Happy *actual* New Year to you and yours! Spring has sprung, and I'm sure, like myself, you've been navigating a lot through these multitudes of mercury retrogrades, venusian reverses (or whatever their called), etc. etc. that the planets have us down here suffering through. I admittedly had been having one of the roughest times of my life last month (hello eclipsing saturn's return), which made it incredibly difficult and complicated to share something I've been long been dreaming up and working on: dyaṣphönic.dance.

A high point amongst the lows of my March was being invited to A Seat at the Rhythm, a beautiful dinner and listening party by AfroDisco Social Hour, that drew upon themes of the Art Institute's Black Planet exhibition (please see it if you're in Chicago). Along with delicious diasporic eats from alaaṣe, the event invited attendees to meditate on art, music, and culture, speaking to the past and future of Pan-Africanism. To encourage connections after being seated, invitees were asked to share the history behind their names. When my neighbor posed the question to me, I entered a bit of an uncomfortable internal space. While I love the artistic name I chose for myself, I at times still feel nervous to share my history with others, fearing those who love the names given to them won't understand my story and won't be shy to express it either. It reminds me of when I meet new people in creative and nightlife spaces, I'm often asked, "What's your government?" But for me, though nerve-wracking, the better question actually is: Why Dya?

I entered the events space in Chicago working with collective Party Noire in 2018. When the world was in lockdown due to the pandemic in 2020, I used the extra time indoors to explore different new hobbies: drawing, playing video games, podcasting (don't ask lol). The one that stuck? Deejaying. I wanted to finally try what I'd been practicing in four walls in front of actual people. As the world was opening up years later, Party Noire was preparing to host one of our first parties back outside. I'd been sourcing music, practicing blends, feeling incredibly prepared to deejay for people for the first time, UNTIL, the event flyer needed to be made and I was asked: What's your DJ name?

Truthfully, it was later in the night and I did not have many options in mind. What I did know was I wanted to play music from Black countries and Black people all over. So I went with DJ Diaspora. Since then, I learned the importance of ownership and uniqueness as an artist and changed the spelling to Dyaspara, but kept the pronunciation. It's simple, and may not be as creative as it could've been, but it's true to me and my heritage so I'm proud of it!

Unlike my DJ name, I've had literal years to think of a party name. Through learning the dynamics of the local and larger entertainment scenes, I quickly realized that as a female selecta, I'd need to plan to have my own party space one day. A hunger for a mix of sounds and genres that only a few parties and DJs executed, mostly separately, made a party more and more needed for my artistic practice. When you listen to my sets, you may notice that we sonically touch at least four continents. From Baile Funk to GQom, these different sounds make up the pieces of me as Dyaspara; dya's phonics, if you will. Call it the former journalist in me, but I think dyaṣphönic is a pretty cool name. I'm hoping it'll be a really cool party, too.

My biggest hope is that DJ's play the music in their crates they feel they aren't able to elsewhere and that you all receive it; that you and other party goers no longer feel like you have to wait for that one Amapiano DJ or one Soca artist to come to Chicago to hear the range of music you love. If you're receiving this, you've likely already RSVP'd to my early birthday celebration (I love vanilla birthday cake btw), but if not, I'm really hoping you RSVP for your free entry. Bayab Gin, a very yummy African gin with an array of flavors, will be available for you to try. If you don't drink, I'm not mad at a lowkey penjamin button, either.

In gratitude, I'm sharing a mix from my very fun 93Boyz set last Sunday. I hope you enjoy and that you're prepared for a good time this Friday!

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