When world-renowned artists are seen on stage performing with all their energy and talent, it never even crosses the public’s mind that in the not so distant past they exercised a profession completely different from today’s, which causes surprise among fans and admirers. These cases are more common than we think, Igor Kelner is one of those who, with the dream of reaching his goal, went to work intensely, so much so that, to a certain extent, he had to perform other activities. Today, reaping the fruits that he planted, Kelner is responsible for animating the biggest parties in the country.
Silvestre Amoré (Pernambuco), Silvestre do Gostoso (Rio Grande do Norte), Noronha Weekend (Fernando de Noronha), Nosso Camarote (Sapucaí), Resenha do Mumu (created by Mumuzinho), Numanice (Ludmilla Project). In addition to the Recognized parties, responsible for bringing together thousands of people, these events have one more point in common: they all had Kelner as the attraction.
But it doesn’t stop there, the DJ has already shared the stage with great artists of various musical rhythms such as Dilsinho, Ludmilla, Zé Neto and Cristiano, Vintage Culture, Xamã, Menos é Mais, Lennon, Dennis DJ, Matheus and Kauan and an endless list of celebrities. Which gives him great recognition in the industry. However, it wasn’t always like this. Before finding himself professionally, Igor went through an extensive process, which resulted in knowledge in various areas.
In 2013, Kelner was working as a party promoter in Rio de Janeiro, his hometown, selling tickets to events produced by his former brother-in-law. An important producer in the region, after gaining popularity thanks to the large volume of tickets sold, gave Igor the space to produce his own event. Together with the team, the DJ won this first opportunity and decided to continue in the entertainment market.
Back in 2015, Igor was producing around five events a month and when he watched the release of DJ duo Jack U, which at the time was made up of Diplo and Skrillex, the giants of the scene, he decided he would like to learn the play and others of acceptance in Brazil until then rarely played rhythms like grime, trap and dubstep.
Despite having no interest in playing for third parties, Kelner produced several events with André Barros and Victor Vidal, all of which were included in the line-up. Since then, through contact with several suppliers, DJ decided there was a market to conquer, but due to family pressure and fear of the new profession, he felt insecure to continue and was forced to enter the corporate world. He worked in corporate marketing, in the B2B (business to business) sector, he was part of the largest cigarette company in the world, Souza Cruz, a Brazilian company subsidised by the British holding company British American Tobacco. In 2018 to 2019, when he felt other values pulsating, he decided to quit his job and study music production at AIMEC to improve his musical knowledge. Only then did he start living his dream.
In 2020, when the entertainment market is not expected to return due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelner felt obliged to seek a new source of income and, after a year in search of knowledge, he found himself in digital marketing, specializing in info-product development and media buying strategies. DJ also built a company that is still growing, but is already a reference in the market of info producers, KELNICO, which besides six awards has already received the title of Top Seller #1 of the main sales platforms in Latin America, such as Kiwify and Monetizze. KELNICO was also awarded the title of “Top Seller #1” by the main sales platforms in Latin America, such as Kiwify and Monetizze, making more than 4 million reais in just one year. Check out the interview!
Nowadays, before the public knew who you were and recognised you for your art, you went through many paths to get here. I would like to start by asking you about your first contacts with music and from which moment did you start seeing it as a profession?
In 2015, influenced by the launch of the project Jack Ü, formed by Diplo and Skrillex, I decided that I would like to learn to disco and more, bring to Brazil rhythms, until then, little explored as trap, grime and dubstep. It was at this moment that I thought: “Why not play at my own events? After a few months of dedication to the study and practice of disco with Tomás Tróia, producer and guitarist of Duda Beat, I went on stage for the first time and discovered a passion: the art of transmitting the energy of the stage to the dance floor through music.
As a DJ, you’ve played at various events all over the country, including singer projects like Mumu’s Resenha and Ludmilla’s Numancie. What do you consider to have been the most defining moment of your career so far?
Certainly the moment that marked me most was when I was invited to take the stage of one of the biggest réveillons of Brazil, Amoré, in Maracaípe – PE, at the time of the turn of the year from 2022 to 2023, it was the main moment of the night and more than 4 thousand people vibrated in a beautiful energy. I commanded the dance floor before names like Pedro Sampaio and Bruno Be.
Dilsinho, Zé Neto e Cristiano, Vintage Culture, Xamã, among others. You’ve shared the stage with big names in music and slowly grew bigger and bigger. What do you consider to be your main inspirations?
Today my biggest references are Alok and Dennis. I follow them daily and whenever I can I try to watch them. Every performance they do is a course for us DJs. They always create trends ahead of the market. Be it in the songs, the shows themselves or the audiovisual content they deliver on social networks.
Previously working in ticket sales for events in Rio de Janeiro, you soon gained popularity as a promoter, until you caught the eye of a producer who granted you a space to produce your own event. How was the experience of being in control of everything for the first time?
Gaining recognition for something you’ve been working on and giving your best is very rewarding. However, the process of adapting from ticket seller to event producer was quite complicated. At the time, without any experience, any headache was a storm in a glass of water. From then on my responsibilities increased. In the very first event the cashier, responsible for the ticket office, was late and I had to attend during the first hours all the clients who entered the house. But in the end everything worked out and it was a memorable night.
Four months after you decided to train as a DJ, you performed at your first event, the “Battles!” at Fosfobox, and you were so nervous that you said you got cramps. Can you tell us a bit more about how that performance went?
From the first to the last mix, I couldn’t look at the track because I was so nervous and focused on not making a mistake. I realized at that moment the difference between practicing with an empty house and performing in a crowded event with everyone watching. In the first song I had trouble even raising the volume of the channel because of the cramps I felt in my fingers. But as the performance went on I felt more and more at ease with the energy that the audience was transmitting to me and it was certainly one of the most incredible moments I have ever experienced.
One of the authorial projects he produced in Brazil was “Sigue Bailando”, which is considered the biggest Latin music festival in Brazil, besides other works, such as the tour of the
Latin Grammy, Maluma. How was the birth of “Sigue Bailando” and working alongside Maluma?
The birth of Sigue Bailando came after a trip to El Salvador in 2015 when I had the first contact with reggaeton, danceable and engaging music genre that predominated in the country’s radios. The following year, we decided to create the project to understand the demand in Brazil that until then we were unaware of. The result exceeded our expectations breaking the sales record of the Palaphitas club on a Thursday. Despite not having had direct contact with the singer, having the brand linked to the tour was an unimaginable achievement.
During the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, you were forced to once again switch industries, finding yourself in digital marketing and specialising with info-product development. How do you consider that period and the decision to invest in the internet to have been?
It was a turbulent period. Before I lived only on the entertainment market and unexpectedly my income zeroed out. After almost a year without money coming in, I studied several niches and after seeing the growth of companies in the digital commerce industry, I realized that the consumer’s buying behavior has changed. I decided to study about paid traffic and affiliate myself to products on the sales platform until I started to develop my own info-products and create a company that today already has more than 6 awards.
This year, you also achieved a major milestone in your career – playing at the party of Anitta, who i s now one of the most internationally respected Brazilian pop stars. How did you get the opportunity to perform and what did you think of the experience?
One of my contractors, Felipe Giraldez, contacted me 5 days before the afterparty asking if I would like to perform at the singer’s private party. I didn’t think twice, of course I did. The experience was inexplicable, while I was performing, I could see Anitta, Felipe Ret, Lennon, Juliette, Ferrugem, among others on the dance floor enjoying my sound… usually I’m the one on the dance floor watching the performance of these giants of the scene on stage and that day it was the opposite.
Follow Kelner on Instagram