From a young age, DJ Michael Narvaez was captivated by the artistic and musical atmosphere in New York City in the early 70s. Where he grew up in the Bronx, it wasn’t rare for him to hear the inspiring sounds of disco, house music, and hip-hop that shaped his love and passion for music. One of Narvaez’s biggest musical influences when he was younger was hip-hop pioneer and DJ, Disco King Mario. Two of his other DJ idols include Louie Vega and Todd Terry.
Though DJing has always been one of Michael Narvaez’s favorite hobbies, he started with a simple turntable in the late 80s. Narvaez knew that he didn’t want to make DJing his full-time career, so he attended college at Holy Cross Western Mass in Worcester, MA, studying as a Sociology Major with a concentration in Latin American studies. It wasn’t until college that he started taking his hobby more seriously by playing gigs and learning from other DJs who he connected with during this time.
One of Narvaez’s favorite accomplishments and DJ opportunities was when he opened for the Fugees while he was in college. Influenced by witnessing the rise of hip-hop and his love for house music, which has been the longest standing musical influence in his life, he established his DJ career in 2005. One of the places he frequented as he was starting his career was the Radisson in Secaucus, NJ.
As a mobile DJ based in Ridgefield, NJ, Narvaez has been able to establish his business ANS Entertainment where he provides affordable and excellent wedding, sweet sixteen, party, and event entertainment services. As one of New York and New Jersey’s hottest music and event planning companies, ANS Entertainment, in addition to playing at events at the NY Hilton, Hyatt, Fresh Direct, and more, has been featured on reality TV shows like “Whose Wedding is it Anyway……?” with celebrity planner Samantha Goldberg and “My Life on the B-List” with Kathy Griffin.
View ANS Entertainment for your event entertainment needs here: https://www.ansentertainment.co/
While Michael Narvaez also works full-time as an investment banker for international projects, he loves the flexibility and availability that his DJ career provides. His music profiles on Twitch and Mix Cloud showcase his talent with both digital and vinyl tracks. Throughout his career, he’s learned to adapt to the expansive changes in the DJ world. In an interview with Narvaez, he explains how thankfully music has become more accessible for DJs through digital music downloads, but the skill of DJing with vinyl is still an important skill to have and be able to showcase. One of his favorite parts of DJing is the instant gratification he gets when the crowd is enjoying his mixes.
Listen to his music here:
Mix Cloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/michaelvnarvaez/
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dj_mvnarvaez
Listen to more of Michael Narvaez’s mixes on his Saturday show from 7-10 pm called After the Afties. This segment provides after-party music for anyone making their way home from the clubs.
Here’s his best advice to anybody trying to make it as a DJ: “You really have to commit to being a student for life. The only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary, and the same thing when it comes to being a DJ. You’re never going to be a great DJ. You have to constantly work at it.”
Michael Narvaez is excited for his next big upcoming event where he will perform at the Cristian Rivera Foundation’s 6th Annual Flashback Boat Ride on July 16, 2022. Narvaez will be able to perform with his long-time idol and friend, DJ Hector “Baby Hec” Romero. This annual event is huge for the Cristian Rivera Foundation.
The Cristian Rivera Foundation is a non-profit that is dedicated to funding research and trials which aims to find a cure for a rare pediatric brain tumor, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma or DIPG. This foundation was founded by John “Gungie” Rivera who was inspired by the life of his son Cristian after he was lost to this horrific disease in 2009.
Michael Narvaez is an active board member who was inspired to join the Cristian Rivera Foundation after experiencing the loss of his young cousin to DIPG. He describes how devastating the loss was to him and his family after seeing first-hand the effects of DIPG on a young person’s body. He’s excited to perform at this event and help the Cristian Rivera Foundation raise more money to support DIPG research, families, and awareness.
Michael Narvaez is determined, talented and inspiring. In our interview he left this advice for our readers: “You sometimes have to take a chance on things. Before you take that chance, you have to believe in yourself first. If you’re not able to believe in yourself and be able to push yourself to the next level on things, it’s never going to happen the way you want to.”
Follow Michael Narvaez and keep up with his music on his social media accounts:
