Global beats are finding a home in P.E.I.'s growing DJ scene

When Javier Fernandez moved from Mexico to Prince Edward Island in 2018, he found himself missing the Latin music he'd grown up listening to.

Out at restaurants and visiting bars around the Island, he couldn't find the beats that reminded him of home. Then, stuck inside and bored during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, he bought a mixer and started learning how to DJ.

Five years later, Fernandez said he's amazed at how much the music scene on P.E.I. has changed. He said international beats are not just being accepted at clubs and events — they're being embraced.

"It just feels really nice that I'm bringing something new to the table," he told This is P.E.I. podcast host Mitch Cormier. "Music is a really cultural thing, and the culture is growing every day."

Fernandez said he's proud to be part of a growing group of DJs from all over the world now living on P.E.I., who are helping to shape the Island's nightlife and contribute to a more diverse music scene.

'It sounds like home'

Fernandez said while a lot of venues on the Island still tend to favour mainstream pop and trending tracks, he brings a more underground Latin sound, often with Caribbean influences, bongos and jungle-inspired beats.

Originally from Playa del Carmen, a resort town in Mexico with a thriving underground house music scene, Fernandez said the music he plays takes him back to his roots.

"It's really nice to see people dancing to my music. And it sounds like home," he said.

But it wasn't always easy to get people on board. In the beginning, his shows often drew small crowds.

"In a bar where, like, the capacity is 100 people, we have 20 people," he said. "It was never sad, because this is what I love doing… So if we can get one person to the bar and that person is dancing, I'm happy with that."

Over the past few years, he's noticed that as more international DJs have made the Island their home and brought their home sounds here, the openness to sounds from abroad has grown.

Fernandez has also adjusted his sets to better capture the local audience, keeping the Latin beats but adding catchier tracks with lyrics, something he noticed young Islanders enjoy more than lyric-less, repetitive rhythms.

It's really nice to see how everything grew in the past couple years.— Javier Fernandez

"It's really nice to see how everything grew in the past couple years," he said.

He has even invited DJs from other provinces to bring their global sounds to P.E.I. in order to further expand the local scene, Fernandez said.

From physics to the dance floor

Another Island-based DJ, Madhave — who has only a first name and performs under the stage name Gufaah — is also seeing a shift in the local music scene.

Originally from India, Gufaah plays music from his home country, including Bollywood tracks, but also draws from a wide range of global influences, including Latin music, Russian rap, Afrobeats and Arab music.

"If I have to put myself into a box, it would be very difficult for me to do that because I love every kind of music," he said.

Unlike Fernandez, however, Gufaah came to DJing as a form of therapy.

He originally moved to P.E.I. to study physics. After finishing his education, he turned to music to help him through some difficult times. His stage name, Gufaah, reflects that journey.

"It means like a cave, like a labyrinth," he said.

"I used to overthink a lot. Now, I don't as much, but back in the days, I was overthinking constantly — bad thoughts, negative thoughts — and it was almost like you're stuck in a cave constantly, stuck in a labyrinth constantly," Gufaah said.

"So my DJ name is kind of like that, and I want to resonate with people who are like that. And music is like a way to come out of that."

'So many people just want new things'

For Gufaah, becoming part of the Island's music scene has been, in a way, a realization of a dream he once thought he had to give up.

Right after high school, while many of his peers pursued university degrees, he moved alone to Mumbai, known as the centre of India's Bollywood industry, to try and learn music production. He studied instruments and tried to find his footing in the industry, but it didn't work out.

I have the privilege to be able to play the music I think other people will like — it's incredible.— Gufaah

"I got very disheartened. I think I lost my courage. And so I was like, 'You know what? Maybe I'll just strive with physics right now, see where I can go with that. And then maybe, if it has to happen, it will happen,'" he said.

"And weirdly enough, it did happen."

Gufaah said his experience DJing on P.E.I. so far has been overwhelmingly positive. He said the crowds at the club where he regularly plays have been supportive of and excited by the diverse beats he brings to the dance floor.

"So many people just want new things. They're tired of the same old songs and same old pop artists, and they want to listen to new stuff. It's insane, and this has only been the last two years," he said.

"I have the privilege to be able to play the music I think other people will like — it's incredible. I'm just very surprised how much P.E.I. has changed in the last eight years I've been here, and it's changing even faster.

"It's one of the — I would say — top 10 music scenes in Canada. And I'm trying my best to stay a part of it."