Benji Candelario: Biography

[David Liam]

#21405 |

Benji Candelario: Biography

Endowed with highly prominent influences and unmistakable musical ingenuity, it is no small wonder that Benji Candelario has sustained his presence as one of the foremost recording artists ever to grace the club scene.

Benji Candelario’s signature soulful house/garage sound is the embodiment of his Manhattan upbringing during the culturally vibrant 70’s and 80’s, capturing the essence of the era and distinguishing him as a quintessential DJ, producer, remixer, and musician. His exposure to music began at an early age, spending his golden days club-hopping at the legendary Studio 54 and Paradise Garage. Such influences cemented his roots in dance music and paved the way for a successful career to come.

As Benji began to recognize his affinity to music, he became increasingly eager to cultivate his musings professionally. Little did he know that a chance encounter while sitting in on editing session with close friend Aldo Marin would be responsible for launching his career and landing him side by side with one of the biggest producers of the time: Arthur Baker. Aldo, who was then editing records for Arthur Baker, taught Benji the basics of editing/arrangement and often let him help out in the studio. It was only a matter of time before Baker, finding Candelario to be a natural, brought him aboard as his new protégé.

Editing records for Arthur proved successful for Candelario, who soon found himself working with some of the biggest icons of the era: Grace Jones, The Bee Gees, Evelyn King, New Order, and Thomas Dolby to name a few. Aldo, who by then had started his own label, Cutting Records, brought Benji aboard, together producing freestyle records that soon became overnight classics, including Nitro Deluxe “Let’s Get Brutal” and Hashim “Al Naafiysh/The Soul.”

Prior to graduating high school, Benji Candelario had already made a strong impression as an upcoming DJ and producer. After college, Candelario landed his first job at Capitol Records in the promotions department, working with major artists like MC Hammer and Grace Jones. Most importantly, it was there that he met Des O’Neal, a promoter for London’s Choice FM, who landed Benji a gig as the weekly mix-show DJ. The show generated such an international buzz that Benji soon found himself in high demand, DJ’ing at top international venues like Ministry of Sound, Pacha, and Angels of Love.

Aside from his newfound success as a DJ, Benji Candelario’s professional career was prospering as well. In 1991, Candelario left Capitol for an A&R position at AM:PM Entertainment, where he would end up discovering and signing dance superstar Crystal Waters. However, Candelario’s real passion lay in production and DJ’ing, which eventually prompted him to leave AM:PM to start his own production company, 2nd Colour Entertainment.

Over the years, Benji Candelario has dominated the club scene, developing an impeccable reputation as an internationally celebrated DJ and visionary producer/remixer for some of biggest artists in the industry. Since January, Candelario has released three smash hits-IA “Heading in the Right Direction,” BC “Switch It,” and Arnold Jarvis “You’ve Let Love Slip Away,” with the latter two reaching #2 on Billboard’s Breakout Chart, reaffirming Candelario’s lasting presence as a true dance music connoisseur.

website: http://www.benjicandelario.com

[David Liam]

#29469 |

For years DJ/producer Benji Candelario has been doing it like Frank Sinatra. ‘His Way’. He entered the music business in 1980 working with two of the most groundbreaking producers of that era: Arthur Baker and Aldo Marin. Editing records for the likes of Grace Jones, Evelyn King, Thomas Dolby. The Bee Gees and New Order. During his stint at Cutting Records he helped produce such classics as Nitro Deluxe’s ‘Let’s Get Brutal’.

In 1991 he found himself working in the Capitol Records dance dept. promoting such acts as Mellowman Ace, and Hammer…. quite a stretch from his dance music roots, but it was at Capitol that Candelario met Des O’Neal, an overseas radio programmer who took him to London and put him on the air as Choice FM’s new mixshow jock.

Stepping into the 90’s as a respected DJ/Remixer. (he remixed records by Todd Terry, C-12, Living Joy, Inner City and Hippie Movement and has worked crowds at staples like ‘The Building’. Red Zone and Danceteria) one of Candelario’s greatest contributions came during an A&R job at Vito Bruno’s AM:PM Entertainment when he hipped Bruno to an import release of one of the Biggest finds in the history of the company: Crystal Waters. At Candelario’s insistence Bruno quickly signed her and helped cement a deal at Mercury with the Basement Boys on as producers. Soon finding himself in high demand as a DJ in London, Candelario quickly developed into one of the most influential dj’s on the planet obtaining cult status in Spain, Italy.