The Art of Revolution Spotlight: DJ Rachael
Now is a time for radical change.
At Uprising Theater, we believe that art is a pillar of revolution. Inherently interactive, it forces society to engage with the perspectives of individual communities. From ten-story murals to fashion, to photography, to dance, art elevates the voice of the people. As a Palestinian American theater company, our mission has always been to amplify the voices of marginalized communities seeking social justice. As our society faces this exciting movement, we feel it imperative to play a role in passing the mic to Black voices.
Meet the Artist
DJ Rachael, born in Kampala Uganda, is a DJ/Producer/Music Writer/Activist & the first Ugandan artist to be selected for WOMEX 2016.
She is co-founder of the Dj/Production collective "Femme Electronic," a movement to support female DJs and electronic music producers in East Africa. DJ Rachael is currently working on her new EP "Shreds of Gunda," which will be released soon.
She has performed at Panorama Bar, Berlin 2019, and has been a headliner on several festivals and events around the world. Rachael was a speaker delegate at TEDXEuston, talking about African music in London 2018 and the World Music Conference in Accra 2018.
She was featured in the Smirnoff Europe, and Vice Media led Documentary "Women Equalizing Music: Women Changing the Face of Electronic Music" with Chicago's own The Blessed Madonna, FKA The Black Madonna, in 2017. As part of this project, DJ Rachael visited the United States for the first time to film part of the documentary where she played at Smart Bar in Chicago.
A magician of House|Afrogenics|Future Bass|All Rounder DJ, she is currently based in Los Angeles, California, but works with her group remotely.
The Art
Behind the Art
The track "Backyard Shots" was inspired by a video that we received from our friend from California with her 3 yr old son Diego asking why he keeps hearing gunshots in their backyard. That solemn day in Vallejo, there happened to be a "Black lives Matter" protest with people moving on the streets in their neighborhood, then suddenly they heard shots, and so Diego runs to his mum to get answers.
It was so intense but so cute at the same time with his little voice. I decided to make a track out of the vocal and made this intense Techno house song with an insane electronic melodic bassy effect, with drops of the catchy almost anthemic voices.
It sums up these times perfectly, I guess. The song has been released on Bandcamp as one of the tracks on my new EP "Shreds of Gunda" and will soon be ready for distribution on all other platforms.
Connect & Discover
This is only the beginning.
The goal of The Art of Revolution Series is to commission at least ten Black female and non-binary artists to amplify their rich artistic contributions in the medium of their choosing.
Throughout July, we will be introducing you to the selected artists and showcasing their work. We encourage you to like, subscribe, follow and share their work.
Support Local Voices.
Your support enables us to continue our mission: using art to amplify the voices of marginalized groups. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our ongoing work. Any amount will make an impact. Donations can be made through our GoFundMe Charity Page or via PayPal. Please note/select #BlackArtMatters.