In a sea of suits and ties, a rusted diamond weaves in and out of the crowd, leaving little specks of shimmer wherever he walks. This enthusiastic Cubano, decorated with tattoos, a smile from ear to ear, and a set of Sony headphones around his neck, approaches me with warm arms of welcome. Tico Clavero, aka “DJ T” has built name-recognition not only as founder of www.FJSRadio.com but also as one of Hoboken’s hottest DJs. DJ T, a resident DJ at The Madison for years and currently at The Clinton Social, feels that his nights are entertaining. “I control the atmosphere of the room. I bring people together, give them a good time, watch how they interact. I see all the juicy stuff!”

His experiences motivated him to build a sub-show of FJSRadio, which is RadioHoboken.com. Radio Hoboken is T’s perspective on Hoboken’s nightlife from behind the DJ booth. T says excitedly, “Check it out! I talk about how a blind date turns into a marriage, how a stranger becomes the bartender’s best friend, how no one likes the song I just dropped and I have to spin Katy Perry for the tenth time or else the big guy gets mad at me… I keep it real on every level!” On and off the radio, DJ T’s music selection is energetic and thriving just like him. No wonder this zealous DJ is known for his wild music selection and hilarious sense of humor!

Proud, loud, and certainly feeling the rhythm to the beat, DJ T is certainly passionate about music, but even more passionate with his family. He and his wife, Frances Clavero, have a story that melts your heart. Both of their families grew up in Union City and knew each other, and so when the two met, ah well! T explains that only one thing happened on his end, “My heart stopped when she walked through the door. I know it’s cliché, but it’s the truth!”(What a romantic!)  DJ T reveals the story about how Frances and his best friend were in a relationship, and how he silenced his emotions to build a strong friendship with Frances regardless of the situation. “I’d rather have Frances in my life than not have her at all. I figured that was better than nothing.” The day she became single, T, like a DJ, dropped the beat. He moved right in, like a bass sliding to the next note, and in a “1, 2, 3, and 4” confessed his love. They have been married for several years and have a beautiful son, TJ Clavero, and very recently received news that Frances is pregnant with her second. Congratulations from hMAG!

DJ T’s energy is magnetic. He makes you laugh. He also talks your ear off, and I immediately understand how he is a radio DJ. We raise our drinks again for a cheer! What are we cheering to? The fact that FJSRadio has hit 70,000 listeners this past year! When I ask how the radio station started and how it grew to this point, T puts his head in his hands, and just sits there for a second. Looking up with glassy eyes, T confesses the struggle he once had to maintain a 9-5 job and be a DJ. “Frances said to me that if I didn’t quit my job tomorrow morning that I’d be sleeping on the couch, and I wasn’t about to sleep on the couch in our new house!” So T went full force with DJ gigs and the radio show. The show started out mainly to keep live music alive. He wanted to introduce undiscovered artists to the world, but he just had to figure out how to make people listen. “Five full years of heartbreak, let downs, and disappointments, and then I discovered a band from Canada called “Flow 14” (http://www.flow14.ca/home.html ), and everything changed.” Flow 14 is an indie-rock band that was discovered off of FJSRadio. They soon signed a record deal with distribution in 25 countries and now tour and stay in touch with T. Within two months, the show went from 2000 hits to 30,000! This was not only Flow 14’s big break, but T & the FJSRadio family’s as well. Today, DJ T interviews guests, holds live musical performances (discovered and undiscovered artists), hosts events, and more. (If you’re an artist or band and want your music heard on the station, contact www.FJSRadio.com.)

Ending our night is sad, but the good news is I can tune in and hear my new friend any day of the week! The connection one creates with someone when they become vulnerable is amazing. A radio DJ does just that, and DJ T is a man with such honor and kindness.  So when I ask T one last question, I make it a deep one: “Do you believe in fate?” He replies tenderly, “I don’t know what I believe in. I believe that Frances is my heart. I’m scared of failure, of not being a good father, but you know what? I don’t think about that last one so much anymore. You know why? I’m working it. I work hard as hell to make this station happen. I am one person, and I work like ten; that’s something to be proud of. So, do I believe in fate? If I never found Frances, I would be in jail or dead somewhere. My life wasn’t meant to go this way, so maybe she’s my angel.” I look at T, shake hands and think of a quote from Winston Churchill that I learned when I was in high school: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

Photos by Krista Kelly.

Every week hMAG posts Faces articles featuring someone from the community because, after all, hMAG is all about the community.

Do you know someone we should interview for an upcoming article? Pitch your idea to editorial@hmag.com and we might include you or someone you know on hmag.com or an upcoming issue of the magazine!

All candidates MUST live or work in Hoboken and agree to have their picture posted.