From recording live mixtapes off the radio to playing the Sahara Tent at Coachella, Canyon Cody’s journey as a DJ and music producer has been nothing short of transformative. Starting out as DJ Ñ and evolving into El Canyonazo, his sound captures the pulse of diverse genres and brings them together in unique, boundary-pushing ways. Canyonazo’s curated playlist, “Arroz con Mango” takes us on a journey through retro-futuristic rhythms that bridge old-school Cuban rumba with modern Dominican dembow. Savor the flavor at the playlist here.
Recently, El Canyonazo electrified the disco during a closing set for the legendary Cimafunk presented by Tigre Sounds at ZeyZey Miami on October 5th.
As he gears up for his tour with La Vida Boheme, we caught up with the Los Angeles-based DJ to talk about his creative process, his love for loud music, and how he’s shaping the music scene in his city.
TIGRE SOUNDS: How was DJ Ñ born and how did he evolve into El Canyonazo?
CANYON CODY: When I got my first blank tape. I always loved the radio because turning the dial felt like an adventure into the unknown. When I discovered something new, I would press the record button. All my first mixtapes were recorded live from the radio on actual tapes, but it was CD-Rs and Napster that really opened the floodgates. I burned literally thousands of mixtapes, all tagged DJ Ñ with a fat sharpie, and gave them all away.
When I got my first turntables, that’s when the name change happened. DJ Ñ was an amateur hobbyist, essentially a passionate fan. But once I got those Technics and started rocking parties, everything changed. I immediately felt this radical clarity: I was gonna move the crowd. It feels over-dramatic now, but at that age it felt like a tectonic shift that required a new name, like Saul to Paul.
El Cañonazo is this famous canon in Havana that goes boom every night at 9pm. Back in the day, it signaled the nightly closing of the city walls (so you better get in, or get out). Nowadays, when you hear El Cañonazo, it means the workday is done, and it’s time to dance. That’s where I got my name. But I couldn’t start a MySpace page with an “ñ” in the URL, and my real name is Canyon, so it just became @elcanyonazo.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Tell us about your musical genre identity today and the type of sounds that move you.
CANYON CODY: Vulgar and beautiful are my two favorite genres. I love loud music. My favorite thing about subwoofers is that they are very heavy. I pursue absurdity to no end. I get goosebumps when the bassline thumps. Falling out the pocket is the one thing I can never forgive or forget.
Benny Moré and Bill Withers are spiritually meaningful to me, but I mostly listen to whatever is on the radio. My favorite song of all time is El Manisero, and my favorite moment in the history of recorded music is the 1.73 seconds of cowbell in Amor Verdadero @ 2 mins 17 seconds. My dream booking at Subsuelo would be El General and Celso Piña.
TIGRE SOUNDS: How are you helping to build the music culture in your scene or city?
CANYON CODY: I like throwing parties where everyone is invited. Exclusive is gross. Come one, come all. Generally, my default is free. We should have a right to exist without spending money. Also, come as you are. Or come as you please. Comfortable shoes are encouraged, but not required.
But everything doesn’t have to be for everyone. I work at a non-profit that produces family-friendly concerts open to all ages. We try to keep the cursing to a minimum, the volume at a reasonable level, and prioritize safety above all else. I also throw after-hours parties with vile music at blistering volumes in profoundly dangerous rooms full of rusty nails. We contain multitudes.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What is the inspiration behind your ‘Arroz con Mango’ playlist?
CANYON CODY: I hear this retro-futuristic kinship between old-school Cuban rumba from Los Muñequitos de Matanzas and this next-gen Dominican dembow from Jey One. It’s sparse, but not minimalist. There’s like a million little sounds going on, but none of them are over-bearing or dominating the soundscape. The lack of emphasis on the 1 is the most striking. Like what confidence you gotta have in the groove to just say, “nah I’m good, we’ll leave a little space there on the one.”
TIGRE SOUNDS: Which genre-bending artists are you really excited about right now?
CANYON CODY: Cimafunk has to be right there at the top of the list, and the reason is because it doesn’t feel like he’s trying to bend genres. It feels like he’s just singing his natural tune, and just happens to exist natively across the arbitrary lines drawn between funk and salsa and hip-hop. His music makes the concept of genre seem so silly.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What are some highlights from your amazing 20-year career in music?
CANYON CODY: Bringing out Cypress Hill and Danny Trejo as surprise guests at Subsuelo was surreal. Interviewing Juanes and Café Tacvba on the radio. Working at Fania and Nacional Records, connecting with so many of my heroes from Ruben Blades to Calle 13 to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. I took a selfie in the reflection of Daft Punk’s helmet in 2013 and went viral on Reddit. I ate a shishkabob while playing a Selena remix in 2024 and went viral on TikTok. This year, I got to perform at the Sahara Tent at Coachella, the same stage as Grimes.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What song are you listening to on repeat?
CANYON CODY: I only listen to songs once.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What epic shows or projects do you have coming up that we should look out for?
CANYON CODY: After Miami with Cimafunk, I’m heading on tour with La Vida Boheme, with shows in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Portugal, and London. I’ve been trying to unstitch tempo from time. Will get back to that when I get home.
About Canyon Cody aka El Canyonazo
Canyon Cody aka El Canyonazo is co-founder of pioneering DJ crew Subsuelo and host of Alternalido radio on The World Famous KROQ 106.7 FM in Los Angeles. The Cuban-American DJ has opened for Orishas and Omara Portuondo, toured across Latin America and Europe with performances at Coachella, Red Bull Music Academy, and Boiler Room. Named Best Dance Party by LA Weekly, Subsuelo has hosted everyone from Louie Vega to Major Lazer to Ana Tijoux and M.I.S.
On his weekly Latin Alternative radio show, Canyon has interviewed hundreds of artists, including Juanes, Tokischa, Natalia Lafourcade, Cypress Hill, Café Tacvba, Julieta Venegas, and more. He is a Fulbright scholar in Ethnomusicology with over 20 years of industry experience, working at Fania Records, Latin Alternative Music Conference, Nacional Records, and Grand Performances.
