Growing up on a ranch off Madison Street in Indio, Nano, (aka: Fernando Venegas,) was always playing outside. Being the middle child out of eight siblings, there was always lots of noise, “we were never bored,” laughs Nano. His grandmother noticed that he was vertically challenged as a child so she gave him the nick name, “Nano,” meaning short in Spanish which he later used when he began his DJ career.
Nano knew he liked watching concerts and was mesmerized by the sound and light shows as a young kid. Thoughts of being a sound technician had crossed his mind but Nano would soon find his passion. While attending Indio High School, Nano made friends with other young DJs who would teach him how to use a mixing board and play music which got him interested in being a DJ. Nano would continue to practice his DJ skills but knew he needed to get customers somehow. At 17, Nano and his friend Pee Wee went to the Indio Mall and set up their mobile DJ system to play music in an effort to book potential customers. He was surprised by the response from both kids and adults who lined up to find out what he was all about.
As his appetite for being a DJ grew so did the amount of money Nano began to spend on his new obsession. “My mother would always get angry with me because I would spend my money on the best equipment. I recall going to LA just to spend $300 a week on records,” Nano exclaims. Besides performing mobile gigs, Nano’s experience and Bi-lingual ability landed him a job spinning at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, where he has been playing on and off for over 20 years. DJing for shows and special events at Fantasy Springs, Nano has had the pleasure of meeting many celebrities such as Will Smith, Oscar De La Hoya and Jay Leno, just to name a few.
With decades of experience, Nano prides himself on being able to entertain very diverse crowds and has no problem keeping the dance floor full at family events with the challenge of satisfying both the young and older generations at the same event. With all the parties that fill his calendar, Nano admits the one he likes best is his own birthday bash where all his DJ friends from around the Valley come in and spin music for him so he can enjoy his own party. Nano’s taste in music is as diverse as the crowds he entertains but if he had to choose a favorite, it would be 80’s music.
As for his future, Nano contemplates getting in front of the camera, “I would like my own Music T.V. Show where the location would be here in the Valley and I would ask famous Artists questions about music.” Currently, Nano still Performs at Fantasy Springs Casino during Special events and can be found playing Old School/R & B and Latin music on Friday nights at Charli Maronne’s in Indio. If you would like to contact Nano to DJ your event, you can reach him by e-mail: djnannito@yahoo.com.
Written by: Craig Michaels
Musical Affair Entertainment
(760) 619-3276
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