CARLOS MENA

Carlos Mena is a music producer and DJ that has produced music for Grammy and platinum selling artists. He has released music with Defected, Yoruba, Vega, and Atjazz Records. His DJ eclectic sets continue to garner him the label of one of the hottest..

To understand Carlos Mena and his music, you must understand his background.

Born in Puerto Rico, raised in Brooklyn, and childhood summers in the Dominican Republic, Carlos soaked up the vast array of sounds and musical idioms —from Djing house to hip-hop to salsa—to help form a unique foundation for his music sensibilities that can be heard throughout his music today. 

A frequently requested DJ at the now world famous Output club, his DJ eclectic sets continue to garner him the label of one of the hottest DJs on the U.S. circuit, with Mixmag calling him a “ rhythmic powerhouse” and having played at 6 of Rolling Stone's TOP Clubs in the U.S.. His organic approach to remixes have him working with artists such as, Grammy winners Louie Vega, Jody Watley, Arrested Develpment, and House legends, Atjazz, Osunlade, and DJ Spinna. 

A DJ and producer of deep and soulful house, hip-hop and latin music with over 30 years experience, as well as being a priest within the Afro-Cuban spiritual tradition Lukumi, Carlos Mena is poised to continue to bring forth new fusions of genres while respecting and maintaining traditions. Catch him at his celebrated quarterly party BEMBE at Ouput in Brooklyn and his upcoming new weekly residency, and one of the most popular podcasts worldwide, THE CASAMENA RADIO HOUR.
(http://podcast.casamena.com).

Carlos Mena is also music producer and DJ that has produced music for platinum selling artist Arrested Development, Tre Hardson (The Pharcyde), Osunlade’s Yoruba Records, Vega Records, Got Soul Records, Deeper Soul Records, and Phuture Soul, as well as many local bay area artists, including Zion I. He also lead the popular Bay Area group 10BASS T, to many accolades and opening stints for Counting Crows, The Roots, and Lollapalooza. His Solo debut “Hip-Hop Meditations” fuses Afro-Cuban music with hip-hop and has received wonderful reviews from major hip-hop publications across the country. Carlos recently received an artistic fellowship grant from the City of Oakland for his work on Hip-Hop Meditations. He was also included in URB MAGAZINE’s NEXT 100 (up and coming artists) for 2006.

Carlos is also the founder and president of CASAMENA, an independent production house, and Ocha Records (partnership with Osunlade), a record label, based in Brooklyn, NY, that works with uncompromising artists to produce music that feeds our souls. CASAMENA is currently in production on his first solo project in over 10 years as well as collaborations with several well known artists across different genres.