On The Record: Umoja DJs Speak on the Crew

DJ Destroyer:

I have known a few of the Umoja Hi-Fi members for over 20 years now and when they asked if I would join the ranks a few years ago I felt it was a great honor. The one thing about Umoja Hi-Fi that unites us and is a common thread is our love for foundation roots reggae and dub. We all have our specialties in other genres, such as hip-hop,soul, funk and house, which makes our crew a special unit that are capable of rocking parties worldwide. I love the Umoja Sound and hope to express that love at our special event at Nola's on Friday August 31, 2012. 

DJ Daz:

Umoja Hi Fi are known as "the DJ's "DJs." Throughout the '90s, as Umoja Hi-Fi repped various clubs and events around Los Angeles and San Francisco, one would walk into a venue and hear music that was not only current, but relative to all genres of popular music of the time, played seamlessly by any one of the crew members blending hip-hop, jazz, reggae and dancehall, drum & bass, house music, and dance classics. The DJs that Umoja Hi-Fi would go on to play alongside and, in some cases, inspire include Cut Chemist, Nu-Mark, Z-Trip, Marques Wyatt, DJ Shadow, and many more.

DJ Jun: When we DJ with the Umoja Hi-Fi crew, we meet people who share the same passion to listen and dance. The music can set you free from the physical and it's great for the spirit.  You remember a song that had its time and space that made everything better–music is healing, moving with the rhythm unison. It's universal, no language needed if you can move to it. Body language is the way to talk. As a DJ, I crave new sounds for my sonic appetite; to find that tone that you've never heard that changes your perception on what you see and give you a sense of space. Looking for sound that can as well be a portal: sound ignites our imagination.