In the 20 years since Ata Bahadir and his family came to Albuquerque from Turkey, he has built a life and a name for himself.
Coming first were his grandparents, followed by the rest of the family, Bahadir told KOB.
“Most of us had no English or didn’t even know what was going on around us," Bahadir said, according to KOB. "It’s definitely a different custom, different lifestyle, different environment, you know different religion, different everything.”
He worked his way into the Albuquerque night life in 2017, he has since opened two small businesses: Mr. AfterHours Presents for booking disc jockeys and other entertainment for local clubs and Casa Cocktails, a mobile bar tending business that also sells at-home cocktail boxes, KOB reported.
His hometown back in Turkey was destroyed by the recent earthquakes in Turkey, according to KOB.
“My parents, my uncle, everybody in my family – the city they grew up in is leveled," he told KOB. "All the buildings they grew up in, the building I was born and raised in. We lost probably over 40 extended family, relatives, old friends, in one night.”
Included in those people were his uncle's wife, Elcin. She was in Turkey at the time visiting her mom, KOB reported.
Bahadir found the connections he has supported through those businesses are now supporting him, noting deejays, headliners, even locals visiting downtown clubs have stepped up to help raise about $10,000 so far for his hometown, according to KOB.
“This whole Albuquerque nightlife community got behind me and helped me a lot so that was really emotional for me too," he told KOB. "I couldn’t do it without them."
People who are interested in helping his hometown in Turkey can visit a Gofundme page.