From calypso to Latin and hip-hop, to dance-hall, DJ Lady Staliet has a passion for international music and the stories it tells from a young age.
As an Arizona transplant, born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, this self-taught DJ made her Pride debut on the turntables from at the Phoenix Pride Festival’s Dance Pavilion.
Echo Magazine caught up with DJ Lady Staliet ahead of her first-ever Pride appearance and here’s what she had to say.
Echo: Can you tell me a little about your background? What were you were like as a child?
DJ Lady Staliet: I was born and raised in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and I now reside in Phoenix. As a kid I was definitely talkative, chatty, sometimes loud and, believe it or not, a bit shy. You would always find me outside running around, dancing to my native soca music or playing soccer. When I wasn’t doing that, I would be organizing little concerts and shows for my little cousins and neighbors to perform in.
Echo: Was anyone in your family into music?
DJ Lady Staliet: My dad is a professional musician, a drummer, so I grew up around a lot of music. I come from a big family of music lovers. So, no matter whose house I visited, the radio was always on and everyone listened to something different. Music was just always around me. I guess you can say I was a musical kid.
Echo:What music did you like growing up?
DJ Lady Staliet: With my father being a musician, I would say I definitely got my musical genes from him. But I have always been fascinated by music and its different genres from as early as I can remember. In Trinidad, we have our own genres of music like calypso, soca, chutney, just to name a few, but our radio stations definitely mixed it up and played hip-hop, reggae, dance-hall, pop, rock, jazz, gospel – you name it …
Echo: How did the idea to become a DJ come about?
DJ Lady Staliet: [When] I was 13, my two older cousins were DJs. So, I would sit and watch them practice for hours. They would use a mixer and two portable CD players. One day, I asked one of them if I could try it out. Learning to DJ took me a while, but I eventually got it and I am proud to say that I’m 100-percent self-taught.
Echo: What is the story behind your DJ name?
DJ Lady Staliet: After my cousin saw how serious I was about the craft, he gave me the DJ name DJ Black Stallion, because he said I was always running around in the yard like a wild horse. I accepted the name, but later changed it to DJ Lady Staliet after my 14th birthday to symbolize my coming of age.
Echo: Who are some of your favorite artists currently?
DJ Lady Staliet: My favorite songs and artists usually depend on what mood I’m in or vibes that I’m feeling. These days, I’m really into Afro-pop, tropical house, dance-hall and a little bit of trap music. Some of my favorite artists [that] I’m listening to right now are Migos, Rae Scremmurd, Runtown, Mr. Eazi, Yemi Alade, Bunji Garlin, Voice, Maluma, Alkaline, Popcaan and Chronixx.
Echo: What do you try to communicate to the audience through your vibe?
DJ Lady Staliet: I really just like to see people enjoy themselves so as a DJ there’s nothing else in this world that satisfies me more than pleasing my crowd and knowing that they had a great time. So, I try to show the audience that I am here to play for them. Not [for] myself, but for them.
Echo: Have you ever performed at a Pride before? What can attendees expect of your show?
DJ Lady Staliet: No, I have never performed at [any] Pride before ... I am definitely looking forward to attending Pride this year [and] I’m most excited about taking the stage and making the people get up and dance … I really like dropping new remixes and mashups of what trending or hot at the moment.
For more information on DJ Lady Staliet , like her on Facebook at facebook.com/djladystaliet or visit blackstalietproducti.wixsite.com/djladystaliet.