ROMIE MAYA

Dj Rocka Romeo’s hobby-turned-calling was born in 1993 with two turntables and a mixer. Falling in love with the art of turntablism, dreams were planted in that time that later grew into a lifelong passion and career. Influences such as Dj Qert and Mix Master Mike introduced a world of magic both visual and auditory, of sounds and record scratching, deft movements strung together like a dance. Studying how Dj artists would remix original music into danceable versions inspired creations of his own.

Today, Dj Rocka Romeo transitions from song to song on the turntables like an art, seamlessly manipulating each track to please any crowd, as he imagines them dancing and feeling the movement from one song to the next. In the quality of a live band playing, people will scream and sing along as he hits them with the next hottest track, arriving through transitions involving either effects, scratching, plays on words or clever build-ups. Taking requests presents an exciting, creative challenge to harness what tools or turntable tactics work best to arrive at any given song. Many of his gigs are open format, spanning multiple genres. When provided with a list of songs to mix, he often remixes these songs to make them dance-worthy or mix friendly, in order to manipulate them according to his style of transitions.

Unafraid of the mic, Dj Rocka Romeo is his own hype man. Trying not to talk too much and doing his best to sound like part of the song, he uses ad-libs as needed to direct people's movement and engagement with the music. At times it feels like a game of who is listening and what he can get them to do, whether dancing, throwing hands up, clapping or singing along. Helping people arrive at a new layer of experience with their favorite song is fulfilling for any Dj, but especially one who feeds so much on the energy of the crowd. He is often humbled to learn his interactive presence and music choices were effective and pleasing.

With most gigs falling into the wedding and private party industry, being organized, punctual, and professional in decorum and cleanliness is a must for Dj Rocka Romeo. Corporate gigs, where a high energy atmosphere is required, are among his favorites to showcase. Companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Pokemon, Seattle Sounders FC and even retail stores or pop up gigs at concerts hosted by MOViN 925, allow him to be creative with whatever means he has at his disposal. He never shies from any context in which his skills may bring happiness and an appreciation for the present.