Why DJ Culture Matters to Global Music

What role do DJs play in breaking global electronic sounds?

Emily Dust by freethought
Balraj Samrai by Louis Reynolds
Jamz Supernova

Videos

These are just preview samples. You need a valid account and be logged in to watch the full clips.
  • event type:WOMEX 20 Conference Session
  • date:22 Oct 2020
  • time:17:00 - 18:00
  • venue:Online Event
  • event posted by:Piranha Arts

Links

Chaired by Emily Dust (UK), DJ; Club Summit curator; documentary maker, Emily Dust
Balraj Samrai (UK), label director, music producer, project manager, lecturer, educator, Swing Ting
Jamz Supernova (UK), radio broadcaster; DJ; label owner, Future Bounce

Yes, music wouldn't exist without the artists themselves, but DJs are digital diggers: they hunt for new sounds in interesting corners of the globe. Why does this matter?

In this panel, we'll discuss:

- Why playing music in a club, on the radio or at a festival is still an important way to break new records in different markets - breaking down barriers between what the crowd knows and what you want to represent

- How DJs can mindfully build relationships with global artists, rather than cherry picking trends

- How DJs fit into a wider musical ecosystem of promoters and label owners

- Diversity in DJing - in the UK alone, less than 3% of music producers are female, but the percentage of female DJs is much higher: let's celebrate DJing as an inclusive, accessible art form in its own right within the global music scene, helping to lower the barriers of entry to the rest of the scene.