Sammy Afshar always mixed music. VHS. CD. Cassettes. Even as a child obsessing over timing and energy for the perfect sound. But it wasn’t until 2008, ten years into a career in banking, that he purchased the highest quality gear on the market and, soon after, gave up the steady 9-5 career for a life in music as DJ SamFX. Learning the craft by studying deejays like Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, and Paul Oakenfeld, Sammy’s own taste leans toward upbeat pop, hip-hop, and R&B along with dance and EDM, and is just as likely to play vintage Michael Jackson as Linkin Park or Oasis. Based in British Columbia, Sammy joined BELLOSOUND in 2017 and sees his evolution as a DJ as a holistic process involving body and mind, dependent as much on the music as flexing his mind through journaling, pushing his body in the gym, and finding balance with friends and family. Ten years since he took a bold step, he never gets over hearing the collective “Ohhh!” when he drops a track that gets a major crowd reaction.
Favorite BELLOSOUND moment?
“In December of 2017 (three years after leaving his job at the bank), I was asked to perform at the bank’s annual conference as the most anticipated awards of the year were being announced and presented. I knew plenty of people there and was even shouted out by the head of the entire conference to the crowd as I sat in the DJ booth. This was a moment I will never forget, and I thank BELLOSOUND for it.”