In \u201cThe Stars Behind the Stars\u201d\u00a0franchise,\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Latin<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Billboard Espa\u00f1ol\u00a0editors share stories that have yet to be told, directly from those who aren\u2019t often in front of the spotlight. Think \u201ctodo lo que no se ve detr\u00e1s de c\u00e1maras,\u201d or \u201ceverything that happens behind the scenes.\u201d These unsung heroes are essential to an artist\u2019s team and its foundation. Today, we highlight Daniel \u201cBig Dan\u201d Vainberg, who co-founded his security company VIP Security FL over a decade ago, and is the go-to bodyguard for stars like Maluma and Sebasti\u00e1n Yatra.<\/p>\n \u201c My name is Daniel Vainberg, but everybody calls me \u2018Big Dan,’\u201d says the six-foot-eleven gentle giant who, over the years, has become the go-to bodyguard for Maluma and Sebasti\u00e1n Yatra. The nickname couldn\u2019t be more fitting. Towering over his clients, Vainberg is a fixture in the Latin music ecosystem \u2014 and if you\u2019ve been in the industry long enough, you\u2019ve definitely seen him around (he\u2019s hard to miss).<\/p>\n More from Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c I\u2019ve always been the tallest guy in the family and in every classroom, every meeting that I go into, until I worked for the Miami Heat and I became one of the tall ones, but not the tallest,\u201d he says with a smirk.<\/p>\n Vainberg, who also co-founded his security company VIP Security FL in 2013, never imagined he\u2019d become Latin music\u2019s premier bodyguard. In fact, when he moved to Florida from Venezuela, he worked in audio and production \u2014 which he still does today, as a broadcast technician for the Miami Heat. But it wasn\u2019t until a friend recruited him to do security for shows in nightclubs and theaters that he realized this was a calling.<\/p>\n After a few courses and trainings, as he worked towards a license to work as a security professional in the state of Florida, Vainberg\u2019s roster of clients has grown exponentially, including Carlos Vives, Nicki Nicole, Juanes and music executives like Walter Kolm and Pablo Casal. \u201cNobody\u2019s going to teach you more about what you have to do [as security] than actually being out on the road,\u201d Vainberg explains.<\/p>\n Daniel Vainberg<\/p>\n But communication is key in his field. \u201cIf I\u2019m working an artist\u2019s tour, the production and tour manager are my right hand,\u201d he says, with preparations and logistics starting months in advance. \u201cI start talking to my tour manager, who sends me options of hotels, options of vehicles, options of local security, and that\u2019s where we start our process of thinking, If we\u2019re going to go for a 22-day spread of concerts, where are we going each day? How are we going to get there? What are the hotels, what are the flights? If there\u2019s a budget for an advanced team, or I have to do everything, you know it all comes down to pre-production and that way, it goes really smooth.\u201d<\/p>\n A typical day on tour for Vainberg is anything but stress-free. \u201c I wake up at three or four in the morning to prep, meaning I get ready for the day, have breakfast. Then we prep the artist and get everyone from their party to the vehicles. And you\u2019re with them everywhere, from the the hotel to venue, meetings, meet and greet, show, back to hotel. You pretty much become the artist.\u201d<\/p>\n While physical safety of the artist is the top priority, Vainberg says his job goes beyond that \u2014 to the point where he\u2019s protecting a brand. \u201dWe\u2019re looking at details,\u201d he says. \u201c\u2018Is anything going wrong onstage? Are the fans okay?\u2019 We\u2019re taking care of an image because if something goes wrong in a show, they\u2019re going to specifically say, \u2018This happened at Maluma\u2019s show.\u2019 And that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to prevent, we\u2019re always looking the for anything that can go wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel Vainberg<\/p>\n His communication with the fans is also part of the job \u2014 especially in an era where zealous fans can easily trace an artist\u2019s location because of social media, or put a phone in front of their faces demanding selfies.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always a way to get something done,\u201d Vainberg says. \u201cYou can ask, say please and thank you, and that will go a long way. But when you demand something, that\u2019s when everybody gets alarmed. If you ask us, we\u2019ll try our best to get it. Sometimes we have to tell you, \u2018Hey, at this moment I cannot guarantee anything because he\u2019s in a meeting.\u2019 But I\u2019ll suggest waiting by the door and as soon as we leave, we can do it. But remember, artists are human beings too, right? Trying to live the life that we live.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, Vainberg is still out in the field himself offering bodyguard and other security services. In addition, his company employs nearly 70 people who provide a wide range of services.<\/p>\n \u201c I never thought that I was going to take care of somebody,\u201d Vainberg says in reflection. \u201dBut I was always the one who instinctively looked over everybody\u2019s shoulder, making sure that everything was alway good. Gaining an artist\u2019s trust is key to this job and being kind, you try to do your best and a little more. I love that when I\u2019m walking through events, everybody in the industry comes and says hi to me. They\u2019ll stop and shake my hand and say, \u2018Hey, Big Dan, how are you?\u2019 And that just fulfills me as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n Best of Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Billboard’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In \u201cThe Stars Behind the Stars\u201d\u00a0franchise,\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Latin\u00a0and\u00a0Billboard Espa\u00f1ol\u00a0editors share stories that have yet to be told, directly from those who aren\u2019t often in front of the spotlight. Think \u201ctodo lo que no se ve detr\u00e1s de c\u00e1maras,\u201d or \u201ceverything that happens behind the scenes.\u201d These unsung heroes are essential to an artist\u2019s team and its foundation. 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