How ‘Big Dan’ Became Maluma & Other Latin Stars’ Go-To Bodyguard

In “The Stars Behind the Stars” franchise, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors share stories that have yet to be told, directly from those who aren’t often in front of the spotlight. Think “todo lo que no se ve detrás de cámaras,” or “everything that happens behind the scenes.” These unsung heroes are essential to an artist’s team and its foundation. Today, we highlight Daniel “Big Dan” 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 Sebastián Yatra,

“ My name is Daniel Vainberg, but everybody calls me ‘Big Dan,’” says the six-foot-eleven gentle giant who, over the years, has become the go-to bodyguard for Maluma and Sebastián Yatra. The nickname couldn’t be more fitting. Towering over his clients, Vainberg is a fixture in the Latin music ecosystem — and if you’ve been in the industry long enough, you’ve definitely seen him around (he’s hard to miss).

“ I’ve 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,” he says with a smirk.

Vainberg, who also co-founded his security company VIP Security FL in 2013, never imagined he’d become Latin music’s premier bodyguard. In fact, when he moved to Florida from Venezuela, he worked in audio and production — which he still does today, as a broadcast technician for the Miami Heat. But it wasn’t until a friend recruited him to do security for shows in nightclubs and theaters that he realized this was a calling.

After a few courses and trainings, as he worked towards a license to work as a security professional in the state of Florida, Vainberg’s roster of clients has grown exponentially, including Carlos Vives, Nicki Nicole, Juanes and music executives like Walter Kolm and Pablo Casal. “Nobody’s going to teach you more about what you have to do [as security] than actually being out on the road,” Vainberg explains.

But communication is key in his field. “If I’m working an artist’s tour, the production and tour manager are my right hand,” he says, with preparations and logistics starting months in advance. “I start talking to my tour manager, who sends me options of hotels, options of vehicles, options of local security, and that’s where we start our process of thinking, If we’re 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’s 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.”

A typical day on tour for Vainberg is anything but stress-free. “ 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’re with them everywhere, from the the hotel to venue, meetings, meet and greet, show, back to hotel. You pretty much become the artist.”

While physical safety of the artist is the top priority, Vainberg says his job goes beyond that — to the point where he’s protecting a brand.  ”We’re looking at details,” he says. “‘Is anything going wrong onstage? Are the fans okay?’ We’re taking care of an image because if something goes wrong in a show, they’re going to specifically say, ‘This happened at Maluma’s show.’  And that’s what we’re trying to prevent, we’re always looking the for anything that can go wrong.”

His communication with the fans is also part of the job — especially in an era where zealous fans can easily trace an artist’s location because of social media, or put a phone in front of their faces demanding selfies.  

“There’s always a way to get something done,” Vainberg says. “You can ask, say please and thank you, and that will go a long way. But when you demand something, that’s when everybody gets alarmed. If you ask us, we’ll try our best to get it. Sometimes we have to tell you, ‘Hey, at this moment I cannot guarantee anything because he’s in a meeting.’ But I’ll 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.”

Today, Vainberg, who is still out on the field himself offering bodyguard and other security services, his company employs nearly 70 people who provide a wide range of services.

“ I never thought that I was going to take care of somebody,” Vainberg says in reflection.  ”But I was always the one who instinctively looked over everybody’s shoulder, making sure that everything was alway good. Gaining an artist’s trust is key to this job and being kind,  you try to do your best and a little more.  I love that when I’m walking through events, everybody in the industry comes and says hi to me. They’ll stop and shake my hand and say, ‘Hey, Big Dan, how are you?’ And that just fulfills me as a person.”