DJ Koki Lizonde is featured in this edition of DJ Spotlight! Koki currently lives in Orlando, but is a native of Lima, Peru. He is not only an excellent dancer, but he is also an accomplished DJ and he works several congresses and events each year. He was was nominated by De’Jon Polanski. De’Jon said, “Koki is incredible dancer and DJ. He really know his craft and I’d consider him a music guru!” Check out some fun facts and information on Koki including his favorite moments as a DJ and his DJ pet peeves!
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When did you start DJing and what do you remember about your first professional job?
I started DJ’ing in 2010 at the Universal Mambo Dance Academy where I used to teach, perform and was part of the professional dance team. What I remember from the first the time I played there is how amazing it felt to be able to move a crowd through music, the connection between music and dance, and dancers to the music. It was truly amazing experience that I get to relive every time I play at an event.
What’s been your favorite moment in your DJ career? (Moment at a dance event, wedding, private event, etc)
My favorite moments are traveling, meeting new people and dancers from around the world, and seeing the joy and smiles on their faces when they dance. This is the reason why I love DJ’ing.
DJ Pet Peeve(s)?: (Dancers hit your DJ station, requesting too many songs, issues with organizers, etc)
When dancers request a song and they don’t know the name or artist of the song they want me to play! And some event organizers don’t care much about the quality of sound at their events.
What’s your strategy for keeping a social or event fun?
No strategy at all. I just read the crowd and play what I feel in the moment.
What would you say is the most rewarding part of being a DJ?
Being able to travel, meet new friends, and being able to make them forget about everything else in the world like their problems or other issues. Through music I want to make them happy for a moment. To me, that’s priceless.
What are you looking forward to the most as the dance community begins to recover from the pandemic?
I’m looking forward to continuing to play what I love and make dancers fall in love with Salsa again.
It seems that you really enjoy collaborating with other DJs. What do you enjoy most about Co-Beat parties?
When I feel a music connection with a colleague I love collaborating with them. CoBeat parties are a great initiative for DJs who were only able to play at events before. They allow DJs to get more exposure and create friendships with other DJs from around the world. It’s awesome and I’ve made great friends doing those.
Where can dancers find your mixes online?
My Facebook Page and profile has lots of music from Facebook Live streams that I’ve been doing for years. I’m on MixCloud and have two YouTube Channels.
YouTube Channels:
- DJ Koki Lizonde – This is my personal YouTube channel.
- Gia & Koki Salsa Channel – This channel I manage with DJ Gia Fu. She is my amazing DJ partner and is from Hong Kong.
