How Chileans celebrate their Independence Day in New Zealand?
(picture caption: Chilean DJ D’Latino (Anibal Faundez) and his team at The beats Revolution in PulzarFM 105.7FM)
In conversation with DJ D’Latino (Anibal Faundez), founder and director of South Media Entertainment and radio presenter of The beats Revolution in PulzarFM 105.7FM. He talks about Chile, his business and how Chilean celebrates their Independence Day.
When did you arrive in New Zealand?
I have been in New Zealand for seven years now.
How are you going to celebrate Chile's Independence Day?
Well, this is the third year we will throw a party at The Cuban in Christchurch. There we celebrate the Chilean Independence day plus organise a Latino Party. The main idea is to bring hits of the dance music from South America with a special Chilean flavour. Full of colour and decoration to deliver and environment just like a Chilean celebration.
Tell us about your career path. How did you get your start? How and why did you open South Media Entertainment?
I studied to be a journalist and I’m a professional emcee. I started playing music at the school's radio, so my background in radio back in my country is quite long. Then three years ago, I took the decision to restart my career in Christchurch and fortunately that was a really good decision. We started with Latino parties with 50 people in Jane’s bar on Thursdays, then I moved the party to Tequila Mockingbird with full house in every party (150 people). Then we decided to create South Media and produce our own parties at The Cuban bar with 450 people in the Club in every party during the last two years, every three weeks. Now we throw the biggest Latino party in the South Island. Also every two months, we have a Frigay Party, Euphoria Fest (electronic party), and 80 and 90 Party; with another 3 DJ’s DJA5, DJ BlackSheep DJ Jashax and some other local DJ’s.
Could you tell us a bit about how “The beats Revolution” was born?
The music scence in New Zealand is almost the same as back home. We discovered Pulzar FM accidently. For three month I sent emails, Facebook messages to get an opportunity to show my proposal to the Director of the Radio Andy Pulsen. When he met us, he said yes instantly, and we brought all the latin beats to the radio station. Now we are completing, two years of our show, which comes every single Monday.
A lot of people talk about Chile being at the vanguard of the regional cultural scene. What’s your view on that?
For years we saw how Argentina and Brazil where the most important places in Latin America for music concerts and big shows. Today Chile is the place where the bands and artists want to play. Chile now has a big influence in the musical scene, and new artists want to show their music in our country, as it has become a huge platform to display their work.
What do you want to teach people about Chilean music?
Chilean music have really good artists like Violeta Parra (the mother of the music) and Victor Jara in folk, Portavoz and Anita Tijoux in hip hop, La Combo Tortuga and Noche de Brujas in cumbia, Rodrigo Laffert and Matanza in electronic. All of them are big references in the latin and chilean musical scene. I want Chilean music to be known in New Zealand and the rest of the world.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in the music business?
Easy, music is my passion. I can’t live without music.
What are your day-to-day responsibilities as a radio presenter?
My life is full on. I have three daughters, a beautiful wife, one dog and 2 cats. After my normal responsibilities, I start working in my radio shows looking for a guest, contents, listen to new music, produce new music, working in social media and meeting with my team (8 people). It is hard but is amazing when you see the results.
What's your secret to keeping your audience engaged?
Be yourself, honest, working smart, and hard. Feel passion for your job.
What advice can you give to those who would like to come to New Zealand?
New Zealand is an amazing country, friendly people, good vibes and beautiful places. I think is one of the best countries in the world. If you want to come, just do it.
What community projects are you working on now?
I’m working in a new project to show to New Zealand, the Traditional Latin American music, history and poetry. We are working with Seb D’wboy (singer from Chile). He is living in Belgium, and together we are producing some songs.
What is the commitment of South Media Entertainment with the Latin culture in New Zealand?
We want to give to the Latin community and all the people in New Zealand the best of South America. Not just for a party. We want to show our culture, poetry, history. We want to show the whole picture, not just the commercial stuff. Education, entertainment and information from one of the beautiful paradises of the world i.e. Latin America.
Readers can follow his work in social media @dlatinonz, @thebeatsrevolution.
Or visit www.southmedia.co.nz.
You can listen to The Beats Revolution, every Monday 8pm, at Pulzar 105.7FM, Online iHeart Radio.
Chilean Independence Day is always celebrated in Chile on September 18, and marks the date when the Chilean people declared independence from Spain. The Chilean War of Independence was a war between pro-independence Chilean criollos seeking political and economic independence from Spain and royalist criollos supporting continued allegiance to the Captaincy General of Chile and membership of the Spanish Empire. Traditionally, the beginning of the war is dated as September 18, 1810. Depending on what terms are used to define its end, it lasted until 1821, when royalist forces were defeated by José de San Martín; or until 1826, when the last Spanish troops surrendered and the Chiloé Archipelago was incorporated to the Chilean republic. A declaration of independence was officially issued by Chile on February 12, 1818 and formally recognized by Spain in 1844, when full diplomatic relations were established. (source Wikipedia)