Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan C. Caamano.
Hi Juan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My name is Juan C. Caamano A.K.A. WAM. I’m 26 years old, and I’m about to finish the Entertainment and Music Technology program at New Mexico Junior College. I was born in El Paso, TX, but I was raised in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Around the age of 15, I started learning the discipline of breaking (break dance) in Juarez city, thanks to Gerardo Medina A.K.A. Freeman. I met him in the Central Park, where he used to have workshops. Over there, I also met my current dance crew called “Wardogz.” In 2019, I moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico to major Animation and Visual Effects. I moved over there because I wanted to pursue a fun career. Later that year I started listening to a beatboxer from Australia called “Codfish”, and he inspired me to practice beatboxing in a professional level. In 2020, I decided to quit school for a year to explore other areas in my life, and that’s why I decided to move to Hobbs, NM. However, before I moved, there was an event in Juarez city called February Battles, which was a call for all beatboxers in the city. February Battles is an initiative by Funlock from Aguascalientes and Dombeats from Puebla, both states from Mexico, and the whole purpose of this is to make February the most active month in the Mexican beatbox scene. Thus, I got to meet a lot of beatboxers from my city, and since then, I have been part on the Beatbox Chihuahua community, now as one of the leaders. After I moved to Hobbs, NM, I started working in a restaurant while I was trying to get a job at the oil field. However, COVID happened, and that changed everything, so I kept working at the restaurant. Later that year, I went to NMJC just to take a look at the careers. Then I found out they had a really cool program where you can learn everything about the music production, and you could have all the tools to create your content as an artist. I was really fascinated, so I joined the program. The first class that I took was Digital photography because it was an elective, and it sounded fun. I didn’t know anything about cameras, but a had a good sense of composition. That’s how my photography journey began. Nowadays, photography is my main income, and I’m looking forward to improve more and more every day. In the beatbox scene, I’ve competed in different parts in Mexico. The latest one was in the Mexican National Champs 2023 in Mexico City. Me and other members from the Beatbox Chihuahua community traveled over there to represent our community, and we came back with a lot of knowledge. I am currently being part of a competition called BeatMX, and this competition consists in created audiovisual productions with our beatbox routines. I ranked top 1 in the wildcards with my song “Ya no quiero frenar” which is now available in YouTube and soon on Spotify. In January 30th. My first produced battle round will be available in the BeatMx YouTube channel. I am also part of the Fearless band at the NMJC with my amazing friends and our great professor Dustin Garret, where we learn how it is to be in a music tour setting everything up using all our knowledge from the program. And that’s pretty much what my life has been about. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been easy. When I started beatboxing, nobody around me supported me. It was either because I sounded horrible at first, which is completely normal when you start, or because they would tell me that beatboxers were some kind of special people that was already born with those skills, which is absolutely a lie. So, because of that, it was hard to me to find a place to practice without bothering someone else. However, I started practicing inside my car. In the photography side, I was told that it would be very competitive that I should get a real job. And stuff like that. When I started charging for my work, some people said I was being way too cheaper the quality I was delivering, and some others would say it was expensive. So, it was really hard to figure out that part.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work as a photographer on my own and specialize in portraits. However, I’ve been doing music videos recently, and now I have professional equipment to do them. I’m also a beatbox performer, and I’m known for controlling the stage really well and used my dance skills sometimes. I proud of me about not giving up and always try my best to achieve my goals. I am not scared to start from scratch either emotionally or professionally. I always figure things out. I’m brave and risky.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
In the dance scene, Gerardo “Freeman” Medina was a really great mentor. I learn a lot from him. As well as my buddies from Wardogz. Roberto Santos has been a really great mentor to be in the hip-hop culture. He is a big role model to follow for me, and I am really thankful for all the support he has always shown.
In the photography scene, I’m very thankful with my professor Brian Davis, who taught me a lot and has also supported me a lot, as well as Denzel Velazquez and Humberto Montiel, both great photographer friend who helped me a lot when I was starting.
In the beatbox scene, I’m very thankful with all my friends from the Beatbox Chihuahua community, who also always support me a lot, and they even sing my songs.
I’m very thankful with Luis Gomez, who was my professor and a great friend in the first semester in the program at NMJC, and I’m also very thankful with Dustin Garret, who’s been supporting me a lot since he’s been our professor.
And of course, I’m very thankful with my mom for everything specially for believing in me and my decisions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086590923465
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wam_bbx/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr&fbclid=IwAR39XzwK_hTyB8XVdoa-T2u-CmzBVhyngdzNcsLq3sGtI-ilAnhOgVRs35M
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wam.crew/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCnYcEggWBM
Image Credits
capturedby_jenny
