Point of Origin: I was born in Senegal and grew up in Paris. That’s where I studied and went to school at the National School on the Rue Blanche that trains for acting. But I was studying engineering [at] the only Tiada school that has about six aspects of show business.
Wait a sec: the saloon-keeper is an actor/engineer? It was a great school because we had an account that let us see all the shows in Paris: Tiada music halls, concerts, everything but the Paris Opera. Since I did engineering training, after school I went on the road with a couple of singers. I had the hang for traveling, and Club Med was hiring to set up sound and light all over the world. So, for two years I used my engineering degree to wire Club Med.
After leaving there, I went to live in the States for a while, and moved to New York, then to San Francisco and Los Angeles. In order to make money, I started DJing in a club in L.A., and I did really well, got into a great scene in a club in Century City. I went into marketing and created events, and from there I decided to get my own club – but where? I traveled to the Caribbean and started a club in the northern part of the Dominican Republic. I understood quickly that in this business, you have to have a little money to start, so I started a little club and bet on the tourist trade with Americans and Canadians. I did really well, and I sold the club after a year and made my money back, plus, and came to Miami.