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A couple of weeks back we teamed up with Kevin, also known under the DJ name “EL NENE”. After several collaborations and events together it was time for a shoot and a sit down to get to know him better.
Give us the background story, who are you? Where does “EL NENE” come from?
My family emigrated to Sweden when I was a kid. We were settled in a small village in the outskirts of Gävle. Where we were greeted by an empty apartment with only a loaf of bread and a box of multivitamin juice in the fridge.
Palm trees and white beaches had suddenly become birches and oaks covered in snow. Being a colored kid in a very Swedish village came with many lessons. I had a hard time fitting in and understanding why I was different until I stumbled upon the suburbs and influenced myself with kids like me.
I am the product of a fusion between solid roots from Colombia with base in the “City of Eternal Spring” and the impressions from the multicultural Swedish suburb.
“Nene” is a common term of endearment in the Latino culture, depending on the context and how it is used, it can be equivalent to saying “baby”, “sweetie”, “boy” etc. “EL NENE” was given to me as a nickname since I always have lollipops on me. I became “the baby” or however you prefer to interpret it.
Favorite gigs?
Gigs that I’ll always remember…Last summer when MISSDJ, an OG in the game, presented the amazing producer Juls at Trädgården. I’m forever grateful for that opportunity. Secondly, a Way Out West afterparty hosted by DJ LV, where I warmed up for the legendary DJ Tunez, even Wizkid came to the party, CRAZY.
Thirdly, of course, Caliroots own XX anniversary boat party, which I had the honor to spin some records at. And lastly, my first ever official gig at Södra Teatern which was only a little more than a year ago.
How do you express yourself through clothing? Do you have any favorite brands?
My parents used to buy me Timberlands and Nike shoes, those with bubble packs. I remember that I barely used them because I wanted to dress and have the same shoes as my Swedish classmates. For a time, I struggled to find my identity, being an immigrant with a different skin color than my peers always made me an outsider. I later learned that our uniqueness is what makes us who we are, it was then clothes became more than a mere piece of fabric for me, it became a way for me to express my emotions and to become my own art. Some of my favorite brands at the moment are Neighborhood, Han Kjobenhavn and ARTXY, which is my own brand that I’m working on.
