Today we’d like to introduce you to Che Cruz.
Hi Che, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Music has been one of the biggest constants in my life. I’ve danced tap, ballet, jazz, and hip hop growing up and I also played the flute. I’ve always known I wanted to be a DJ from a very young age but never had the courage to pursue it. Growing up in an Asian American household, music was viewed as a hobby and nothing more. When I went to college in Boston, that’s when I fell in love with live music, concerts, festivals and raves. The way I “coped” with not being able to pursue DJing was by drowning myself in every show and concert I could. At a certain point, I felt like I’ve seen a majority of the artists I’ve been dying to see. I felt like I was destined for more and that’s when DJing popped back into my head again.
Back in 2018, I moved back home to Long Beach, CA. Moving back home unexpectedly turned my whole world upside down. Having lived independently for six years to come back home, I felt like I was going backwards. I couldn’t afford a car and my job at the time was all the way in LA, an hour commute by driving. For 1.5 years, I commuted 2 hours one way via public transportation to get to work. 4 hours of my day was gone just commuting. I felt like I had no energy, no community, no life. I felt very stuck, unhappy, and discouraged. And that’s when I sought therapy. Therapy was the final push to get me into DJing. I’ve suppressed the desire to learn because I was afraid of what other people would think of me. I didn’t feel like I was good enough and that I was “too late to the game”. Therapy has taught me to trust the timing of my life.
And then last February, I had a rude awakening, a wakeup call of sorts. One morning on my commute to work, as I was crossing the street I saw a car coming at me from my peripheral vision. All in a matter of seconds a few thoughts popped into my head 1) I accepted that I was going to die in that moment 2) What do you regret now that your life is about to end? And the first thing that came to mind was that I never learned how to DJ. I made a pact with God IF I survived (which did not seem likely), I would pursue DJing wholeheartedly. Something compelled me to jump and as I jumped the car kissed my leg. In that very moment, a hard lesson I learned was that tomorrow is not guaranteed. That day I decided to stop living in fear and living in people’s expectations of me. So, that same night, I bought my speakers, headphones, and DJ controller.
Last April, I was let go from my job due to COVID. I finally had more time to dedicate to myself and to finally learn how to DJ. This was also the same time I started streaming on Twitch. My intent with Twitch was to document my growth and see where it takes me. Come July, I was accepted to Academy of DJs (ACODJ). My goal in the program was to hone my technical skills and learn things that I couldn’t accomplish on my own. Imagine learning such a technical art virtually via Zoom for the first few months. But more importantly, I wanted to find a community of likeminded people who loved music and the art as much as I did.
I am very grateful to have many different support systems through this DJ journey. My family, friends, ACODJ, and my Twitch community. Before I used to think DJing was about being perfect, playing the right song at the right time, having the cleanest transitions. But it’s not. It’s about making people feel things and expressing your authentic self through music, at least for me. I always tell people DJing saved my life. I finally feel like I found my purpose in life, that I’m doing what I’m meant to do with our short time on Earth. To me DJing is very intimate, I see it as an audible diary that I’m sharing with the world and strangers. I want to make people feel things and share my experiences through music. Music is the universal language. Music has always been there for me and always will.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I felt lost my whole life when it came to music. I always felt weird for liking certain types of music because I didn’t find many people (at the time) who enjoyed the same things I did. What I thought made me “weird” became my strength because I take pride in my music taste.
Not getting into ACODJ after multiple attempts was discouraging. Almost dying on my way to work. Not having a car. Being unemployed for six months. COVID. Learning how to DJ remotely. Having my family constantly question my DJing. And on top of all of that, I had the biggest imposter syndrome. I felt fake, I didn’t feel like a real DJ.
Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to make it. The odds were against my favor. But somehow, I made it. And it wouldn’t be possible for those who pushed me, supported me, and nurtured me with love during the entire process. My Twitch community, my ACODJ family and my friends were/are my biggest supporters. I honestly would not have gotten to where I am now if it weren’t for every single one of them.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Let’s talk about the story behind my dj name. My friend Kiara used to call me wavy baby and for some reason that name stuck with me for a long time. Last year, when I started DJing I knew I wanted to incorporate that nickname somehow in my name but I wanted to make it “me”. I also realized that I’ve always lived in cities surrounded by water. SoCal, Boston, Australia. All surrounded by some type of water. My Filipino roots, the Philippines is a country surrounded by water.
Like every artist, I’m still figuring out my style or “brand” aka what sets me apart. But right now, I see myself as an open format DJ who loves MUSIC, inclusive of many different genres. However my favorite genres to spin include R&B, EDM, Hip Hop, edits, you name it. Many say they enjoy watching me DJ because they never know what they’re gonna get. One thing I do enjoy incorporating into my sets is playing throwbacks of any genre. I love digging deep into the archives and reminding people of songs they haven’t heard in ages. That’s my favorite reaction.
Now that life is slowly opening up, my goal as a DJ is to play everywhere and as many places as I can. I hope to one day throw my own party with my friends and travel the world playing music for different people. One day, my dream is to be able to spin in the Philippines, sunset on Boracay Beach.
I am most proud of honestly taking a leap of faith and seeing where the music will and has taken me. Although I recognize this is just “the beginning” of my DJing journey, I’m also proud of the lessons I’ve learned, people I’ve met, and lives that I’ve touched through DJing. I’m most proud of all my support systems and seeing my friends grow alongside me. If I eat, we all eat. I am nothing without my community.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
If you’re considering getting into DJing, my first recommendation is to take it to Youtube. Find a used DJ controller either from a friend or Guitar Center and just learn your equipment. There are tons of Youtube tutorials that teach the foundations of DJing and it’s free (for the most part). Before Academy of DJs, I took to Youtube to learn how to DJ from YouTube channels like DJ Carlo Atendido. Crossfader, and Digital DJ Tips. And if you’re lucky enough to know a DJ, tap into their expertise because a lot of DJing is learning from other people’s styles.
How I get most of my DJ information is by following accounts on IG like Serato, BPM Supreme, Beat Source Official to keep up with industry news. I also get a lot of information from my network of DJ friends and following my favorite DJs like Manila Killa, Kaskade, Miles Medina, etc.
I have a music podcast called “It Comes in .WAV files” where I share some of my stories and experiences with music as well as interview my talented creative friends asking them their story as an artist. I only have two episodes on both Spotify and Apple podcasts but earlier this year, I migrated the podcast format to my Twitch channel. I did this so my community can engage with us live and viewers can actually see us versus just prerecorded audio.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://djwavybb.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/djwavybb
- SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/djwavybb
- Other: http://twitch.tv/djwavybb
- YouTube: http://youtube.com/chebcruz
Image Credits:
Earl Buenaobra & Francis Masa
