Biography:
It is often said that music soothes the soul. Perhaps the
expression bests describes the feeling the San Diego based
DJ ALA gets when meticulously crafting a session that takes
the audience into a deep and uplifting musical journey.
Influenced by soul, funk, and disco at an early age, ALA
was taught in the San Francisco Bay Area by icon DJ's Hassan
and Jazzy Jim to use the turntable as his instrument to
relay the message in the music. No one, including him, could
ever imagine the after school hobby would evolve to a passionate
commitment to the art.
Arnel L. Aguinaldo (ALA) cherishes his
experience, which dates back to 1989, as a messenger and
a conscientious motivator of the crowd.
"Consistently moving the crowd is
perhaps the most difficult to master and yet the most rewarding
task of a DJ," explains ALA. "But the task is
somewhat easier when the music is understood and, more importantly,
felt." describes ALA, whose eclectic repertoire of
soul, hip-hop, and house earned him a number of stints in
and around San Diego's evolving nightlife scene, including
Sybil’s, E St. Alley, Club 66, and Mardi Gras in the
Gaslamp.
Although filling the floor offers any DJ
instant gratification, ALA insists his passion is rooted
from a musical taste molded from icons such as Stevie Wonder,
EWF, MJ, and Prince. Yet, as with any worthy endeavor, ALA
always strived to redefine his musical identity and in the
late 90's discovered an affinity for the powerful music
of the underground. DJ's such as Frankie Knuckles, Tony
Humphries, Blaze, and other influential house connoisseurs
became sources of inspiration for ALA's sound as demonstrated
in his soulful collections, Mar Del Sol, G Lounge, and Accent.
It is his signature sound that he hopes will take listeners
in a journey from a funky frenzy to a deep, sexy, &
soulful euphoria.
Determined to spread the love, ALA created djala.com in
2003 and recently established collaborations with the PlanetSoul
Network (PSN), LA Rhythm, and ilovehousemusic.com (ILHM).
His soulful sets have been aired in the UK, Colombia, Spain,
France, and worldwide through PSN, where he hosts a monthly
show called DIVE with ILHM’s Brian Cabalic. In 2003,
ALA hosted “G Lounge” every Saturday night at
one of San Diego’s top upscale venues, Galileo 101.
He has played along side with such House luminaries as Roy
Davis Jr., Brent Laurence, Deep Swing, and Halo during guest
performances and as host for residencies he currently holds
at ACCENT, Aubergine, and, of course, for the legendary
Thursday weekly at Rich’s San Diego, URGE.
ALA is currently working in the studio
with diva vocalist, Jae, on 3 original productions due to
be released in summer 2005 for KhaiMar Music, who hired
him to represent the group on the west coast, joining Jask,
Sueno Soul, Light 4 Lines, Kiko Navarro, and Rocco among
many others on their talent pool.
ALA’s motivation is driven by a musical
style that he believes is simply a medium in which elements
of soul, jazz, funk, and disco can flourish and be heard
in infinite proportions. It is an indescribable feeling
that ALA can only express in the mix. It is music that is
uplifting...music for your inner soul.
