David Villegas, better known professionally as Dave Nada, is an Ecuadorian-American[1] DJ and producer credited with creating the fusion-genre
moombahton.[2][3][4] He is a member of the production and DJ duo
Nadastrom[4][5] and co-founder of Hermanito Label along with
Jesse Tittsworth.[6][4]
Career
Originally from
College Park, Maryland,[7] Nada began his music career in DC-area hardcore bands including De Nada, Super Chinchilla Rescue Mission, Medic, and Bison.[8] He started as a radio DJ while going to college at the
University of Maryland for
88.1 WMUC which led to his interest in production and being a DJ.[1] In the early 2000s, Nada met Jesse Tittsworth through a mutual friend and was invited to spin at his party, Crunk, in Washington D.C.[7] He went on to host TaxLo in Baltimore.[9] In 2007 Tittsworth introduced Nada to
Matt Nordstrom[10] with whom he formed the DJ and production duo
Nadastrom which was the forefront of his career for a decade.[4] Nada's sets and productions notably include
electro,
house,
Baltimore club,
moombahton, punk, hip-hop, and Latin and folkloric elements and influences.[9][3][7]
Nada is credited with creating the
house and
reggaeton fusion-genre
Moombahton. In November 2009 while DJing a high school house party he slowed down
Afrojack's
dutch house remix of 'Moombah' by
Chuckie &
Silvio Ecomo to a midtempo of 108 BPM in order to better match the slower
reggaeton,
bachata, and other Latin music present at the party. It took hold with the young audience at the party so Nada returned home to create slowed down edits of other dutch house tracks, shared them with other DJs and named the sound 'Moombahton' - a portmanteau of 'Moombah' and reggaeton.[2][3][5]
Nadastrom and DJ Sabo went on to launch Moombahton Massive - a series of parties supporting the genre and associated music movement.[2]