Don Cuco

Rico Simon Mendez aka Dj Don Cuco has been known to have the natural touch at blending the harmony of sound and spirit, and materializing it into a musical movement. A soul revolution. He purchased his first electric guitar at age 7, and with Prince and Santana as his inspirations, he leaped head first into the dance of music. A constant evolving process, Rico has studied percussion, flute, bass and keys, and various electronic devices, focusing on indigenous sounds, Latin and African rhythms, world beats and healing frequencies. Humbly sharing stages and performing along side of artists such as Ozomatli, Natasha Beddingfield, ?uestlove, K-OS, Ursula Rucker, Bobbito Garcia, Atmosphere and many more, Rico has played both nationally and internationally with many bands and artists.

Proudly still spinning an eclectic collection of vinyl, Dj Don Cuco has wowed dance floors, lounges, radio, corporate events, fashion shows and retail stores with his fusion of rare selections from scenes across the globe. Doing everything from creating soundscapes and music styling for clothing boutiques and upscale restaurants, to developing and hosting an on air, award winning radio show on MPR, he continues to build relationships, bridging the gap with music and touching the world.

As a composer, Rico works with various artists, dancers and has written for commercials, web, TV & film. Currently residing in Brooklyn NY, he was recently certified in Sound and Vibration healing, works at a Dubspot, a DJ and production school, and is currently working on his own production company and record label, Cultura Love.

Cultura Love's aim is to work in communities with youth who don't have an outlet to express themselves creatively and also to raise funds through art based events and music for educational programming and communities of disaster and economic crisis.