DJ REO MENDOZA 
by Freida V. Dario
 
Reuben “Reo” Mendoza is a Filipino DJ, born and raised in Manila, Philippines.
These days, everyone seems to be a DJ, but no one is quite like the crowd charmer DJ Reo Mendoza. As the world’s number one DJ Tiesto puts it, “A real DJ is someone who can play for a crowd.” And get the crowd going until sunrise and thereafter is DJ Reo’s forte!
Known for his eclectic brand of dance and house music, he inadvertently began his career in Manila back in 2000. At a time when House music was hitting the world in huge waves, “messing around” on the decks at a local club paid off as crowds took to his infectious jamming and his great potential was shortly recognized. He devoted the next few years to honing his skill on the Manila nightclub circuit until he landed the title of resident DJ at Porch nightclub, where he began to build a reputation while playing at other hot venues such as Club V and Mustang.
In 2004, Reo made the big move to the tropical island of Boracay Island, hailed as one of the Top Ten Beach Destinations in the World and dubbed the Ibiza of the Philippines. A melting pot for free spirits and creative souls, the island vibe allowed him to discover and embrace his passion for dance music, combining his Hip Hop and RnB influences. The result was the DJ Reo flavor of House music. As resident DJ for the legendary Hey Jude Bar, which hosted the largest beach parties all-year-round, DJ Reo emerged on top of his game. From 2006 to 2007, he had the privilege of opening for some big names such as The Martinez Brothers, Spen, Defected Copyright, Simon Dunmore, Karizma and Quentin Harris, with a few collaborative live sets with percussionists and dancers like Louisito Quintero, Shovell, Tribu Manila and The Body and Soul Dancers.
With a thriving career, he ventured off shore, first traveling to Taipei and landing regular gigs at top clubs The Bed, Face and Core, which proved to be his electronic phase where he deviated from genre music and progressed into a distinct “feel good” space that is unmistakably DJ Reo. He admits that he is greatly influenced by great DJs such as Lil' Louie Vega, Dennis Ferrer, The Martinez Brothers, Spen, Karizma, Mr.V, Joe Clausell, Onsulade, Quentin Harris, and many more, including DJ comrades Erwin Edralin, Jimmy "Patch" Gustillo, Manster, Kristian Hernandez, Gilbert Yueng, Ivan Sit, Apollo and Red-I, to name a few.
He humbly ascribes his diverse sound to this vast influence of creativity, as evident in his live sets that take one on a musical journey from soulful house to funky, to deep and tech. Reflecting his musical range, his set could start with a generous dose of disco, to a good handful of house & deep house, sprinkled with tech house & techno, with a dash of progressive house, and a spoonful of trance. Giving it all a brilliant mix in the hands of a fearless pro, it makes for an unpredictable and exhilarating joyride to the moon!
He took this vibe to Hong Kong in 2006 where he immersed in and captivated the club scene, meeting incredible friends for life, playing to the crowd and rocking each and every night, particularly at club luminary Gilbert Yeung’s famous Dragon-i. Following this two-year sojourn, he returns to Manila with a fresh and inspired perspective, and joins Curv Entertainment – a DJ company comprised of five likeminded visionaries who share a common passion and frequency for life & music. In 2008, he makes his comeback to the party island of Boracay where he continues to breathe new life into the dark night under the watchful stars and ever-present moon.
A recent two-month guest residency at the world-famous Nikki Beach in Thailand during one of their busiest seasons from November 2012 to January 2013, gave him a broader perspective of the dance and music scene, feeling more in-touch with his soulful side and he returns with a vengeance with easy funky soulful house, and a DJ on-fire!

For DJ Reo, a good DJ lives and breathes his music. Admitting that there is no formula to a make a good DJ, his years of experience however, taught him “A good DJ doesn't only play the newest and hottest tracks, but knows how to go back to his roots. Fueled by a passion for music, a DJ is dedicated to his craft and his audience.” And last but not the least, “If you meet a DJ that says, ‘Music is the answer,’ then that is a good DJ!”

Unashamed of his populist appeal, his raw musical sincerity continues to elevate the crowd’s musical journeys to incredibly euphoric states. When he’s not teaching and harnessing the winds at kiteboarding along the pristine white sandy beaches by day, you’ll find him joyfully arresting the Boracay crowds at AREA 51 as a resident DJ, by night, particularly on the monthly Jungle New Moon and Full Moon parties.

Meanwhile, he digs his roots deeper into the powdery white sandy beaches of one of the Top Ten Beach Destinations in the World, establishing a lifestyle platform through the Facebook Page called “The Big Blind Project” that takes his distinct sound to the global stage. DJ Reo takes one step back in time to the radio age and allows the radio waves to catapult his music quantum leaps forward to the forefront of the global music scene through live Internet streaming.
His radio show “On The Blind Side With Reo” is live on the Boracay airwaves every Saturday, from 3pm to 6pm, on Radio Boracay, 106.1FM, with live streaming online at  HYPERLINK "http://www.radioboracay.com" www.radioboracay.com. 
The lean low season months proved to be the devil’s playground, and by October 2013, his brainchild was conceived – a live session that gives back to the island’s people, with music you would otherwise not hear on the radio! The first two hours is a gratifying soulful mix of genres that tune in to the island’s vibe, setting the tone for an incredible weekend, followed by a full last hour of pure House music. 
The radio show brings to mind the new wave-synthpop song “Video Killed the Radio Star” that was written and performed by British record producer, musician and song writer Trevor Horn and The Buggles in 1979), that plays like a radio jingle, and laments the emergence of technology, but this time, the radio star reinvents radio music and it’s role in pop culture by taking the masses back to radio listening by harnessing the power of modern technology and the internet age. DJ Reo also reinvents the meaning of “FREE LOVE” by sharing the love with “FREE MUSIC” for the people!

The music is so eclectic that you might even hear Queen’s 1984 hit “Radio Ga Ga”, another musical commentary on technology’s overtaking radio’s popularity, but that would simply be an ironic coincidence, not meant to underline the imminent take over of “On The Blind Side With Reo” in our lives, at least every Saturday afternoon! Stay tuned also to know what’s happening on the party island of Boracay and get to meet some of its most interesting characters, with live interviews and up-to-the-minute event announcements.
For DJ Reo who intends to keep on traveling and destination hopping, his journey of self-evolution is not about the destination, but about treading through the blind side’s great unknown – his greatest teacher and muse as an artist.


ManicMonkeyCrew is following