Leonel Rojas

A Living Voice of the Golden Era

Discjockey (now DJ) of Miniteca Betelgeuse, a living voice of the golden era of the minitecas in Venezuela.

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Career

Leonel Rojas began his career as a discjockey at the miniteca The Drop, until he quickly went on to join the prestigious Betelgeuse. From there he began a path that would take him to emblematic stages, establishing himself as one of the leading figures of miniteca culture in the 80s.

Sound clashes and competitions

During those years the competition between minitecas intensified. What had been occasional events turned into weekly spectacles. Leonel Rojas remembers how they would set out on Wednesdays and come back on Mondays, fighting guerras de minitecas —the sound clashes of the movement— against the most imposing minitecas of Caracas and of the interior: ZC, New York, Sandy Lane, Tridimension, Infierno, Soul Train, among many others.

The demand was at its highest: new sets every week, brand-new music and increasingly aggressive techniques, going as far as using four turntables in a single performance. His style made him an essential part of the prestige and the respect Betelgeuse earned throughout Venezuela.

«I never imagined that an audition to be the DJ of a miniteca called The Drop could be the beginning of an era of professional growth and unmatched experiences alongside the great Miniteca Betelgeuse. I must have been about a month in, and I was already spinning at one of the most famous minitecas of the time. I couldn't believe it; it was the dream of a great many DJs back then.»
— Leonel Rojas

A connection with Venezuelan music

He was a leading figure not only in the guerras de minitecas but also at the most exclusive social events in Caracas. From the most prestigious halls he shared the stage with national and international music figures such as Billo's, Franco de Vita, Yordano, Frank Quintero, Melissa, Daiquirí, Ricardo Montaner, Kiara and María Rivas. Those nights of gala and mixing marked the bond between the minitecas and Venezuelan musical culture of the 80s.

A personal legacy

“Having belonged to Miniteca Betelgeuse was the best time of my life, literally.” That is how Leonel Rojas sums up what it meant to be part of one of the most legendary minitecas in the country. His time at Betelgeuse left its mark on the way the discjockey's work was understood: not merely as a party host, but as a protagonist of a cultural phenomenon that brought together youth, technology and spectacle.

Note on the shared name

This Leonel Rojas —the one from The Drop and Betelgeuse, in Caracas— is not to be confused with Leonel Rojas Fernández, co-founder and discjockey of the miniteca Holiday of Ciudad Guayana and brother of Iván Rojas “Peluretro,” who has an entry of his own in this same collection. They are two different people and their files are kept separate.

Social media

Credits and sources

· Official page of Miniteca Betelgeuse.
· Migrated from the original article at culturaminiteka.com/un-mixshow-un-nombre/leonel-rojas (accessed July 9, 2026).

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Source consulted on July 9, 2026

80s · 90s · Disc jockey · Minitecas · Mixes