Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jonas Angelet. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jonas, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

For me, the path to becoming a professional artist started early. Growing up with artist parents who loved music and visual arts, I was surrounded by creativity and encouragement that art could be more than just a hobby. The real spark came when, as a teenager, I met a friend of my mom’s, whose daughter was a graphic designer for apparel and print media. Realizing that you could design your own shirts, textiles, packaging and logos for a living opened up a whole new world for me. Growing up, I thought I might become an architect or a car designer, but the allure of the music and visual art worlds, combined with the potential for limitless creativity and collaboration, was much more intriguing to me as a career. When I discovered that I could work directly with musicians and bands by designing album covers, merch and logos for my favorite artists, it felt like the perfect mix of all of my interests.

Determined to follow this passion, I went to college to study fine arts and graphic design, earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts, and eventually a Master’s Degree, where I focused on the intersections of printmaking, digital and graphic art. Throughout my time in school, I went to countless local and touring live shows, always on the lookout for artists whose work inspired me. I’d approach them with samples of my work, and ask if they’d be open to letting me design something for them. One of my biggest inspirations, DJ D-Styles of Beat Junkies and Invisibl Skratch Piklz, was actually my first big break. I met him briefly at a DJ battle, handed him a portfolio of my work, and the next day, he called and asked if I’d design some DVDs for him. That opportunity led to more work with underground hip hop groups, and I haven’t looked back since.

Today, as both a musician myself (Luvjonez) and founder of A Beat Happening (an all ages, free, monthly, music producer and DJ showcase celebrating 7 years), I continue to design everything from album covers to websites, logos, social media campaigns, marketing materials, and album packaging for my own record label, as well as various projects for friends and colleagues across music and other industries. This journey has let me merge my love for design with my passion for music and community building—a dream combo that still inspires me every day.

Jonas, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Jonas Angelet, also known as instrumental hip hop artist Luvjonez, and the Founder of A Beat Happening, an all ages, free, monthly, music producer and DJ showcase based in Portland, Oregon. My path into the creative industry has been shaped by a love for design, music production, and, above all, community building. As a Puerto Rican artist growing up in small town Kentucky, I realized early in life that my creative calling would require travel and relocation to stay inspired and connected to larger cultural communities. I’ve lived in Kentucky, Wisconsin, Washington D.C., New York City, and now Portland — and in each new place I’ve focused my energy on creating connections with local artists and sharing their work in ways that feel authentic. In each new city, I found ways to connect with artists I admired, whether by attending gallery shows and music performances or working directly with them on creative projects. Over time, I realized that as a music and event producer, there were very few spaces where music producers themselves took center stage, so I decided to help create that platform myself.

In 2017, after moving to Portland, I partnered with my friend Sembla as founders of a producer-centered live show series, focusing on musicians who typically worked behind the scenes, in home studios, and rarely got chances to play for an audience. What started as a small idea for a handful of shows grew into a staple of Portland’s music scene, and even outlasted a global pandemic by moving online temporarily. I continued the event series with livestreams during the height of Covid and returned to in-person events in 2021, partnering with another friend, Free Tillman, for co-hosting duties. Today, we’re celebrating seven years of events, having held over 75 shows and featured more than 400 artists, all while keeping events all-ages, DIY, free and community-driven.

In my current roles, I provide a range of creative services; music production, graphic design, event production, gallery curation, and community-building initiatives. I’m proud of the impact my events have had, connecting audiences with artists and fostering an organic, vibrant cultural community across many genres and cultural arts that center BIPOC and Queer communities. My events are my passion, with every detail curated — from artist booking and marketing to social media, audio, and video production. My motivation is to always elevate local talent and create experiences that bring people together in meaningful ways, bridging genres and mediums to showcase the cultural artforms that make each community unique.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A story that truly illustrates my resilience is the journey of building and sustaining A Beat Happening, my producer-centered live show series, through the ups and downs of the past several years. When we first started in 2017, I never expected this small, DIY event would become such a mainstay in Portland’s music scene. It grew quickly, bringing together musicians and beatmakers, DJs, and solo artists who often work from bedroom studios in obscurity and creating a reliable and intentional space for them to shine and have their work archived on our Youtube channel for the world to see.

Then the pandemic hit in 2020, and live shows came to a sudden stop. This could have been the end of A Beat Happening, but I was determined not to let it fade. I pivoted the series online, setting up regular livestreams and connecting artists and fans virtually. It wasn’t easy. Coordinating online shows, promoting them, and keeping our community engaged while everyone was facing their own collective challenges required an entirely different level of effort and creativity. Yet, we maintained our audience, keeping the spirit of the series alive and staying in contact with the entire community.

By late 2021, we were back to in-person events just in time to celebrate five years of shows and the community showed up strong. The past two years have been incredibly rewarding as I continued with a new co-host, Free Tillman, and saw our series enter its seventh year. We’ve now held over 75 shows and featured more than 400 artists. This experience taught me the power of resilience and adaptability — how to pivot when things fall apart, but also how to stay connected to what’s meaningful and problem solve on a massive scale to avoid stagnation and collapse. Knowing we could make it through those challenges made me more committed than ever to building spaces that celebrate local talent and bring our community together to provide space for all ages, all skill levels, all genres and zero barriers for access.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

One thing non-creatives may struggle to understand is just how much resilience and adaptability it takes to keep a creative vision alive. Building something like A Beat Happening was never just about hosting shows or throwing a party—it’s been about creating a unique space for under-represented music producers, DJs and artists of all ages and skill levels to shine, even when circumstances make it feel impossible.

It can often be a struggle for non-creatives to understand that my community building efforts are not income driven. Everything I do and build toward is entirely volunteer-based and free to the public. Because of my skill set, I also don’t need to hire anyone to design logos, merch, marketing materials, manage social media, book venues, connect with artists—I do it all myself. While there are grants available to support this work, whether I receive funding or not, my drive to curate and create shows is unwavering. No one can tell me that something isn’t possible without funding because my work is a testament to intentional community engagement and event production that centers mission, clear communication, and a framework of complete transparency around planning and partnership.

For creatives, it’s never just about following inspiration—it’s about being willing to evolve and problem-solve in real time to protect what matters most, by any means necessary. This journey is driven by more than just “talent” or passion; it’s rooted in determination, adaptability, and the ability to keep pushing forward, even when the path gets difficult. The journey demands that we redefine success and stay deeply committed to our purpose, no matter the obstacles. If people can’t see the vision and view partnership only through a traditional financial lens, they simply don’t share my values. I’ll continue to prove them wrong by living out my lifelong commitment to centering and elevating community over everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://abeathappening.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abeathappening
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abeathappening
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonasangelet
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/abeathappening
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/luvjonezmusic
• Other: https://luvjonezmusic.com
  https://www.instagram.com/luvjonezmusic

Image Credits

All event photos credited to Neil Mendoza @neilmatik
Luvjonez portrait photo: credited to Jason Hill
Luvjonez live shot photo credited to Jonas Angelet