Join us for the last in the series of Rehearsing Utopia – Building Community Through Music, where DON’T SLEEP ON US sets the ideal musical environment to source inspiration from event curators, DJs and others in how they use the magic of sound to bring people together for parties, identity and healing.
DON’T SLEEP ON US is a community which hosts networking parties where people of the global majority come together to celebrate, uplift and inspire. These events are anything but traditional. As usual, there will be conversations, performances, and an afterparty. Above all, you can come alone and not feel alone.
There are a limited number of tickets available for those who find the ticket price a barrier. Please contact rufshana.begum@richmix.org.uk
This event is part of Rehearsing Utopia, a series micro-commissioned by Rich Mix that invites artists to imagine their visions of the future.
Speakers:
Dibs (she/her) – Mothaland
Adiba DIBS Maduegbuna is a Nigerian born, London-based DJ, Producer and Curator. Dibs runs Mothaland, a music and arts collective championing African/diaspora music, art & culture. Approaching their first birthday, Mothaland events feel like a whistle-stop tour to journey through sounds from the continent of Africa and the diaspora. Dibs is known for her exciting blends of Afrobeats, Altè and re-imagining the sounds of the past. She has done guest mixes on NTS Radio, Balamii and No Signal as well as sets across London, NYC, Barcelona, Paris, Italy and her hometown Lagos. We’ll chat to Dibs about Mothaland, as well as the new night she’s co-founded called GLOWED UP, merging energy, creativity and fashion.
Sita Shah (she/her) – Daytimers
Sita Shah is a DJ by night and Creative Director by day. She’s a member of Daytimers, the south Asian underground collective, and also member of Sisu Collective and resident DJ at the techno night, Makaan. Sita demonstrates unconventional ways of navigating the familiar techno zone, going fast and furious with a crate of self-styled ’desi techno’. Taking four-to-the-floor rhythms mixed with garba (Gujarati folk music), M.I.A edits and tricked-out Bollywood songs with bhangra basslines. If you’ve seen Sita live you’ll know she brings the energy behind the decks and we’ll be in conversation with her about the power of music in speaking the peoples language.
Annilia/Nilz (she/her) and Ade Smilez (he/him) – RedRoom Underground
RedRoom Underground, the sold-out monthly event is where authentic Amapiano meets pure energy and beautiful people over at Peckham Audio. Annilia and Ade Smilez make up 2/4s of the brain behind it, and we will sit down with both of them for this in-conversation chat:
Annilia is currently a PA & Brand Coordinator for one of the world’s leading live entertainment and content companies as well as freelancing as a Talent/DJ Manager and Creative Consultant in the Afrohouse/Amapiano industry. A creative butterfly, she also holds a degree in Fashion and has worked in various sectors of the music industry.
Ade Smilez is a highly accredited amapiano DJ, most known for his ‘RedRoom Sessions’ birthed during lockdown where Ade would host weekly livestreams on Instagram and Twitch featuring a fusion of trance like visuals, dancers and motion graphics, with South African music culture at the root of it all. His ‘Amapiano to Afro House’ mix aired on BBC 1Xtra this year and he’s no stranger to playing sets amongst some of the greats including the Boiler Room Stage in Ibiza in partnership with Apple Music and Dolby Labs alongside Major League Djz and Charisse C. Ade has also played shows with Sha Sha, Uncle Waffles, Kabza De Smalls, DBN Gogo, Virgo Deep, Musa Keys and DJ Visca and rocked the first Amapiano stage at NHC with Piano People and Rough But Sweet Sound System.
Performances:
Nandi (she/her)
Zimbabwean born Nandi’s dynamic and graceful voice has contributed to the work of artists such as Jack Bruce (CREAM), Emeli Sande, FLOACIST (FLOETRY), NAO, Maverick Sabre, Orphy Robinson, 2fox and Cormega. In 2018, Nandi appeared on ITV’s The Voice, mentored by Will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones. In 2020, Nandi released her debut solo single ‘Your Love’ played on BBC Introducing London and will be releasing more solo material along with some exciting collaborations. We welcome Nandi back for her second performance at DON’T SLEEP ON US since 2018.
DJs:
Ade Smilez
Speaking about RedRoom, Ade Smilez will also join us in the afterparty for a sweet amapiano set.
DJ Hoops (she/her)
Birmingham born and bred DJ Hoops wants to make you dance. Tonight she is representing Daytimers, it will be Bangers FM. From Panjab to Rio via South London. You can catch a Hoops special in Peckham – she believes big beats are the best. Find her dancing with your auntie, I bet your uncle can’t wait for the switch!
DON’T CALL ME TAKO (she/they)
DON’T CALL ME TAKO, a DJ/Producer based in London & Lisbon, draws on her Lusophone roots and intimate knowledge of African Electronic Music to explore the genres’ evolutions and the similarities between scenes. She is a resident DJ for Mothaland, biweekly at No Signal & hosting her solo radio show monthly at AAJA.
OneThabs (he/him)
OneThabs is the Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) born self-professed groove connoisseur living in east London. Though he fine tuned his skills during the pandemic, OneThabs is an experienced DJ and when he’s not on the dance floor, you’ll find him playing a soulful set of Amapiano, heavily influenced in vocals and singalongs that transport you away from the dancefloor into a trance. He plays a mixture of deep house, Afrohouse and Afrotech sounds influenced by the sounds of Black Coffee and Black Motion. He regularly DJs in the Amapiano underground scene including No Signal’s Diaspora Dance in a B2B with his mentor Golden Lady.
DON’T SLEEP ON US Instagram / DON’T SLEEP ON US Website
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If you have any access requirements, please contact our box office team on 020 7613 7498 or email boxoffice@richmix.org.uk
