EPISODE 15: BREAKING THE CYCLE

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I remember one of my first “club gigs” so clearly. In 2000 one of my first parties was at a sports bar located somewhere in Brampton. It was before powered speakers became all the rage, when a portable sound system was hard to come by unless you had your own set of 1000-watt powered amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers at your disposal. My friends and I used to take apart my home stereo system and take them to these joints. The sound was obviously horrible, horrendously unprofessional and quite a mess to clean up at the end of the night. We were just happy to be playing somewhere and even as far back as 11 years ago I can remember my (now) brother-in-law coming out with 25-30 people just to support my event. It was like this for about 3 more years – taking whatever gig possible, showing up and playing at dive bars, playing at weddings for next to nothing and promoting events via phone calls and personal connections. I never really felt an urge to take the “DMC” turntablist route. At the time, I didn’t feel as though I deserved to cut with those guys and I enjoyed being somewhat of a jukebox/party-type of DJ. That being said, I always respected the art of turntablism. At home and at the parties, I was able to practise and develop my skills as a DJ.

(Check out my very first logo!)

In 2003, I was fortunate enough to be picked up by a promotion team – Evo Groove – and I made my start as a club DJ. The times were changing. Music became way more accessible than ever before. The demand for “Old School” was growing and the “Mash-Up” phenomenon was already starting to make its presence felt. At this time, record pools like Soul Choice and Flavor Pool actually still distributed vinyl records to its members and not mp3 downloads. I was probably a part of the last generation of DJ’s who lugged 6-7 crates or bags of records with me to every gig around the city.  Over the next few years, I had established myself as a moderately popular club DJ with multiple downtown nightclub residencies. I lived on my own and spent these years blowing away my hard earned cash on rent, take-out and party favors (HA!).  This was before the days of Facebook and Myspace DJ superstardom. As a DJ, you really had to earn your keep during this time. Thanks to my connection with Evo Groove (and my propensity to collect records in all styles of music), I also became a resident DJ with the Citrus group (shouts to Kevin Williams and the gang btw…). I was booked Thursday-Saturday and every long weekend. This was a fun time and I’ll never forget my humble beginnings.

A funny thing happened along the way…  I got married and had a child! From 2006-2008, my involvement with the nightclub industry was relegated to long weekends and special events. Thanks to Citrus, I maintained somewhat of a foothold in the city as a “downtown” DJ. Together, we made a run for almost 5 years throwing long weekend Sunday and New Year’s Eve parties like no other. Now a husband, father and homeowner, I fell into that common trap of wanting to keep up with the Jones’. My wife and I sold our condo in the city, bought a house and settled into life in suburbia. Kariz was now a “family man”, but I always felt that something was missing. You see, in all this time I had never actually finished college. I dropped out of university and made my way through several college programs without ever completing them. Under pressure from my family and especially from myself, I undertook a personal mission to get my diploma….

By 2008, I was a father of 2, with a cushy day job and a bright future with the company I worked for. So what did I do? I took a leap of faith and left the cushy day job to pursue a cloudy future. I created a position for myself at a restaurant I DJ’d for on Saturday nights in Richmond Hill. I became the company’s “entertainment director” and its de facto resident DJ at 2 venues from Wednesday-Saturday. I negotiated my own salary and along with my good friend Steve Mills we made Brix and Club Nava somewhat of a weekend destination spot. We managed events for “celebrities” like Nick Carter, Tila Tequila, Crystal Waters and a whole slew of UFC fighters (Nogeira, Wanderlai Silva, Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie, the list goes on).  I even opened for LMFAO and shared the stage with them during their mini-concert at Nava. It was because of our work for the Brix-Nava group that I actually landed my first international gig in Manila c/o Steve Mills. Club Nava was an awesome spot and I’m sure that my peers from reFRESH Ent. and Sweet Touch Foundation can attest to the good times we had there.  This is another experience that I will never forget. I’m grateful for my time there which re-ignited my passion for music and dreams of bigger and brighter endeavours.

So where is this going? I started off as a nobody, a jukebox DJ that hustled hard to find gigs, who struggled to land an opportunity. I share similar stories with so many of my peers in this industry. I dropped out of school due to a lack of focus and I left a modestly paying job for a risky and volatile situation.  I never really saw a bigger picture for myself because I was just happy to be playing with my friends and earning some money in the process. There were too many ideas and too many projects that I wanted to be a part of or started hastily. There was never any focus. In 2010, I left the Brix-Nava group and began consulting for a retail Pro Audio store. I also started a new Friday night residency with reFRESH Ent. and DJ J-Class downtown at Woo Lounge. I traveled again to the Bahamas and rocked out at 2 different venues. 2010 was a year of learning experiences and eye openers. I slowly started to realize that I have come a long way and had never actually known it.

In April of this year, I did it. I graduated from college with a certificate and diploma in Business and Marketing. This is a part of my life that I can finally put to rest (ironically, I’m actually considering a return to school – this time to get a degree, but on MY terms). With all of the knowledge and wisdom I’ve attained, I finally started my own company and legitimately registered Karizma Music + Entertainment, along with all the fixins of a business bank account, contracts, invoices, trial balances and income statements (LOL!). I’ve hired a tiny staff (a marketer/communications guru and a designer), established my own signature event (which has even been copied already – see Episode 14) and secured another weekly residency at Marben restaurant. This past August, I travelled to Detroit, Michigan and played at a party with players from the Lions and Pistons. Next week I’ll be heading to the West Coast for a MUCH NEEDED VACATION in Disneyland, along with 2 appearances in Los Angeles (Cantina Lounge) and Oakland (Somar Lounge). I’ve created a new company website (www.gotkarizma.com) to separate the business from the man and I’ve got new mixes uploaded on the site for you to enjoy. Next month, another new mix will be on the way and in 2012, my team and I will be releasing a podcast that will be fun, interactive and amazing to listen to!

In closing, this dream I’m living? With the help of those around me, we created it. It may not be as glamorous as the lives of some of those whom I admire, but it’s the dream nonetheless. I’ve broken the cycle. I went from having a slow start, to achieving marginal popularity, to being just a special events DJ, to DJ’ng in the ‘burbs and back to DJ’ng in the city. The cycle would have eventually come back around to its humble beginnings, but now I’ve created a foundation and contingency for the future with Karizma. We’re onto something good. I’ve found my way as a DJ, as a person. As a company, we will also find our way.

If you’re into this type of a “grind” (I HATE THIS WORD), you too will find your way. The question is…. ARE YOU UP FOR IT? Best of luck to you my friends. I’ll be right here cheering you on. Go get ‘em.

K.

(Here’s my new – slicker, more brand specific logo!)