{"id":1654,"date":"2019-04-17T23:30:57","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T03:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ricqcolia.com\/?p=1654"},"modified":"2021-01-07T06:16:32","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T10:16:32","slug":"how-dj-charlotte-is-leading-the-future-is-female-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ricqcolia.com\/how-dj-charlotte-is-leading-the-future-is-female-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"How DJ Charlotte is leading the ‘Future is Female’ movement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a predominantly male industry, the list of prolific female DJs can be rather stark in Trinidad and Tobago. Whether due to lack of opportunity or the mindset that women can’t keep up, there’s a clear gender disparity, particularly in the numbers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In just a few years, DJ Charlotte <\/a><\/strong>has earned herself the reputation as one of the hottest female DJs in Trinidad and Tobago, becoming a household name as one of Slam 100.5FM’s main DJs, one of YUMA Carnival’s headline road DJs and serves as star act for some of the biggest events in the country, as well as regionally and internationally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her journey to get there hasn’t always been easy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charlotte shares more on how she got her start, why she quit at one point and her commitment to paving the way for a new generation of female DJs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you get your start as a DJ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DC<\/strong>: I was 15 and I had a group of friends who wanted to start a DJ group and play at small events, birthdays parties, that kind of thing. They said they wanted to pull me on board and I thought \u2018That\u2019s strange but okay’, I was down for it. They gave me a programme, Virtual DJ, which I downloaded and started playing around with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My brother also used to DJ, he\u2019d collect a lot of music on our very old computer back when it had Windows 95 (laugh<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d just listen to music, all kinds, music before my time…and I really enjoyed it. I\u2019d sit for hours just listening and mixing. I\u2019d make mixes for my brother and sister; they\u2019d be watching TV or playing games and have it on mute and listen to me play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there it went from playing at home to playing at birthday parties for like 10 people; I just enjoyed it so much. I started UWI at 18, where there were so many parties and it was there I was really exposed to playing for larger crowds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so you established yourself a bit more on the university scene. Post-UWI, were you still doing it as a hobby or as a side hustle?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DC<\/strong>: Fun fact: I actually quit while I was in UWI. I thought it was too much pressure, it was distracting. I was starting to get gigs, a lot of gigs, but I started to lose interest because I was getting exposed to the reality of the entertainment industry, particularly with how women are treated. As up-and-coming 19-year-old female DJ, let’s just say it wasn\u2019t a very welcoming space, from promoters, other DJs, down to even security. It was starting to become too much of a fight and I quit for about a year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was only when I went to one event and I saw Alicia D\u2019 Duchess perform. She mash<\/g> up the place. I was in the crowd and I remember standing there, thinking: “You’re not supposed to be in the crowd, you need to be up there on stage.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right then I knew I needed to get back on the horse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first major event was at Zen [Nightclub]. The party was swinging and I was starting to get this confidence I didn\u2019t have before, and it was something that I only felt while on stage. After that, I was hooked. Zen solidified that this is what I’m meant to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you market yourself beyond the UWI crowd? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DC:<\/strong> It was difficult because I didn\u2019t have anyone to guide me, so I looked at it as trying to meet as many and network with as many people as I can. I wasn\u2019t really thinking of my image at the time, I was thinking of getting into the parties, getting to play, just getting to be heard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was only, later on, I realized that my image was just as important as my career. I basically had to come with everything on my own: what kind of image I wanted to portray, what I was going to sell to the crowd, who I am as a person. I had to start thinking of myself not as a name but as a brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
DJ Charlotte<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Everything just kind of blew up from there. I didn\u2019t even realize how big the brand was getting until I\u2019d go to random places and people would just come up to me excitedly asking ‘Are you DJ Charlotte?!’ and I\u2019d be like whoa! (laugh<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m still not accustomed, it\u2019s still a weird feeling, you know? I was never really the popular one in school, so when someone comes up to me and says, hey, you had a great set, I\u2019m still blown away, to this day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given your position as one of the most prolific female DJs in the country, have you thought about putting together a mix tape<\/g> or any other projects that feature some of the up-and-coming female DJs? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DC<\/strong>: Yea, I\u2019ve definitely given that a lot of thought. There are a lot more female DJs in the country out there than people think. I\u2019ve had some of the younger DJs reach out to me asking me for advice and I\u2019d be some humbled by it because it\u2019s like I\u2019m still learning myself. I\u2019d definitely love to help the younger ones especially since I didn\u2019t have anyone to guide me in any way, and I feel like if you\u2019re blessed with a talent,<\/g> after a certain point you need to give back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always wanted to get into mentoring younger female DJs. I\u2019ve met with some of them, they\u2019re really good, some of them just need that push because it can be a scary field. I\u2019m not gonna lie, it can be an intimidating space, and you are judged to a higher standard than the guys. In terms of working with, for sure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have this phrase that I stand by,<\/g> ‘The future is female’, and I would really like to see more female DJs as headline acts and not just put first to warm up the crowd or because she look<\/g>s nice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Put her first because she\u2019s a good DJ. When people say \u2018you\u2019re the baddest<\/g><\/g> female DJ,\u2019 instead of making it a male and female thing, understand that there are some female DJs who are just as good if not better than some of the guys; let\u2019s not make a gender thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I definitely want to help some of the younger ones really understand the business from the early stages because there\u2019s a lot goes into it, like how to market yourself, how to push yourself as a brand, how not to get caught up in this one image of looking sexy. I mistakenly assumed that once you look good, you\u2019re guaranteed to get a booking, and that\u2019s not the case. You have to earn respect first, put the groundwork in first, earn a reputation first<\/strong><\/em> before you can really start putting you can start pushing yourself out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of gender, what advice would you give some of the younger\nDJs? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DC<\/strong>: When I first started out I was playing empty dances with bartenders only. But\u2026that same bartender knew someone who was doing an event and would put me on to them. That said, I\u2019ve realized that it doesn\u2019t matter where you go, what you do, as long as you leave a mark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, playing first is actually a good thing. Opening a dance is very important, I think more important than playing primetime. At primetime, people already know what to expect, what songs are gonna play. When you play first and engage a crowd or even a few people, that really speaks volumes to your talent. Playing first\u2026you have to know your music, not just what\u2019s popular right now. There\u2019s way too much music out there to be playing the same thing over and over. You gain a lot more respect and more bookings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next for DJ Charlotte? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DC<\/strong>: I\u2019m looking into production and a \u2018Future is Female\u2019 event. I really want to create something that will highlight and showcase females in the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m also considering going into talent management. Who knows, one day I could be managing the next up-and-coming female DJ. I feel like I\u2019m ready for that because\u2026I don\u2019t want to say a lot of managers exploit people, but there are times when you don\u2019t know who to trust in this industry and I feel like I can help a young woman a lot faster than when I was at my start. There are so many talented female DJs but they just don\u2019t know where to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the experience I have\nnow I can use that to mold and shape someone, put them out there and let them\nshine. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a predominantly male industry, the list of prolific female DJs can be rather stark in Trinidad and Tobago. Whether due to lack of opportunity or the mindset that women can’t keep up, there’s a clear gender disparity, particularly in the numbers. 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