Deejay Carolina

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Many know her as Deejay Carolina, but those close to her call her Carol. She wanted to study psychology until she met her now husband and manager, Juanes Altamirano, a.k.a. Deejay Juanes, an established New Orleans Latin nightclub and radio DJ. Dating him made her curious to find out how it all worked. “It’s like when you get on an airplane, and you see a pilot’s control room with all the buttons and stuff… and I would think, ‘How do you do this?!’” She recalls telling Altamirano she wanted to learn how to DJ. “I don’t think he took me seriously at first,” she laughs. He gave her one week to prove she was serious. He soon learned Zavala had an exceptional talent. “Her good memory,” he said. He added that most DJs usually cue a song or two to mix into what’s currently playing; Zavala could cue up to seven songs without forgetting them. ‘Carolina learned in one week what it took me many years to learn,” said Altamirano. 

Zavala made her DJ debut at the House of Blues in New Orleans. She remembers being excited and nervous. “I knew a lot of people were curious to see how I was going to do.” She felt pressure to do well and favorably represent Deejay Juanes, her mentor.

Her popularity kept growing. She DJ’d a set at every notable nightclub in New Orleans and its surrounding areas. In 2014, the NBA sought a female DJ who could mix English and Spanish format for a party after the All-Star Game. Deejay Carolina got the gig. After that, she had bookings in nightclubs and festivals outside Louisiana. In early 2015, Univision announced DJ auditions to compete in the DJ@PJ competition for Premios Juventud (Youth Awards). Even with fans tagging her in the post, she told Altamirano she didn’t think she had a chance. He told her, “Do it anyway because you may have something else that other DJs don’t have,” remembers Zavala. “Ever since that moment, I began to believe in myself.” She competed for six weeks, became a fan favorite, and was the only female in the top three. The national exposure catapulted her to play in almost every U.S. state and presented Zavala with opportunities to open for major music acts such as Daddy Yankee, El Torito, Zacarías Ferreíra, and Bad Bunny, to name a few. 

Since the beginning of her DJ journey, she established El Macaneo (Honduran Slang for Wild Party or Good Time), a virtual DJ concept to entertain her fans on Facebook LIVE and to give exposure to independent musicians. When the nightclubs closed during the pandemic, Zavala strengthened her connection with her audience, turning El Macaneo into a virtual nightclub concept with over 4 Million followers. She took El Macaneo to TikTok LIVE with viewers from all over the world. 

Deejay Carolina’s future goals know no bounds. With a tour spanning 40 U.S. cities plus Latin American and European stops on the horizon, she’s a force to be reckoned with in the music world.

Beyond her DJ prowess, Zavala dreams of expanding her family. She chuckles when asked if she would add a little Deejay Carolina or little Deejay Juanes to the mix. “Only one, boy or girl. Whatever God sends!” She wants to leave a lasting legacy for aspiring female DJs. “I wasn’t the first Latina female DJ, but one of the firsts, and I know I have opened doors for other girls to do what I love,” Zavala says. Through her journey, she’s shattered stereotypes, proving that women can thrive in the male-dominated realm of DJing.

Catch Deejay Carolina in action on El Macaneo, or book her for your next event. Follow her journey on social media as Deejay Carolina for the latest updates and mixes.