At the tender age of 13, Thomas started spinning in youth clubs in Marzahn, a suburb of East Berlin and never looked back since then. He DJed in well known clubs in major German and European cities before moving to Hong Kong in 1998. His ability to play various different styles helped him to get a two year residence at the most happening place at that time: Red Rock in Lan Kwai Fong where he played R&B, Hip Hop, Funk, Soul and House: all styles in one regular four hours set in front of an excellent crowd.
Those days are long gone though. In recent years, Paninaro has become a permanent fixture in China' booming clubbing scene, making a name for himself with his signature trance and breaks sound. In 2004 alone he shared the stage with Johan Gielen, Above & Beyond, Agnelli and Nelson, Eddie Halliwell, Pulser, JFK, The Thrillseekers, Anne Savage and played even back2back with Scott Bond in Beijing. Paninaro is probably the most diverse high profile DJ in China by now: Electro, Breaks, Trance and even the occasional Retro Set: Thomas commands it all.
One of the most outstanding highlights of his DJ career was playing in front of thousands of revelers at an outdoor rave at Maan Chi Park in the Eastern Chinese coastal city of Wenzhou on Valentines Day 2004. A few months later Thomas Paninaro was supporting DJ for Gatecrasher Legend Matt Hardwick at Club Tang in Guangzhou. Matts comment later in a review at www.mattmardwick.com: ...The crowd were being really put in the mood by the excellent DJ Thomas Paninaro who I think will be a DJ to watch on the Asian scene.
2005 saw him embarking on massive tours covering more than 50 cities in Mainland China. During the summer months he rocked the clubs for Channel V, Asias leading music channel. With tour ads running on heavy rotation for three straight months on nationwide television and with countless print media, radio and TV interviews, Paninaro established himself as one of the most recognized entertainers in the countrys dance music scene.
However, Thomas is supporting the development of the burgeoning Chinese scene not only behind the desks but also via the airwaves. His biggest audience are probably the 700.000 listeners who tune into Live It Up, Shanghai!, broadcasted every week day at the 990 News Channel where he presents the latest trends in the music industry.
Last but not least, Paninaro is also one of the main men behind D.Event. Based in Shanghai, this company has become one of the leading forces in the countrys entertainment industry by setting up high-class dance events, importing international top league artists and nurturing local talents in a region that boasts an enormous potential.
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