DIORA, a Cape Town gem now residing in Amsterdam, is a force and vision. Blending many genres together to create enticing and euphoric stories through her sonics, her eclectic and cutthroat approach to dance music is matched only by her own fierceness. With an upcoming set for Boiler Room and her strong affiliations with groundbreaking queer collectives such as T4T DJ collective Los Angles, DIORA feels poised to take over the world. We caught up with her to find out more about her mix for PLAYY, and what makes a doll like DIORA tick.
Tell us a bit about your mix? What sort of sounds are you playing with here, and how does it speak toward who DIORA is as a DJ?
The mix is a warrior doll mix. I have incorporated a lot of different sounds here, as I usually do. I love to mix always a lot of genres together because I feel there’s too much to express. One genre isn’t enough. Maybe its also because I am incredibly ADHD…Not sure! But this mix I would say has some emotional elements to it, it’s about a vulnerable warrior doll who sheds a tear but she gets up because everyday is another day and a fight. This is DIORA in a nutshell. She makes music dance but to also feel like you are the highest version of yourself when you’re listening.
Could you tell us a bit about where your relationship with club music began? Was there a specific moment that you can recall where you thought ‘this is what I want to be doing?’
My relationships with clubs firstly started in Cape Town. My best friend and I would run around the streets going to all the clubs and queer parties. I found a lot of joy in these spaces. Freedom to express myself and my gender. However, my relationship with club music truly began in Amsterdam. I started going to events playing techno music, and all forms of dance/electronic music, and these parties gave me an introduction to the hypnotic quality of dance music and it’s healing powers. The first DJ I was obsessed with was LYZZA. She mixed a lot of genres together and all her sets had character, soul and feeling. She was my first inspiration, however I didn’t realise it was what I wanted to do at this point. Then, I moved to Berlin for half a year, and was introduced to the dolls in the scene. The likes of Mama Yha Yha, Cali Rose, Fashion, ariesfallenangel. Seeing trans women on the decks was something that moved me in a way I never knew I could be moved. I knew after witnessing these women play, I would want to also be fab and stunning and create stories with the music I wanted to play. They all command so much power and space, it really was something that felt magical for me to see. These girls also schooled me on everything I know today. Especially my mother, shoutout to Mama Yha Yha, I love you!
You’re originally from Cape Town, South Africa but moved over to Amsterdam a few years ago. What was the experience of shifting spaces like for you, and how does your South African background help inform your work in the Amsterdam scene?
Honestly, the move and shift was very difficult for me. I felt for a very long time I didn’t fit in, and I felt never truly welcomed. I never felt I had my people. (This now has changed – she’s the princess of Amsterdam underground, and try correct me if you like! ). But Cape Town taught me to be myself, and speak out always. Cause a scene! South African people are very comfortable with speaking about politics and that I carry that with me all the time. Let’s clock something problematic if we need to, especially in the ‘queer’ scene in Amsterdam.
What do you think Cape Town could learn from Amsterdam, and vice versa? Particularly when it comes to fostering queer nightlife spaces?
Amsterdam and Cape Town could not be more different. Cape Town could learn to be more receptive to various forms of electronic and dance music. Amsterdam could learn from Cape Town to be more communicative with one another. more celebratory of one another. northern EU clubbing can be so focused on how to act and be, and what is cool etc, and many times ppl actually are not allowing themselves to experience new energies, new people, people with different backgrounds. Amsterdam used to be very stubborn and didn’t really allow space for new comers, especially like myself, but I would say it has gotten a lot better. however, regarding fostering queers spaces I think Amsterdam especially needs to be more welcoming and not so cliquey. It’s so boring. There’s so many fun people that come from outside the EU with such different perspectives on queer club culture, and I hope Amsterdam can welcome these people in a bit more. we all learn the most from others different to us.
You’re gearing up to play a Boiler Room in Amsterdam this November. Congratulations! How do you approach preparing for important gigs like this one?
Omg BOILER ROOM!!! The way I thought it was a scam email. To be honest, I wouldn’t know how to prep for something this big, but I am just going to take my time with researching and getting the best tracks I think represent DIORA. I need to make a statement. Also I need an outfit (!)
What do you think have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced coming up as a DJ in your scene, and how did you navigate them?
Biggest challenges? Definitely being taken seriously. when I first started playing there were basically no trans women DJs on the scene. I think with the rise of myself, and Los Angles collective, clubs and bookers have had to learn how to speak to us. and many of them have not taken us seriously or try to give us a chance. Or often it happens that me and the dolls are the token and then we are not taken care of, but our name is just made for the lineup. This happens too many times.
What does the future look like for Diora? Any dream projects or collaborations that you’re hoping to manifest?
The future for DIORA… my goal is to reach beyond the decks, and allow for ‘DIORA’ to explore other avenues, which I do already. I want to expand into more spaces and allow for my artistry to reach everywhere. I have something exciting coming soon!
If you could offer your past self a piece of advice, what would you tell Dani from 10 years ago?
I would say trust the process. Life will surprise you. You’re gonna go through the most but it’s all part of it. Love yourself because you are worth it, and you can do anything you put your mind to. Forget the people in the back. Focus on the goal and the prize because you are a star.
