No Bullshit Talk with Fernando Moreno (SmartBiz Agency)

Fernando Moreno is much more than an electronic music enthusiast, in the 2000s he founded Smartbiz, a DJ agency that represents important names on the national and international scene such as Renato Cohen, Magal, Miss Kittin, among other great talents represented by the agency. As an event producer, Smartbiz works in the curation of events, holding parties, music labels and radio programs. As a DJ, Fernando started playing in clubs in the city of São Paulo and from 2013 he took up residence at the weekly Ultralions party that took place every Friday at the infamous Lions Nightclub and on Saturdays at the Yatch club. He was also a resident of the Aloca, PanAm and Dorothy Parker club and was present at numerous important events around the city. Among numerous successes in 2019 in partnership with DJ and producer Renato Cohen, Fernando launched the label Massa Records, oriented towards the release of “electronic dance music”, with a majority of national producers casting and worldwide distribution. by Get Physical.

Where did the idea to build Smartbiz come from?

SmartBiz emerged at the invitation of DJ Renato Lopes, one of the pioneers of the scene, with the idea of representing names of the national scene, which was beginning to take shape.

How was the initial experience for you in 2013 of moving to the other side of the decks as a resident DJ?

I had already had some experiences playing. Becoming a resident was something remarkable and one activity complements the other, although I am very careful to maintain the actions independently

What were the big changes in the electronic music scene noticed by you from the 2000s until now?

Certainly there was a significant increase in the number of clubs, djs and interested parties. The scene was also organized and professionalized. Media attention also increased. The DJ is no longer just a ‘player’ and music has now seen as a career option, a star (although this is controversial)

In your opinion, what makes an artist “great”?

Charisma, repertoire, network. I know social media weighs, but I see it as a complement.

Bearing in mind that the current scenario still has a large majority of straight cis men, how do you position yourself as the owner of a large agency regarding diversity?

We have always sought diversity, since the beginning. We started making space for women early on. Gender never mattered to us. We were also one of the 1st to have a hip hop division and to this day I think about this issue of inclusion and opportunity, they are precious values for the company

How did the pandemic affected your work as an artist and your work with Smartbiz? What are the next steps?

Completely paralyzed! The 1st year was easy, in the second I started to get worried. I see that we have a quick recovery, I am restructuring the agency to accommodate new opportunities

What do you expect from the return of post pandemic events?

They are coming with force, a lot of time has stopped and the producers need, in a way, to make up for the stopped time. The public was also ‘needy’.

Some say that, after this intense recovery, the market should calm down and tend to regulate itself and be closer to what it was before the stoppage.

What can we expect in 2022 from Fernando Moreno?

I’m studying new opportunities for the agency, to go back a little to what it was in the beginning, with a team of artists and reinforced staff. We’re back with Radio SmartBiz, now online at Veneno.live and I’m also thinking about coming back with the label, but that’s something later. I’m also studying a proposal to come back with SmartBiz Café. As a DJ, I’m always on the lookout for new opportunities, as the residencies have taken another format.

A few words for your audience

Always seek to have fun responsibly. In all senses !

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