DJ Soul Sister Bio

Bio, links & press

SHORT BIO

About DJ Soul Sister - All the Way Live Since 1994

With a flair for the rare and desire to mix funky music "with your behind in mind," DJ Soul Sister has been rocking parties and radios since 1994, when she took her love of "crate digging" and collecting vintage funk vinyl LPs and 45s to another level becoming, then, the youngest DJ/programmer on WWOZ 90.7 FM Community Radio in New Orleans (www.wwoz.org). Well over a decade later, "Soul Sister" (as she is known to her faithful radio listeners) still holds down Saturday nights from 8-10pm, featuring the best in rare groove and deep funk from the late 1960s through early 1980s. Her "Soul Power" show is the longest-running rare groove radio show in the US.

Also a well-known local club and event "DJ artist," Soul Sister stays true to the format and music that she collects and loves - deep funk, rare groove, underground disco, D.C. go-go, boogaloo, Afro funk, groove jazz and old school hip hop. Despite the fact that Soul Sister is a rarity herself in DJ circles (She's one of the few women internationally to strictly specialize in vintage funky styles on 100% vinyl), she holds down several club residencies where fans flock to her "right on party situations" and has earned the respect of her DJ peers, international fan base and even several of the original artists/musicians themselves. She has also opened and been invited to open for a number of legendary acts, including George Clinton & P-Funk, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Isaac Hayes and many more.

As a tastemaker and recognized authority on funk, soul, disco, hip hop & rare groove music and musicians, her opinions are welcomed in articles, reviews and broadcast media programs about music and DJ culture. The highlight of her "opinion leader" status was interviewing the Ohio Players live on the Music Heritage Stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2006.

She's been profiled in the local publications OffBeat Magazine, Gambit Weekly ("Best of New Orleans" '02 Writer's Pick and '07 Readers Poll), New Orleans Magazine, Where Y'at ("Best of the Big Easy" '07) and Antigravity Magazine to name a few. And her parties were recently shouted out nationally via Fusicology.com (DJ Top 5, January 2007), Spin magazine's "Spin 101: America's Best Nights Out" section (June & July, 2006), in URB magazine (September, 2006), and was the first woman to be given a "Record Rundown" feature in the "globally popular" Wax Poetics (Aug/Sep '07).

She continues to produce & promote events, DJ parties, write music reviews, interview classic artists, host her radio program and inspire soulful people everywhere with the intention of "sharing this music that I love so much with everyone."

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Contact DJ Soul Sister: Melissa A. Weber, soulsister(at)djsoulsister(dot)com or (504) 400-3626 new number! | www.djsoulsister.com

BIO HIGHLIGHTS

*1st woman DJ to be given a "Record Rundown" feature in the globally-popular Wax Poetics magazine (Aug./Sep. 07 issue)

*1st DJ in New Orleans to be voted "Best DJ" in Gambit Weekly's Best of New Orleans Reader's Poll in 2007.

*Soul Sister's "Right On Party Situations" shouted out in national publications URB and Spin in '06, and in just about every New Orleans publication including receiving "Best of" nods in Gambit Weekly & Where Y'at magazines.

*Soul Sister celebrates 14 years with WWOZ FM in June '08, as host of "Soul Power," one of the longest-running rare groove radio programs in the US. (When she started, she was the youngest show host in the station's history, at 18 years old.)

*DJ Soul Sister celebrated 10 years as a live DJ artist in July '07. She currently enjoys three club weeklies: "Free Spirit," "Unwind" and "HUSTLE!," which is her renowned Saturday night residency at Mimi's in the Marigny, 3-years strong.

*Happy with her status as "queen of the underground djs in New Orleans," she finally performed her first out-of-town gigs as a result of Hurricane Katrina - including several in New York, where she lived for 2 months, and a legendary set at the Root Down Club (at Little Temple) in Los Angeles. She also performed in London in February 2008 for Southern Comfort's First Annual Soco Social Mardi Gras event.

*Invited to open for wide-ranging live local & national acts from Isaac Hayes, the George Duke/Stanley Clarke Project, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, the Isley Brothers and George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic to Jurassic 5, ReBirth Brass Band, the Roots, Musiq Soulchild and Galactic.

*As a tastemaker and recognized authority on funk, soul, disco, hip hop & rare groove music and musicians, her opinions are welcomed in articles, reviews and broadcast media programs about music and DJ culture. The highlight of her "opinion leader" status was interviewing the Ohio Players live on the Music Heritage Stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2006.

*In an effort to help and mentor others, her annual theme party promotions showcase several of New Orleans' best underground DJ artists, including many who have since left New Orleans like DJ Lady Fingaz (relocated to San Francisco) and the Dynamite DJ Dave Soul (relocated to Atlanta).

STUFF

Links to Press w/DJ Soul Sister

Wax Poetics, Record Rundown, August/September 2007 - page 1
Article/Interview - New Orleans Magazine, Persona Column, April 2006
Article/Interview - OffBeat Magazine, Urban Legends Column, July 2005
Interview - Antigravity Magazine, January 2005
Listing - SheJay.com
Review - Live New Orleans, June 2004

LOVE

So What'cha Sayin?

URB Magazine mention coming soon

Spin Magazine: SPIN 101:
Soul Sister Right On Party Situations have been listed in the June and July, 2006, issues of Spin Magazine in their "Spin 101: Best Nights Out" section. (page 90) Spin gave my "HUSTLE!" (Saturdays) *and* "Unwind" (Sundays) parties at Mimi's in the Marigny a 4-star rating, alongside a nice little description. To all Mimi's partiers, thank you for making these nights rank among the best parties in America!

NOLA.com: NOLA by Night Weblog, New Orleans, May 21, 2006
DJ Soul Sister Spins
"DJ Soul Sister, who posesses a flair for the rare and desire to spin select and mix funky music 'with your behind in mind,' has been rocking parties and radios since 1994. A well-known local club DJ, Soul Sister stays true to the format and music that she collects and loves - deep funk, rare groove, underground disco, D.C. go-go, boogaloo, Afro funk, groove jazz and old school hip hop.

Don't miss out every Sunday night at Mimi's in the Marigny. Never a cover, and musics starts at 9:00 PM. As a counter-balance to Soul Sister's Saturday dance party, Sundays at Mimi's are a bit laid back with a serious lounge vibe."

Gambit Weekly Magazine, New Orleans, "Best Bests" June 28, 2005
Preview of Soul Sister's "Throwback: A Hip Hop Jam" Launch Party"
"For the past couple weeks, DJ Soul Sister has been a soul lost in the wilderness. The neighbors surrounding Mimi's in the Marigny decided they'd had enough of the WWOZ DJ's floor-shaking, deep funk and rare groove parties there, forcing that particular party to take a hiatus. (Though that little tryout at the newly opened Handsome Willie's near the medical complex was certainly an intriguing experiment.) Now everyone's favorite Sister is trying something different, at a very comfy home for turntablists: Shiloh. The first Friday of each month will announce a return to the days of Yo! MTV Raps , break-dancing (perhaps the most unfortunately maligned pop-culture phenomenon of the past quarter-century) and a whole mess of Run-DMC with "Throwback: A Hip-Hop Jam." It's a logical progression from Soul Power, her Saturday-night show on 'OZ, and her raucous house parties, considering how much the funk of the late 1960s and '70s influenced hip-hop, both in samples and temperament. The Roots' drummer ?questlove's recent spinning gig at Shiloh a few weeks ago proved just how potent a place this venue can be for DJs and booty-shakers alike. No cover... . .." -- David Lee Simmons"

Where Y'at Magazine, New Orleans, "CD Reviews - I Gotta New Dance on VampiSoul," July 2005
"Vampisoul (www.vampisoul.com) is this ridiculous record label that specializes in reissues of extremely obscure music from the ‘60s and ‘70s in the realms of soul, funk, boogaloo and Latin music. DJ Soul Sister turned me onto the Vampisoul label over Jazz Fest, as we convened for lunch at Dunbar’s one day with some DJs in town for the Ponderosa Stomp. Oh yeah, also at the lunch were Rudy Ray Moore, a.k.a. Dolemite, and the raunchy shock rapper Blowfly. While we ate fried chicken and Moore and Blowfly dropped numerous f-bombs while telling some hilarious stories, Soul Sister slipped me this disc and I’ve been grooving to it ever since.. . .." -- Billy Thinnes"

Where Y'at Magazine, New Orleans, "Best of the Big Easy Editors' Picks," June 2005
Favorite dance party: DJ Soul Sister upstairs at Mimi’s (2601 Royal, 942-0690)
"If you don’t know, well, we will grudgingly fill you in. DJ Soul Sister has this mad collection of rare funk, soul, groove, boogaloo, soul jazz and so on and so forth. She spins selections from her collection on many Saturday nights at Mimi’s. Assorted hipsters and groove-masters turn out to listen and do things like shake it with style. We find the Soul Sister hang at Mimi’s to be the perfect accompaniment to another activity filled New Orleans evening, i.e. dinner at a decent place, a set of live music somewhere, a lot of drinks along the way, and then hitting Mimi’s to get the last vestiges of freakiness out for the evening. Good for the heart and soul and cardiovascular system, too."

Metroblogging New Orleans, "Finally," June 2005
"Apparently there's a venue that has been open for 4 months on Rampart that's not a jazz club or seedy gay bar. Like the love child of Mimi's and Butler's, behold, is King Bolden's.

A friend brought me there last night where Sean (the old hip-hop DJ from the now defunct Butler's) was spinning some awesome tracks to a random NOLA crowd. Next Saturday night should be a fantastic night to check it out with some great out of town DJs and Soul Sister (unfortunately booted out of Mimi's on Saturday night after nine months due to resident complaints of being too loud - an awesome thing to be booted for) is spinning there on Essence weekend.

If you were a regular of Soul Sister saturdays at Mimi's, the next best thing might just be on the 800 block of Rampart. See you there."

BarnBurner Music, "Rebel Release Party Madness... ," February 2005
About the Soul Rebels Brass Band CD Release Party at Rozy's Jazz Hall
"Everybody that attended the pre-party knows DJ Soul Sister is a deep funk, rare groove Enchantress that sets the room off. We gave her a marathon set, she smiled and tore the room up. Much appreciation!"

Where Y'at Magazine, New Orleans, "Lakeside to Riverside," December 2004/January 2005
About "Soul Sister’s 2nd Annual New Year’s Eve Party, Upstairs at Mimi’s in the Marigny" "For those who want to get past the clichéd New Year’s Eve dalliances and get to the heart of the matter-which is shaking it like you mean it to loud, thumping tracks of musical substance with lithe ladies of the night contorting sexily and dudes who know how to get up on the down stroke-the Soul Sister’s NYE party is the place. . .." -- Billy Thinnes

Gambit Weekly Magazine, New Orleans, "The Partying Pregosaur," November 2004
"Can you paint the town even when you're in a family way? Yes, Hot Mama, you can."
"If you love to dance to techno, but it tends to annoy you otherwise, find a DJ who spins music you like. Personally, Saturdays at Mimi's in the Marigny has been a fun venue for a gestating girl-about-town, with DJ Soul Sister spinning obscure and infectious funk music and a not-too-smoky environment." -- Eileen Loh Harrist

Times-Picayune, New Orleans, "Southern Stitches," November 2004
Project Alabama Show @ Ogden Museum of Southern Art
" Against a backdrop spiked by the sounds of DJ Soul Sister's turntables, the Ogden will turn the first floor of the museum into a catwalk where local fashion designers like Andrea Loest, Rebecca Rebouche and Zoe Williams will send their au courant accoutrements down the runway." -- Karen Sommer Shalett

Gambit Weekly Magazine, New Orleans, "Best of New Orleans Issue - Writer's Picks - A&E," August 2002
"Best Accomodation for Soulful Sleepyheads"
"Up until a few months ago, many a late-late-night party and romance was fueled by the hip-shaking grooves spun by WWOZ's Soul Sister. A ritual for many, the Soul Sister's "Soul Power" show, a mix of hits and rarities from primarily '70s funk and R&B, was broadcast Sunday morning from midnight to 3 a.m. The show has switched to a kinder schedule of 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday night; it's now launching the party rather than providing the soundtrack for the last call."