In The Mix: DJ Luis Ruiz

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 Wednesday, 03 March 2010 21:03

DJ Luis Ruiz

By Mona Dickinson

 

A love for music has kept DJ and event promoter Luis Ruiz

right in the mix in Northwest Indiana.

Ruiz owns and operates Jam Trax along with his wife,

Michelle. He goes by the name of DJ Jammin’ Luis Ruiz, in

the music business. He hails from the Indiana Harbor and

starting DJing in 1987.

“My friend Jessie Jammin’ Morales was my mentor,” Ruiz says

of his start in the business. “Ever since I heard the Hot Mix

Five, I fell in love with the world of mixing.”

Though he doesn’t work the club scene much any more, Ruiz

is active in promoting events in Northwest Indiana and the

greater Chicago land region. Currently, he is in the process

along with two other partners in organizing a car show and

concert - the Chicago Super Show with Streetlow Magazine at

Soldier Field on August 15, 2010.

His work as a promoter also ranks in the business.

“I was one of the first people to bring radio personalities

from Chicago such as Bad Boy Bill and many other artists to

Indiana for dances,” notes Ruiz.

One of his favorite memories dates back to 1987, when he

packed the Hammond Armory with about 800 people who all

came to see Bad Boy Bill and Julian Jumpin Perez, along with

his DJ crew, the Indiana Terror Team.

These days, you’ll find Jam Trax at private events, weddings

and other special occasions. As a bi-lingual DJ, Ruiz and his

wife specialize in parties and events with diverse crowds.

“Everyone knows how good entertainment either makes or

breaks the event and we specialize in working with the client

to provide the best entertainment at their event,” Ruiz said.

“We cover every musical taste from A to Z and will keep the

crowd on their feet all night long, making sure the guests have

fun.”

According to his website (www.jamtraxdj.com), “The only

problem you may encounter is trying to pull your guest away

from the dance floor.”

Luis and Michelle specialize is various styles of music and

keep up to date on the all the latest music in both English and

Spanish, as well as covering all genres – traditional, oldies,

pop, and country, literally something for everyone.

“To really get the party going, I can Hot Mix to give the party

a true club atmosphere,” adds Ruiz. He says that over the

years, he has learned to read a crowd and know what will

keep them up and dancing.

What also sets Jam Trax aside from other DJ’s, is that the pair

works together as a team, to provide the best service for any

occasion no matter how small or large.

“I play the music and Michelle helps to organize things

throughout the night, to stay on schedule,” Ruiz said. “She

makes announcements and introductions. We find that brides

really appreciate this specialized attention.”

Over 60,000 songs are available on site, and special songs or

requests can also be downloaded in seconds, Ruiz said.

“We are true music lovers, so we are very familiar with all the

styles,” added Ruiz. “We cover everything from the Big Band

Era to Jazz, R&B, Motown, Disco, 80’s, Alternative, Top 40,

Country and even Spanish music.”

Technology has really changed the dj scene it has made it

way easier to become a dj. It used to take a lot of dedication

and skill to learn the trade. It was also a lot more expensive

having to buy all those records. Now I am a Serato dj

spinning on CDJ’s.

Ruiz says he loves to look out over the crowd and see the

dance floor packed and the crowd getting into the music. On

the flip side, hauling the equipment in and out of places is the

only bad part about the business.

When he’s not mixing, Ruiz is a supervisor in the No. 4 BOF,

at ArcelorMittal, in the Indiana Harbor. He is into Lowriding,

and belongs to the Together Car Club from Chicago, which is

affiliated with the L.A. Chapter.

“I love mixing, but when I’m cruising in my ride, I listen to my

oldies because oldies are forever,” added Ruiz. His pride and

joy is a restored 1948 Chevy Fleetline named Cholow.

For booking or other information on Jam Trax Productions,

check out the website at www.jamtraxdj.com. You can also

reach Jam Trax at (219) 942-1752.