ON POINT WITH: LUIS FERNANDO

By Jim Silvestri

After a casual gig DJing a friend’s rooftop party just this past spring, Luis Fernando’s career exploded overnight. He’s since become one of the city’s busiest and most prolific beat-droppers.

Thotyssey: Hello Luis. Thanks so much for chatting with us today. So we’re already in late August, which means summer is almost over. How did the season treat you?

Luis Fernando: Honestly, it has been one of the best summers of my life. This was the summer when I had the chance to share my joy and passion for music with the world.

Where was the first place you DJed here?

The first time I made my DJing public was in May of this year, at my friend’s rooftop in Brooklyn. There were so many people that day, and things were so crazy that a photographer from the New York Times stopped by and a picture from it was published in a story about the summer of “young love,” where they mentioned the party as a “rager on a rooftop in Brooklyn.” After that, I was everywhere.

You’ve been DJing at the Q in Manhattan a lot, which is of course the hot new venue of 2021. How do you like spinning there?

I think the project and space that Frankie Sharp [and partners] created is fantastic and ambitious. I love that the producers have been very intentional about bringing a diverse cast of DJs and performers, to make sure that the crowd and the parties hosted there are diverse.

You’ve also been busy at 3 Dollar Bill in Brooklyn. How did your flagship party there, “HER,” come about?

For years now, I’ve intended to create spaces where everyone in my community feels accepted, seen, celebrated, and desired. So I put together everything I love from a party, which is bringing together people from all the spectrums of the queer community, bringing my dolls and queens to give us shows and lewks, and having the best music to dance to. It is very important that people know that my parties are very intentionally inclusive.

What is coming up for you?

I have iterations of “HER” coming up on September 25, November 6 (my birthday) and our big Halloween one on October 22. I also have a monthly party at the Phoenix, which is always so much fun.The next one is on September 17.

What’s a song, new or old, that is giving you your whole life on this day?

“MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer. I know, I know…it’s been played for literally years. But there’s a sense in me that when I play it, I am connecting to the queers who came before me, to the people who danced to it again and again. Without fail, it’s a song that makes my dance floor go nuts. And that’s my fuel. Seeing other people having joy is what makes me the happiest.

Read full interview on Thotyssey.com

Follow Luis Fernando on IG @ luisfernandospins