generation’s artists, like “Después de la Playa” by Bad Bunny and “Baila Baila Baila” by Ozuna.
Nina Vicious
Puerto Rican and Haitian artist Nina Vicious, previously known as Nina Azucar, is classically trained. In fact, she obtained her master’s in classical voice, which helps her seamlessly blend the music from her cultures. Most notably, her mixes include hip-hop, dancehall, and house. As a nod to her roots, she also incorporates house music, disco, soul, funk, and rare groove. Nina Vicious has collaborated with music icons like Talib Kweli and has held residencies at Beatminerz Radio and Halfmoon BK Radio. She also spins monthly at Brooklyn nightlife staples like Friends & Lovers and Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club.
DJ Jigüe
A proud Cuban and self-proclaimed alternative future disc jockey, DJ Jigüe is the real deal. He’s the founder of Guámpara Music, which is Cuba’s first independent Afro-Cuban record label. He was also featured in MTV’s De La Calle, the 2023 series that chronicles “the Latine diaspora to map the musical revolution of Rap, Reggaeton, Latin trap, and Cumbia.” As far as his musical endeavors, DJ Jigüe is also the creator of Havana RPM, a music festival that shows the history of Cuba through music and vinyl records. A huge proponent of using vinyl to mix, DJ Jigüe is ramping up to host monthly vinyl listening parties through Havana RPM.
DJ iLLMeca
Half-Black and half-Mexican emcee Angie Fuentez, aka DJ iLLMeca, was born and raised in South Los Angeles, CA. She grew up listening to hip-hop, Motown, soul, reggae, and soca, in addition to mariachi, cumbia, and merengue. iLLMeca began her career as a DJ in 2018, and she’s booked shows across Southern California since. She’s also the resident DJ at R&B Yoga, a Black and Latina-owned yoga collective that plays R&B instead of meditative songs. Regardless of where you’re catching a DJ iLLMeca set, you’ll likely see her singing or dancing to the songs she’s mixing.