Thousands came to tap into the spirit of house music at The Chosen Few Music DJs Festival in Chicago recently. Mother Nature must be a house head because the weather was perfect for dancing and outdoor festivities. For the past 26 years, DJ Wayne Williams’ brainchild has been a highly anticipated event and has garnered the respect of many around the world. Chicago is the home of house music, so it is fitting for it to be the host of such an amazing event. The festival has grown from a one-day event to a three-day festival with events leading up to it.
The playlists were created by a few top DJs, including Wayne Williams, Mike Dunn and Terry Hunter. They all offered their own flavor and delivered the same spirit of love, togetherness and a peaceful, loving vibe. It’s hard to explain house music to those who are not from Chicago. The best way to describe it is a wave of energy that takes over your body, providing a euphoria that gets triggered by the perfect rhythm, the perfect beat.
We asked native Chicagoan and festivalgoer Inez Woody what she loved about The Chosen Few. “The Chosen Few picnic brings our city together in a phenomenal way. I love the energy. I love to dance. And I love the house music. Seeing everyone in the park is amazing. Nothing but good vibes,” said Woody.
The good vibes consumed Hayes Park and for a brief few hours, Chicago is not the place you have been hearing about in the headlines. For these few hours an example of what the city can be is live and in motion. There have been no incidents of violence since the inception of the festival. We asked community activist RaShanah Baldwin why this event is so important to Chicago. “I love the great energy. The music gets you excited and gets you up dancing even if you don’t dance. I love that house music culture has not died and has been going strong for decades. The Black community needs to preserve it and protect it. The up tempo and beat of the music gives you life,” she said.
Taraji P. Henson from the hit television show “Empire” made an appearance and acquired some of that life RaShanah spoke of. One thing for sure, House Head or not, once that music hits, you will move your body.
