Before DJ Dynamiq was nicknamed “El Rey Del West” (translated to the King of the West), he was working in small DJ booths at San Diego nightclubs, envisioning himself starting a Latin music movement in the years to follow. Since then, Hector Beltran, aka DJ Dynamiq, has become a key player within the industry, from headlining at huge festivals, including Sueños and most recently Baja Beach Fest 2022, to opening up for big-name talents such as Bad Bunny.
Beltran, who was born in Mexicali, the capital of Baja California in Mexico, immigrated to the United States with his mother when he was six years old. His mother, who always inspired him to be a hustler throughout his childhood, ingrained the value of having a great work ethic into him. With this foundation of values, Beltran also proudly reps his roots and pride in his background and heritage, a key feature that plays into the Latin music movement.
Baja Beach Fest, which is now the number one Latin music and culture festival in the world, has taken place on the beautiful beaches of Rosarito, Mexico for the past four years. For Beltran, who was born and raised in Baja California, performing at the festival is not only a career highlight but a full-circle moment for him. “It’s a blessing and something that I’m very proud of. I cherish it in my heart as one of my major accomplishments. These are my roots,” he expresses while describing his own experience of working at the festival.
Beltran first experienced the festival in 2018 when he was brought as a guest by Bad Bunny. The following year, he was given the opportunity to DJ as a headliner, and has now completed three years of officially headlining the festival. Within those three years, both Beltran and the festival have evolved. From initially performing for a crowd of 10,000 people to now 40,000, the festival has upped its game when it comes to performances, production, and logistics to deliver a unique experience to both performers and festival-goers.
“The overall experience has grown into something amazing. You see more faces, fans, and talent from all over the world – not just reggaeton but now also regional. The artist roster has expanded beyond Mexico, Puerto Rico, and DR, and now you have artists from Argentina and Colombia representing their countries at the festival,” describes Beltran.
While Baja Beach Fest is also known for its endless partying (what festival isn’t), some of Beltran’s highlights included seeing performances from artists he knows personally and the big headliners. Headliners Daddy Yankee, who is currently on his retirement tour, and Wisin Y Yandel, who performed one of their final performances as a duo, are known as some of the “pioneers” of the reggaeton industry, and were the stars of the weekend. In addition, no festival is complete without crazy moments backstage.
For Beltran, it was being tattooed by celebrity tattoo artists Carlos Macedo (also his manager) and Miami’s Tattoo Panda. “It’s like I have literal memories on my skin that I’ll forever remember at Baja Beach Fest 2022.”
As far as DJ Dynamiq’s performance goes, he was the first headliner each weekend, setting the vibe for the entire festival while playing his set. During Weekend 1, Beltran brought out Leo Bash, a Colombian reggaeton singer. For Weekend 2, Beltran brought out NFA to perform their collaboration single “Lotto,” and Matt Paris to perform their new and unreleased record “Discoteca.”
With the conclusion of his first residency in Las Vegas this past weekend, DJ Dynamiq is ready to release more music under his name. Later in the year, he will also be touring with Mariah Angeliq as her official tour DJ while performing at his own shows on the West Coast and starting his seventh season as the San Francisco 49er’s official DJ.
One of Beltran’s main goals is to set the bar high for DJs, something he has successfully accomplished by being a headliner for Baja Beach Fest. His Latin music movement is just one achievement within his vast career but a great representation of how much his dreams are coming true as he sets on the finish this year strong before going into 2023.
In his closing words, Beltran says, “I want to finish off by thanking Baja Beach Fest’s founders Aaron Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl for continuing to believe in me and bringing me back year by year. I want to thank the entire Baja Beach Fest team and all the fans and people that showed up. I am really honored and thankful to be a part of such an amazing event. I’m looking forward to being back, and as always, God is the greatest.”
Keep up with DJ Dynamiq:
Instagram: @djdynamiq
TikTok: @djdynamiq49
YouTube: DJDYNAMIQ
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