I was born in 1944.
I'll soon be 70.
I never thought I'd be that old!
- It's my first time playing swing jazz. - For real?
For real!
This is from when I was in Ecuador. I've been there, done that.
Some people call me strange.
That's probably why I'm open to accepting people that are normally considered strange.
- He's a super cool old dude.
Music has been a blessing in my life. It's like a drug to me.
My name is DJ Kume.
Today is February 14th, and I'm going to be DJing tonight.
I mostly play Latin music.
That's because most of my adulthood has been influenced by Latin America.
I feel very comfortable with Latin American music.
That's probably why I was able to become a DJ.
There are tons of hip-hop DJs out there. But not many that specialize in Latin music.
I'm a rare species.
He just appears out of nowhere.
Very cool DJ.
I'm dressed funny today for the party.
I have to turn into a Chef in the middle of the show.
- Really? It's gonna be a busy night, then. - Exactly.
I have to take this off and switch to a chef's hat.
Hello.
I knew that it would be difficult for me to get a job and lead a 'normal' life in Japan.
I just had a feeling it would't work.
So one day, I just decided to go to Latin America.
I didn't care if it was for schooling or for work.
I just wanted to get out of Japan.
It took a long time to get used to being a 'normal' Japanese salaryman.
I switched jobs numerous times too.
In the end though, I don't think I ever was able to blend in with everyone else.
So I took an early retirement at 55.
One day, a friend told me that he wanted to host a samba carnival
at a nightclub.
And he came over to my house to hear about my experience in Brazil.
I played him the records I bought in Brazil many years ago,
and talked about my experiences.
As he was leaving, he turned to me and said, "Why don't you DJ?"
I was so close to saying "I can't."
But I thought, who would ever give me such an opportunity again?
So I said "let's do it."
That was the summer of 2003.
I was 59.
Right before I turned 60.
Plenty of people start something when they're young,
and continue doing it in their sixties.
But not many start something new at 59. Especially in a country like Japan.
That said, if you think about it,
it's not like I'm selecting music specifically for those parties.
I just play what I listen to at home, just in a club setting.
So in that sense, it's no wonder I was able to start DJing at my age.
The more sophisticated a society becomes,
the harder it is to see the face of the end-user.
But for DJs, your audience, your end-user, is right in front of you.
That's why I love this job.
That's the joy of being a DJ.
Music reflects the life of the person who's playing it.
That's definitely the case with DJ Kume.
I feel like he's playing me the story of his life.
I feel that way about song lyrics too.
They reflect your life experiences and wisdom.
So the reason why he's such a good DJ is because of the amazing life that he's led.
I was going to move to Mexico after I retired at 55.
I was going to spend the rest of my life there.
But something happened...
Once I quit working,
I realized that paradise was right here in Japan.
If I ever lose my sight or hearing and need to rely on others,
that's when I'll quit what I'm doing.
Who knows when that will be? Maybe tomorrow.
Or 10 years from now!
But I want to keep DJing for as long as I can.
If I were to say that in Spanish, I would say...
"As Long as my eyes can see..."
"...and my ears can hear..."
"I will continue to be a DJ"