Mass communications major Gildardo Aquino began his early interest in music at the age of 15 and started playing music known as Tamborazo, a genre of music that is known to the Mexican culture.

How it all began

Months later, he ran across a program while walking by the community park that was being taught in the city of Santa Monica. The purpose of it was to teach kids how to DJ.

It would help the kids in the Santa Monica area to stay off the streets and teach them the basics of being a DJ. The classes ranged in using different types of equipment and how to play and change music.

“I wasn’t going the wrong way but I was going to hang out with my friends,” he said.

First time on stage

Two years later he played at his first 21-and-over club in Los Angeles named Vesuvius.

Aquino is known commonly by his DJ name, DJ Demo. He plays from a variety of music ranging from English-language music, Spanish-language Dance music known as Cumbias, Hip Hop, House, Electro and the Spanish Rock genre.

Aquino has his own radio show here on campus; he has no name for it but he has a motto that goes by, “giving you back-in-the-day and today’s hits.”

“I play anything from Hip Hop from the early 90s to today’s hits now.”

The start on-air

Aquino has had his show since April of this year. Aquino always grew interest in radio aside from being a DJ.

The two DJs that have inspired Aquino throughout his Djing career are DJs known as DJ Vice and Mr. Chock.

He got the chance to meet them three years ago and has been very familiar with both DJs.

“I always followed them to the clubs they would DJ at; I actually met Vice in a set I had in a club and he was a cool person.”

Love life

Later he met Maria Llamas, his girlfriend and Cerritos College alumnus. Llamas was a waitress at a club that is located in Artesia named La Mirage, where he DJed frequently for about nine years.

Aquino commuted from Lancaster to Artesia to DJ. Despite the distance, he still played from Thursday nights to Sundays at the club. After a while, he got tired of the drive and began staying at a friend’s home.

“After I met my girlfriend, things got more serious and I made the decision to move in with her and move out here to Norwalk,” Aquino said.

The change

He used to live in the city of Santa Monica; from there he made the change of moving to Lancaster and later making the decision of moving to Norwalk to be with his girlfriend.

After moving to Norwalk he made the decision to go back to school and decided to join the radio and broadcast program here in Cerritos College. Llamas is one of his inspirations of coming back to school.“He has great communication skills, is an excellent DJ and a remarkable voice. He deserves to be paid what he is worth.”

A future career

Aquino is currently working on getting his mixes ready for them to be turned in to the stations he wants to work in. So far he has applied for K-Day but will apply for KIIS FM and Power 106.

Miloe Mayorga, a friend of Aquino for 10 years and his photographer for his events and other photo shoots, gave insight on the decision that Aquino took to apply for a future job at the FM stations.

“He is taking all the right steps and doing it the right way and not taking the easy way out.”

Catch Aquino online every Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. on WPMD.org.