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From Refugee Camp to the Turntables

 

I was born on October 20, 1980, in a refugee camp on the Thailand–Cambodia border. My family had escaped the Khmer Rouge and the genocide that tore Cambodia apart. We didn’t come to America chasing a dream — we came here just trying to survive.

 

In 1982 we arrived in Houston, Texas, and later moved to Long Beach, California, where I grew up. We were new. We were different. We didn’t speak English well. And in many ways, we weren’t welcomed. Life as a refugee kid in America was confusing and often painful — but music became my safe place.

 

Some of my strongest childhood memories are sitting with my family watching Soul Train. For a moment, the worries disappeared. The dancing, the rhythm, the joy — it made us feel human again. My older brother owned a small collection of vinyl records, and I would stare at the album covers while the music played, imagining stories behind every song. That’s when I realized music wasn’t just sound — it was emotion, memory, and connection.

 

When I was 13, I started recording songs off the radio from Power 106 in Los Angeles. The mixmasters fascinated me — how they blended songs together with no pauses, keeping people moving and guessing. I wanted to learn that magic. With a cheap dual-cassette deck and a microphone input, I taught myself how to mix. Before long, I was handing out homemade mixtapes at school — even my teachers wanted copies.

 

I worked at my parents’ donut shop after school, saving every dollar. At 16, I had scraped together nearly $5,000 — enough to buy my first real DJ setup. From that moment on, my life changed. I practiced every day. Not because I had to — but because I couldn’t stop. Music had become my purpose.

 

After high school, I studied Radio and Television Broadcasting at Long Beach City College. I was DJing clubs across California, promoting, networking, and building my name. In 2001, I started DJing weddings — and something powerful happened. I realized I wasn’t just playing music. I was helping create once-in-a-lifetime moments.

 

By 2011, I became a full-service wedding DJ and MC. Many of the people who once danced to my mixes in clubs were now walking down the aisle. Today, I’ve had the honor of performing at over 200 weddings — and every one still feels special.

 

 

Why I Do This

 

I don’t see weddings as “events.”

I see them as stories.

 

Two families. Two cultures. Two journeys coming together. I understand that deeply — because my own life started with loss, migration, and rebuilding. When I DJ your wedding, I bring that heart with me. Every song matters. Every moment matters.

 

I’m not just here to play music.

I’m here to help you remember this day for the rest of your life.