We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Manny Mo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Manny , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

I take a lot of pride in being a Canadian born immigrant and being bilingual. Unfortunately sometimes that can work against me because people tend to characterize me as a “Latin” DJ. It can be a bit frustrating because I like to see myself as very versatile in regards to what kind of music I play. I always prefer to read the crowd and make sure I’m fitting the vibe of the venue as well as keeping patrons engaged. At the end of the day its up to me to showcase my abilities and show folks the musical knowledge I’ve accumulated over time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I initially began dipping my toe into the Austin entertainment industry through an online radio Station I founded with my Partner and longtime friend Mike “KB” Smith of BlakMarigold Studios while I kept my day job at a mortgage company. I was unfortunately laid off but took it as an opportunity to throw myself into the art of DJ’ing. I remember my brother bought me my first controller and my first ‘gig” was my own birthday party with all my family and friends. it was a great way to get my feet wet and eventually I was given the opportunity to DJ at local bars and private events where I cut my teeth and learned the various ins and outs of the craft. I now hold residencies in some of the most bustling areas of Austin and I’ve even been blessed enough to start traveling for gigs, every chance I get to play is honestly a dream come true for me. I pride myself on being very detail oriented when it comes to specific gigs and prepare individual crates and playlists for each one to ensure the client or crowd has the best experience possible. I’d say I’m most proud of my versatility music-wise and also the network that I’ve built up. The fact I can help plug others in for opportunities is truly priceless for me. Im eternally grateful and try to pay it forward whenever possible.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Support is always paramount and it comes in many different forms. Interacting with social media content, showing up and supporting creatives in person, or even purchasing merchandise or donating to fundraisers. When you make the choice to focus solely on creative endeavors and make it your primary source of income that can be extremely stressful. it can even make you question if you enjoy the things your passionate about. if you appreciate someone and their craft let them know. Referrals never hurt either.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Id say the most rewarding aspect are those unquantifiable moments, like when you play the perfect track at the perfect time in the bar and the crowd loses it, or when you give a private event client exactly what they wanted experience-wise. those moments make everything worth it for me. Also being my own boss is something I had dreamed of since I joined the workforce and DJ’ing gave me that autonomy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/txmannymo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manu.morales.1048/
• Twitter: twitter.com/txmannymo

Image Credits
Lorenzo Marez