Miramar, FL – Nothing to make you feel old like realizing that Freestyle music turns 40 this year. The songs we all grew up with, the parties, the friends, the stories, oh the stories…. These are feel good songs, get up and dance songs and nothing tells a love story quite like Freestyle tune. Echoes of South Florida had a chance to catch up with Charlie Rodriguez, arguably the hardest working man in Freestyle music, who has tirelessly supported and promoted the genre for 40 years. Before we jump into this very interesting interview, lets take a look back at how it all started.

Freestyle music—born in the early 1980s from the melting pot of Latin rhythms, electro beats, and urban dance culture—remains one of the most enduring sounds of the post‑disco era. Emerging from New York and Miami clubs, it blended syncopated drum machine patterns with heartfelt vocals, creating an unmistakable groove that dominated dance floors and radio stations through the late ’80s and early ’90s.

Key milestones in its journey include the breakout of artists like Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Exposé, and Stevie B, whose hits such as “Spring Love” and “Point of No Return” became anthems for a generation. Miami played a pivotal role, with promoters and DJs championing acts like Coro, Cynthia, Judy Torres, and TKA, ensuring the genre’s presence in Latin and urban communities nationwide.

Though mainstream charts shifted in the mid‑’90s, Freestyle never disappeared. Its loyal fan base, fueled by nostalgia and cultural pride, kept the music alive through club nights, radio shows, and reunion concerts. Today, more than 40 years later, freestyle thrives as a living legacy—proof that heartfelt lyrics and infectious beats can transcend decades.

Let’s take a moment to take a look back at how Charlie Rodriquez has played a role in the genre. South Florida’s “Godfather of Freestyle,” Charlie Rodriguez built a four‑decade career bringing old‑school disco and freestyle music to Miami’s stages. Born in Newark, NJ and raised in Miami‑Dade, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps before jumping into South Beach nightclub promotions around 1981, booking rooms like Cameo Theater, Club One and Club Nu.

By 1990, he had moved into big‑room concerts—most notably partnering with Power 96 on the Cop‑Aid benefit at Hialeah Park, scaling attendance from roughly 5,000 to more than 20,000 and cementing his role as a central figure in Miami’s freestyle revival.

Over the years, he developed the “Miami Disco Fever” brand and the long‑running 80s/90s showcases that keep the genre’s stars in front of multigenerational audiences—an approach that local coverage has credited with consistent sell‑outs and strong fan demand.

Today, he’s promoting the MIAMI 80s MUSIC FEST at the DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport & Convention Center on Saturday, December 6, 2025, with a lineup featuring TKA (K7), Judy Torres, Cynthia, Coro, Soave, Lime, France Joli, and Alisha, plus DJ Jorge Santana.

Lets get into our interview with Charlie.

Echoes of South Florida (ESF): Good afternoon Charlie, Thank you for taking the time out of your extremely busy day to speak with Echoes of South Florida. We know that with only 2 more weeks until the MIAMI 80s MUSIC FEST show in Miami, you are hustlin’ 24×7 to make this an awesome show.

Charlie Rodriguez(CR): Well, Ivan, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to speak to your viewership, your readers of Echoes of South Florida. I look forward to speaking to you. I can’t wait to hear what questions you got lined up for me.

ESF: Oh, we’ve got we’ve got quite a few.  Hopefully we we won’t stump you and you’ll be willing to talk to us again in the future. So I tell you what, let’s let’s jump right in. You know this is a kind of monumental year for for freestyle genre. Freestyle music is turning 40 this year, and in that, what still lights the fire for you to keep producing freestyle shows? At what moment during a night do you realize that it was worth the grind for that show?

CR:What a great question. To me, it all goes back to a moment in time in 1989 when I did one of my first shows over at the racetrack in Hialeah, when it was the last performance of TKA and it happened to be in Hialeah. When I heard and I saw the teenagers in front of that stage going all the way back, covering 15,000 kids out of Dade County, when they heard that that was going to be the last performance of TKA, I saw the distraught look on those kids faces. I saw the tears coming down the face of those teenage kids. When I saw that, I said we got something special here. Prior to that, I didn’t know how special it was. I knew it was special, but I didn’t know that these kids were going to actually cry tears and say don’t go, don’t. And all this is captured on videos. You can see them on YouTube. So I saw that  emotional response that they did not want to watch him go and not perform anymore. What the audience did not know at the time, Was that Power 96 was pulling the plug on putting freestyle music in their rotation? So knowing that the music was no longer going to be in rotation, seeing the response from these kids, I knew that there was something special here and and I’m glad I documented those events back then. Because today they’re so nostalgic to see that that here we are 35-40 years later and that same emotional response I see today, except now they’re in their 50s and 60s. You see them there with me. You see them crying, you see them partying and screaming like they’re still teenagers today. And they’re all there, Ivan. We see them and that’s the magical moment right there.

ESF: Yes, absolutely.

CR: So the the second part of your question, the first part was the answer I told you about that event. The second part, where when do you know that I reached the goal?

ESF: It was worth the grind.

CR: I know it was worth the grind when I see the audience singing every single song with the freestyle artists just like they did back in the 80s. When I can duplicate that feeling 40 years later that originally got me excited 40 years ago. That’s when I know I did my job.

Photo: Ivan Romero

ESF: That is awesome. And as you mentioned, you know, I have been there many of the times, if not all of them, during these shows, especially in the past decade or so. And you are 100% correct. You know, I may have been on an opposing station back in the day here in Miami, but I was also part of ensuring that Freestyle had a platform on the Florida airwaves. So I agree with you 100% and thanks for sharing. So let’s jump to our next question. Take us back to the early 80s, you know, South Beach. How did you get into promoting and which early club booking convinced you this could be a career rather than a hobby?

CR: OK. I would have to say there was a club in North Miami called Mako’s Bay Club. It burnt down during Hurricane Andrews suspiciously. Between Makos Bay Club and the Cameo Theater, oh, and Club One. Back then it was Club One. Today I think it’s a big retail outlet at the corner of 5th St. and Alton. Those three clubs on South Beach back then. I was doing those live broadcasts on Power 96 Friday, Saturday nights, 2 hours at a time and I could see all the cars on the mainland lined up bumper to bumper over the Causeway. And I’m listening to the broadcast, and I’m seeing those headlights, and I’m seeing miles of cars, and I’m in my car in the driveway of the club, listening to the broadcast, watching the valet get filled up with cars. I knew the power of of radio back then and that’s when I caught the bug to continue doing these shows. Back then, and it was difficult, because back then I was a full-time officer, so I had to get off work at 1:00 in the morning and the clubs open up at 10:00 so I would get off early. So who knows what kind of hot calls I was dealing with back then and I had to wrap up my paperwork and head on over to the club and get rid of the uniform, put it away, tuck the gun away and put on my promoter hat and leave everything behind. Whatever took place in the streets, and that was in the 80s, and you can imagine it was kind of hectic and busy during that period of time, but I had to put on a different hat. So when I walk into the clubs, it was another personality. I had to leave the other one behind and start this one and to see the lines of people and I’m going, wow, these people came here because I’m doing this. It was amazing and I’m just experimenting back then. And that’s what took place. That was the Cameo Theater filling up with 2000 kids on a Friday night. Mako’s Bay Club and these were all live artists. Back then it would be either Cox on the radio, Bo Griffin or Leo Vela as my hosts from the station as the on air personalities and then we have whatever artists performing whether it was Kool and the Gang or the Sugar Hill Gang, TKA or France Joli. You name it, we had them performing and yeah, filling up the venue, and the next week, come up with another promotion. And so those would be the clubs. And then I went inland and started doing inland promotions. One of them was was Rick’s bar and thats when went on and said, well this, this is pretty good. So then I contacted Frank Walsh at Power 96 . He was a PD back then. And then I started with the larger concert at the racetrack, the biggest one with 15,000 kids.

ESF: Yeah. Well, that’s a great segue, Charlie, because my very next question is about the Cop Aid concert at Hialeah and you’re right, it became a landmark show. It’s kind of been the measuring stick for these shows, right. You would call them locally produced shows that have drawn just a ridiculous number of fans. So with that in mind, what do you think made that collaboration work and what did it teach you about scaling a show in Miami?

CR: Yes. Back then, what I didn’t know was, well, all I knew back then, I didn’t know anything about flyers. We had no e-mail blasts. We had no Facebook. It was all radio driven. It was the power of radio. If you were an on air personality on radio back in the 80s, you were God. You controlled the airwaves. You controlled the content. Your content wasn’t ruled. You were not dictated by the promotions department or by the the traffic controller.  You weren’t promoted by other people telling you what liners to say. These guys had the free reign to say whatever they wanted to say and they would promote events and fill up that place, whatever venue you had. I still have the contract, the original contract with Power 96. They gave me 200 one-minute commercials during a two-month period and all the on air mentions. So I saw the power of radio back then and it it filled up that place. It was insane. Every single parking lot at the racetrack was filled up. The neighborhoods were filled up. It was insane, the amount of people to get 15,000 people in a vacant parking lot. The racetrack didn’t even think it was going to get filled up to that capacity. I had to call in the Hialeah Fire Department to bring in engines to hoist ladders to put up lights cause the parking lot was dark and as you know back then, we we had a lot of gangs. So we needed those those ladders with lights on top to to fill up the audience with lights. So I learned a few things about having correct lighting. It was one of them and security. You got to have the right amount of security for these events.

ESF: Yeah. Absolutely. It’s got to be priority one, right? You got to keep the fans safe.

CR: Got to have them safe. And think about it, Cop Aid. You better have that place safe.

ESF: Good point, good point. So let me move on here. When you build a bill like who you have performing at the Miami 80s Music Fest, how do you balance, you know, fan favorite hits with surprise moments so that the night feels fresh? This is, in essence, almost like a tribute show, right?

CR: No.

ESF: A lot of these fans are here to see folks that have been performing for 40 years, right? How do we keep the moments fresh? Personally, is there any artist or group that you’ve never booked but would like to?

CR: Jeez, I don’t know who I have not booked. And freestyle. I don’t know who I’ve not booked to keep it fresh. It’s funny you mentioned it. It’s a nostalgic show. The vibe in these venues is predicated on the people attending it. The people attending it, as you know, whenever they go to a freestyle show, whether it’s a freestyle show, whether it’s a freestyle party at a nightclub, it’s the  the fabric, the DNA of a freestyle listener. Those are happy people. So when you’re a happy person and you have like-minded people who love the same music, you’re going to have a happy time. And remember, when I say freestyle, it’s not just freestyle, it’s the dance and the disco era, all the DNA of all these folks. They’re generally good people. They love to have a great time and they love to dance. So when you put these like minded, people together in a venue, nothing goes wrong. It’s a great party. And now the window dressing is the artist. When the artists take the stage and they perform the songs, the hooks that everyone has grown to love throughout their life, that’s the music. That’s the time of the evening where it all kind comes together when everyone in unison knows every single word to the songs and they sing it together. That’s why you’re there. What keeps it fresh? The artist they they’re performing with great clothing, their stage presence, their dance routines, new material that they’re adding. Some artists do nice medleys and covers of other artists in addition to their classic hits. That all keeps everything fresh. That’s what keeps it fresh. They want the nostalgic and they want to see something different. Look at TKA. Every time they perform, they never wear the same outfit. It’s a different outfit.

ESF: So with this upcoming show, I know that there are a few surprise moments that you intend to to put in front of the the fans. Without giving anything away, is there anything you can share about potential surprises?

CR: I can share that this particular person has never attended any of my shows. I can share that this particular person is known all over the world. I can share that this person has received accolades from musical platforms from all over the world. And I can share that this person will be in attendance and is looking forward to seeing the music of freestyle.

ESF: Sounds exciting. I can’t wait to find out who it is. So with that, and again, you’ve been doing this for for 40 years now, what would you say is the hardest part of promoting a a legacy genre show in 2025? You know, is it rising production costs? Is it artist routing, venue policies, marketing noise or anything else? Or, is it all of the above?

CR: It’s all of the above. You want to keep the ticket price as affordable as possible. You never want to go up in price. But the rising cost of venue rentals, the rising cost of the artist fees, the rising cost of all, you know, sound, stage, light production, everyone has increased their prices. And that  takes away from the profit of the promoter at the end of the day, which makes it makes it more difficult to continue doing this. Everybody’s raising their price, but I don’t want to raise the price on the consumer. You know, they’re the ones that have kept a genre alive all these years. Why should they be penalized? I don’t want to penalize them, because without them,we don’t have a show.

ESF: I agree. This is true.

CR: So I think that vendors should not be greedy. And and you know, don’t let the people who have sustained this music for 40 years carry the burden. You know, don’t hurt their backs when when they’re the ones that are supporting all of us.

ESF: Yeah. And I fall into that category, right? Because I enjoy the shows as well. And certainly I would rather not spend a fortune on tickets. I’d rather spend what I didn’t spend on tickets at the bar.

CR: You can’t be greedy. You cannot be greedy. You have to make this enjoyable so it’s sustainable for a long time.

ESF: All right. Well, switching gears to something a little more positive, you know, you’ve done just countless number of shows over the years. Is there a single event that you’ve produced that you feel best captured that Miami old school party energy that you aim for? And why do you think that  the particular event was the one that captured it?

CR: Every single show captures it. Every show that I’ve done over the decades has been a sold out show. Every single show captures that. The audience pouring their hearts out, singing like there’s no tomorrow. When I see everybody lined up and singing every single verse to all their music, you can’t pick one from the other because it’s the same people attending the shows. I often hear people say, well, gosh, it’s the same lineup all over again. It’s the same artist all over again. Well, guess what? They’re the reasons why you’re here. Why? Why would I change anything that that everyone loves? You know, if it’s not broken, don’t try to fix anything. I like to bring what the people want to hear and the artists that are performing at the Miami 80s Music Festival, those are true artists who everyone loves to see, and that’s why they’re coming back. Look at Lime. How many times have we seen Lime, and how many times do you come to see Lime and sing every single verse of their songs? The same thing with France Joli. The same thing with with Coro, Cynthia, Judy Torres, Soave and Alisha.  You hear every single word and you’re singing the songs right there with them. That’s why they keep coming back.

ESF: Yeah. You know, I agree with you. Been there, done that. Will do it again.

CR: I know you have. I see you right there taking pictures every single time.

ESF: How has the freestyle crowd evolved—from 80s and 90s radio nights to multi‑generational families—and how do you program for that large demographic spectrum?

CR: Well, this was a no-brainer for me. Every month of December I do a toy drive. Anyhow, this show, it landed in December right after Thanksgiving. I might as well combine it all at the same time and do an early toy drive. Now it’s the first Saturday in December. You’re coming to a concert. Let me give a bonus and give everybody a drink. That’ll motivate you. How about that?

ESF: I think it’s a great idea and certainly I appreciate what you’re doing for for the kids in South Florida.

Photo: Ivan Romero

CR: You know, it’s a wonderful idea. There are so many kids, as you know, that need it, and they need to wake up with multiple toys underneath their tree, and I plan on having a huge truck pull up that night and pick up all these toys and distribute it to the kids who need it in our community.

ESF: And thank you for that, Charlie. So let me ask this question here. It’s been 40 years, right? Some of us are not as young as we used to be. So in your view, how has the freestyle crowd evolved from 80s and 90s radio nights to multi generational families and how do you program for such a large demographic? I mean obviously you’ve mentioned that folks are coming to see what they love and I think that’s obviously a big factor in it, but in general right now you’re not just programming for the the GenXers, right? Those in their 40s, 50s and 60s. But you’re starting to see their kids coming to the shows and their kids in some respect as well. So how do you plan/promote for that large a crowd demographic?

CR: We provide them, the parents, with the opportunity to bring the kids with them. Some of these kids are under 18 years of age and they always call up. Can I can I bring my child with me? Of course you can. Bring them with you. Absolutely. So yeah, you’ll see these young kids showing up with their parents. So you got grandfathers there showing up with their their grandson, granddaughters. They’re singing every song cause they grew up listening to this music in the household. So it’s part of the family culture. It’s part of the family special events during holiday gatherings when you have your parties. In your house, when you have your parties and banquet facilities, they program their playlists to include the disco, the dance music, the freestyle of the 70s, the 80s and the 90s. So the kids have grown up by default, listening to the music that their parents were dancing and jamming to all these years, making a fool out of themselves at parties in their house, and now the kids are part of it. The kids see the parents having a great time. They want to participate in there and have a great time too. And there goes your generation right there. And family that loves freestyle music and I I hear and I see it. It’s it’s pretty cool to see these young kids come up to me,  and want to take a picture with me. They’re freaking 20-25 years old. That’s pretty cool.

ESF: Yeah, that is pretty cool. So 40 years, you know, a lifetime in most cases. You know what part of putting on a show like the Miami 80s Music Fest is still old school, meaning, you know how you promoted, for example, Cop Aid versus how you promote today. So how much of that is old school and how much is now data-driven given the proliferation of of technology?

CR: Well, forget about radio. Radio is non-existent. It doesn’t exist. So you have to use different social media platforms. You you have to establish a a database of people who have attended your venues throughout the years and continue to do so. So whenever I have an event, I reach out to the folks that just attended the last event and those very same folks keep buying the tickets and supporting the music that they love. So it’s old school in a sense that I deliver; I hand deliver your tickets. I take a picture with you. I put that picture on social media. That’s pretty old school. Who else does that?

ESF: What do you think the attendance of cop aid would have been if you had those tools in 1989?

CR: Jeez… Huge, huge. Double. Could you imagine? Cause back then, yeah, back then they were young. So you had  more of a population that you have more kids today. Obviously we’re much older, so  a show today with 5000 people at 60 years old would be equivalent to 15,000 just because, you know, people pass away.

ESF: Yep. All right. So  we’re coming close to the end here of  our chat today. But you know I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask, when you look back on your 40 year run so far and hopefully you know much more to come, what do you hope people will say about your contribution to Miami’s music culture?

CR: Wow, I want them to know that I enjoyed partying with each and every single one of them throughout the years. I wasn’t just a promoter, I was one of them. You see me in the audience, one big living room party of everyone having a great time, one big happy family. That’s what I want to remember.

ESF: You know we always want to look forward and forward to the next best thing, right? So is there anything in the works after December 6th yet?

CR: There sure is.

ESF: Are we gonna share or are we gonna keep it quiet:

CR: It wouldn’t be a good. You cannot let your secret out of the bag because you always have someone who’s going to try to duplicate what you’re trying to do, so you keep it close. You keep it hush until you’re ready to release it to the public.

ESF: What did they say? Often imitated, never duplicated?

CR: You said it, not me.

ESF: All right. Well Charlie, thank you very much for taking the time to chat with Echoes of South Florida. We really do appreciate the opportunity. We are also grateful for the opportunity to capture the Miami 80s Music Fest on December 6th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport and Convention Center. We are looking forward to capturing and sharing that experience with our readers. Thank you very much, Charlie. Appreciate you.

CR: Thank you so much, Ivan. It’s been a great interview. I appreciate your friendship and I appreciate this professional interview.

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This event is possible through the support of  community sponsors:

Care Construction

C.A.R.E. Construction, a family-owned and operated company founded in 2009, has established itself as a prominent player in the construction industry. We specialize in the design, maintenance, and restoration of both commercial and residential properties affected by environmental factors such as high temperatures, wind, atmospheric pressure, weather, and humidity, particularly in the South Florida region.

Latin Builders Association

Since its establishment in 1971 by a group of local subcontractors, The Latin Builders Association® (LBA)  has embodied the interests of builders, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, plumbers, electricians and tradesmen associated with the business of construction, striving to provide a vital forum for discussion, networking, training/development, and representation at the local and state level. Today, it is one of the largest Hispanic construction associations in the United States, with hundreds of member companies representing every aspect of South Florida’s vibrant construction industry and most of the area’s related business concerns.

Vascardio Heart and Vascular Institute

Heart and Vascular Institute was founded by Francisco Dieguez, MD one of the most recognized cardiologists in South Florida. Being in practice for 12 years, he has envisioned an institute that is able to encompass all facets necessary for treatment of all cardiovascular diseases in a personalized fashion. His vision has become a reality. The multitude of services within Vascardio Heart and Vascular Institute make it the most complete institute to render services without having to enter a non-personalized hospital setting.

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The Miami 80’s Music Fest on December 6, 2025, brings together eight legends — France Joli, Soave, Coro, Judy Torres, Cynthia, Lime, TKA, and Alisha — for one night only at the DoubleTree in Miami.

Tickets are on sale now — don’t wait!

Visit Eventbrite.com or call Charlie directly at 786-277-2270 to grab your VIP access or your tickets before they sell out. Follow Charlie Rodriguez Live Entertainment on social media for artist spotlights, giveaways, and exclusive updates — and use #Miami80sFest to show your freestyle love.

Get ready to dance, sing, and relive the golden era of freestyle — because on December 6, Miami will be the capital of the ’80s all over again!”

There is still time to get your tickets for this show that you will not want to miss!

MIAMI 80s MUSIC FEST — Saturday, December 6, 2025, 7:00 PM–1:00 AM

Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport & Convention Center (711 NW 72nd Ave).

Holiday bonus: Bring an unwrapped toy and receive a complimentary drink ticket at the bar.

Ticket promo: Buy 3, get 1 free on Tier 6 tickets (limited offer).

Get tickets: Eventbrite — MIAMI 80s MUSIC FEST