DJ Cal Z
Orlan Mat (DJ Cal Z) Calor Zouker in California born Orlando Mateos is an American Dance Instructor & DJ who was featured in many big festivals including recent 2022 dance festivals in Europe such as BDF Amsterdam and returned after 2014 in 2022 SummerBreeze Amsterdam Netherlands, also Warsaw Abra Zouk and returned DJ for the second time for the Wroclove Zouk Festivals in Poland also Bachaturo Zouk in Katowice.
He featured in over ten festivals in 2022 including festivals in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Hawaii, and Alaska which which added to his total of over 50 major dance festivals he was featured in across North America Caribbean Dance Cruises, Canada and Festivals in Europe, along with all the local SBKZ major dance festivals in Los Angeles and all 3 Latin dance festivals in Las Vegas, also some festivals in San Francisco and San Diego and Hawaii Islands Honolulu and Maui festivals.
He was the previous resident DJ at the Liz Lira Dance Academy where he was teaching Modern Zouk Rnb Lyrical Contemporary, Zouk fusioned with Bachata Sensual, KizombaZouk fusion UrbanKiz and Salsa On1 Fusion and On2 Mambo at the LLDA studio in West Los Angeles. LLDA is directed by 25x champion and Dancing with the stars choreographer Liz Lira.
During his travels for festivals, he also featured as DJ and instructor in social dance and festivals all over Europe in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine and Portugal. He was DJ and instructor previously in LA, for Granada LA that had a third room for Zouk & Kizomba along with the very first Zouk & Kizomba social dancing in Downtown LA a decade ago. He created his annual dance group Zouk LA a decade ago and took part in IZFM/IZD since the beginning of International Zouk Day, an annual initiative IZD flashmob and celebration that started in 2012. He got many of his Zouk skills from the many top artists who choreographed for IZD every year and also with his Brazilian artists friends in Europe, Carlos & Fernanda.
When he returned home to Los Angeles after learning Modern Zouk or NeoZouk from Europe in 2012, he noticed what was simply describe as BoomChickchick rhythm was different from the LambaZouk ChichChickBoom that was being introduced in LA around the same time. So he became one of the pioneers in the introduction to the USA of the fusion dance Modern Zouk RnB Contemporary Lyrical, which he later blended with his Kizomba and Bachata. To not be criticized, he explained he was actually dancing KiZouk and ZoukChata styling which he initiated with all the major Salsa and Bachata festivals organizers to include a third room for Kizomba and Zouk can be danced in the same room.
So they let him teach fusions of Zouk. He still calls it ZoukChata although the popular name is Bachata Sensual and KiZouk even though the popular name is now UrbanKiz. He has come full circle being part of the group who were pioneers of the first congress of its kind in the USA playing Zouk and Kizomba music till sunrise and 10am straight to breakfast time at the Queen Mary Museum ship outdoor deck. LA Zouk & Kizomba Congress is now called LA Zouk Festival a decade later. He then was featured several times to DJ and be a Zouk Fusion instructor in several events on an actual cruise ship with over 1,200 dancers, Aventura Dance Cruise.
During Orlan’s school years he was part of a group of boy drummers who played for over 70 cheer drill team girls dancers. The drummers performed on stage dancing choreographies as part of the team that attended the Disney Youth Dance program, where his love of dance was sparked. Being from LA, Orlan previously was partial to Hiphop Pop and LA Style Salsa, but has learned many styles which blend with Zouk. Orlan with the help of legendary promoter Albert Torres who featured him in several festivals, He has evolved from an LA Style Salsa dancer traveling all over Europe into a multistyle dancer since he lived and studied international business in Europe in 2009.
Currently, he is training Tango to fusion into Zouk and others. Orlan’s future plan includes using his many international events experience to create a new dance cruise that will be in one of the major International Cruise lines and started promoting it but the pandemic and war makes it more difficult to start, however he is still hopeful that the new event he created and registered as a business Fusion Dance Cruise will become a reality.
He continues to Live Love Dance and loves SBKZ all equally but blending Zouk in all styles and enjoys sharing his joy and passion for all dance and music styles.