DJ Fidel Cashflow played his first-ever Whistler gig on Jan. 26, 2008.
He remembers it because it was Australia Day, a spectacular introduction of the clubbing experience in this town.
He laughs at the memory.
"It was an eye-opener, really interesting, as a matter of fact," he recalls.
"We drove into the village and got to the intersection and there were a bunch of people crossing the street with their snowboards and wearing shorts and their flag. And then I fell in love with the place."
He started out as a DJ first in Red Deer, Alta., where he was from, 12 years ago and like so many was bitten by the Whistler bug. A friend was organizing shows in the resort and Cashflow came west to open one.
It didn't hurt that he grew up ski racing.
"It was a perfect fit for me here," he says.
He laughs even longer when asked about being called Fidel Cashflow. It wasn't some kind of unforgettable homage to Cuba's late leader and Wall Street.
"It was a play on words and my friend Mike called me up one day with it, even before I was performing. It was already my moniker," he says.
Fidel Cashflow is a busy guy, playing five nights a week all around the resort.
"Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays I'm at Maxx Fish. I do Champagne Fridays at Garf's (Garfinkel's) and a night a Moe Joe's as well. I like to spread the love around, I guess," he says.
"I try to do different things each night, as well. It keeps it fresh. There's the house night, with different genres of house. Sundays is everything you can think of with electronic music. The weekend crowd is different from the weekday crowd and that pretty much dictates what I play."
He opens for Australian DJ Timmy Trumpet at Maxx Fish on Thursday, March 30.
Fidel Cashflow has toured and written his own music in the past, but for now concentrates on what is happening in Whistler.
"My greatest memories are of the big shows I've played, people like Rufus, What So Not, Adventure club, Grandtheft, Thomas Jack some of the people who have come through. They've been unbelievable, " he says.
"Paul Oakenfold was a big one.
"Whistler has given me opportunities to see performers that I would have never have expected. There's a great international crowd and so the music has a very wide range."
Kody Kellins, the manager at Maxx Fish Nightclub, called Cashflow "Whistler's go-to guy when you want something done right."
He adds: "In my opinion, he is Whistler's top DJ. He can play anything to anyone, anywhere, at any time. His mixes are seamless, his vibe is electric and he is just an all-around talented DJ and awesome guy. There is a reason he has more residencies at different venues than any other DJ in this town."
