Mick Williams

HEY Mr Dj  Mick Williams, Latin DJ, play a song for me!
For as long as I have been on the Salsa scene, Mick has been there. He to me is an integral part of a very living and breathing entity that moves its way around the Salsa hot spots in Melbourne. This interview was now my chance to get Mick out from behind the DJ console and speak with him one on one.

Mick was born in Cape Town (South Africa) and grew up with an R&B background. As a kid he did stage productions at school. “I did them for the dancing” said Mick. Does he sing as well? “Yes I do, but my passion in these shows was for the dancing”.

So, now I bet you are all wondering if Mick dances Salsa!! “Yes I do dance Salsa” said Mick, “but normally when there aren’t that many people around.” Mick is very humble about it all. “When I see the calibre of dancers on the floor it just humbles me” said Mick. “I enjoy dancing; but for me it’s seeing how much joy I can bring to others that really makes it all worth while.”

Mick’s Salsa dancing began at The Bullring (taking classes from the likes of Steve Octogon), but it was being asked to DJ a New Year’s Eve function (in the late 80s) that placed Mick at a cross roads. “Watching the band that night, the dancers and the community spirit I realised that music was not only a part of the Latin community life -music is ‘the life’. I knew then I wanted to be part of this special family.” This was where the shift from R&B into Latin music occurred.

Mick not only spins tunes for us to dance to (explaining there are 30-40 different rhythms that come out of Brazil alone and we only know about 5-10 of these), but also for people to listen to through his radio show Latin Connection. As the name suggests, this is Mick’s way of creating a link between the Latin community (here in Melbourne) with their place of birth. A community based program that also caters to anyone interested in Latin music in general. Trying to cater to a community he is not a part of by birth has included its challenges. When I asked Mick if he received any prejudice when he first started as a Latin DJ he said “Yes and I still do. This helps to drive me on as I know I am making an impact.” No matter how many programs on radio, functions or venues he DJs at, Mick says “I am always learning and loving the immense range of Latin communities and their cultures and customs”. “Music is not part of the Latin culture, it is the culture. The music is about celebrating life and the heartbeat of each person is the rhythm.”   Return to Interviews | Return to Homepage Interview by Susan Hill Interview Date Upload. 01.02.11