DJ Jon knows ’80s music well

MANILA, Philippines - If there’s anything that can be said by many people who remember something about the ’80s, it’s probably the music. It was the era that defined the last quarter of the 20th century and helped usher in a rebirth of pop and rock for the new millennium through such musical icons as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tears for Fears and the like. Across the generations — your Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y — the ’80s beat is the one to dance with such that even today’s millennial babies have somehow been able to relate and hum to such endearing songs as Thriller, Into the Grove or Everybody Wants to Rule the World, among other ’80s hits.  

 And if there’s one guy who knows his ’80s music well, it is DJ Jon Tupaz, who grew up alongside the rise of MTV into a global phenomenon, crazy-colored hair and padded tops. Music was also his guiding light growing up as DJ Jon started spinning records at the tender age of 13. “I started spinning at my neighbor’s house and started collecting 12 ‘albums as a hobby,’” discloses DJ Jon, who at this point is now the proud owner/collector of around 1,800 12” vinyl — from new wave to discos, ’70s swing to the Top 10 of the ’90s. He started professionally playing at Where Else when it was the “in” place to be at the time. When the ’90s came, he decided to take a leave from the music scene feeling that the popular sounds failed to meet the bar set by the previous decade.

But he got it in his genes to spin so even after his seven-year absence from the bar scene, when the opportunity came to play once more, DJ Jon grabbed it. “I was asked to do the opening night for a bar in Libis in 2001. And the owners wanted ’80s music. I never stopped spinning since then.”

Just recently, DJ Jon was asked to join Jill’s Bar & Resto at The Fort and play there every Friday. According to Claro “Ito” Ramirez, part-owner of the bar, since Jill’s opened in 2004, Friday has always been dedicated to the ’80s music. So it was not too far-fetched to invite DJ Jon “as he is actually the original ’80s Master DJ, dating as far back as the Faces, Where Else period,” explains Ito. 

For his opening act at Jill’s, DJ Jon led off with MARSS Pump Up the Volume and the myriad guests just suddenly descended on the dance floor.  Even Superstar Nora Aunor was seen dancing the night away, together with some TV5 talents like Zoren Legaspi, Alice Dixson, Rufa Mae Quinto, Dolly Anne Carvajal, Arci Muñoz, Artista Academy winners Vin Abrenica and Sophie Albert, among others, also graced the event. Asked if there is a science to spinning, DJ Jon thinks that there really is no exact formula to it. He goes by his gut feel. “I take a look at the crowd and size them up and see what will make the guests dance. Once you get their groove, there’s no stopping them,” he explains. This is one trait that Ito also observes, “DJ Jon is unpredictable. He does not stick to the same music mixes and it’s always a pleasant surprise to guess what song he is going to play next,” he says.

Having that much power to make people leave their inhibitions and take to the dance floor with his mixes, a DJ’s prominence can somehow feel intoxicating.  But not for DJ Jon, who that night, sported a simple grey polo shirt and denims, and who can instantaneously blend in with the Friday crowd. He does because he strikes you just like a regular guy who does not carry the air, or the swagger as other well-known DJs do. “I just want people to have the time of their life in the dance floor because I feel happy seeing them enjoy themselves,” says DJ Jon.

Ito added that DJ Jon “brings in a vibrant crowd from all walks of life that are there just to enjoy the ’80s music.” But he added that Jill’s also caters to different crowds as they have their daily themes: Monday, sports; Tuesday, Latin samba with Guarana Band; Wednesday, open mic night; Thursday, rock ’n roll; and Saturday, hip-hop and R&B. 

The night that DJ Jon debuted at Jill’s, there were a host of celebrities on the dance floor but there was one celebrity he wanted to see again — Aga Muhlach.  “I haven’t seen Aga for the longest time. And I want to see him doing what he does best, next to acting; and that is dancing, in Jill’s.” And DJ Jon may just, sooner or later, get his wish.