The throbbing beat. The pulsating rhythm and hypnotic lights. The heat and groove of a hot nightspot oozes sex. You’ve got beautiful people bumping and grinding the night away and the music is the greatest aphrodisiac.
The DJ is the maestro of that juxtaposition, simultaneously turning the crowd on with the latest cuts and teasing them back into submission with a mellow jam or two. The rise and fall is what keeps them engaged. For DJ Cha Cha Jones, the feeling is one of mutual gratification. “Over the years, music really has [had] a way of [getting] to me and I recognized [that it has] that same affect on a lot of people,” she says. “The first time I played and saw the crowd sway back and forth to what I was playing, that was all she wrote.”
From the iconic DJ Jazzy Joyce, to the legendary Spinderella of Salt-N-Pepa; the allure of the female DJ is powerful. They have the ability to tap into that unspoken physical connection between the body and the sound and their appeal is growing in clubs and at parties all over the globe — despite the ugly face of chauvinism sometimes rearing its head.
“I wouldn’t say it’s been easy,” says Jones as she stands over her turntables. “The most challenging thing that I deal with as a woman and a DJ is that people doubt.” But she has to admit; those who love to look behind the wheels of steel and see a pretty face outnumber the naysayers. “I think they’re kind of titillated by the idea of having a woman as a DJ,” Jones shares with a smile. “Guys seem to take to me pretty well — and I appreciate that.”
Jones’ advice to females looking to move the crowd is straightforward and simple. “Make sure you’re up on your game — and if you’ve got two or three good looks — use ‘em!” she says. “At the end of the day, it’s a performance. … But it’s something serious — so don’t think you can just come out with your iTunes. There’s a science to connecting to the audience.” –todd williams
