LLADY -- DJ LADY SHA
September 15, 2009
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1) How long have you been a Ladies Lotto member and how has it benefited you?
I've been in LL for a few years now and feel privileged to be apart of a network of women at the head of their industries. I love the company I keep when I get my daily digest and read what all the ladies are up to. I've partnered with several of the ladies in their events or in having them sponsor my events. Also, I love landing in a city and linking with a Ladies Lotto member that noticed my travels online. It's an instant comfort zone in new cities.
2) Being raised in LA, you were surrounded by other cultures and music. Did your parents take issue with your musical tastes, or did they embrace it?
My musical tastes were always my own... listened to in the privacy of my bedroom, headphones, or car (once I could drive). My parents left my taste in music alone. My dad listens to KCRW all day and my mom is a 80's & 90's pop lover.... I now love dropping some of the jams I'd hear on the radio stations they used to play.
3) Music is such a male dominated industry and it's hard for ladies to get props, particularly turntablists. What made you want to take that on?
I was always the girl that wanted to do the hobbies exclusive to boys. It began with guitar, then surfing, water polo, & finally DJ-ing. With DJ-ing, it satisfied my passion to pursue music while also being an immediate source of income. Ignoring the boys-club aura of it, I broke right into the professional DJ circuit after graduating from CAL. Ambition & hunger can make one circumnavigate any static.
4) How did you get your start DJ'ing?
I was a sophomore at Berkeley studying pre-med & anthropology while also taking on way too many extra-curriculars for my own good. My neighbor needed students to get funding for his DJ course on campus and begged me to enroll. I begrudgingly joined the course and within 2 weeks bought my own turntables & my path in life was drastically changed forever.
5) What DJ's (male or female) do you respect and who were you inspired by?
I have always been inspired by DJ Valida who holds the role of a female DJ down with such beautiful energy & warmth. Being a filmmaker, singer, model, & world traveler, she also reminds me it's possible to juggle many hats in life gracefully and never limit yourself. She was actually one of the first people that told me I should join Ladies Lotto.
DJ AM has been an inspiration to me not only in his talent as an incredible DJ, but as a human. At his memorial, one of his best friends said that AM used to advise his managers in business, "Be fair" and "Make sure our side of the street is clean." Additionally, many people had stories of how AM had helped them stay on their path of sobriety. As a DJ, he paved the way for people in our profession that play multi-genre sets to be able to someday make 20K a night & reach celebrity status unheard of before for a hip hop DJ. If I give my life's work the love, passion, dedication, and energy he gave to DJ-ing, I'll have succeeded.
6) You're the party-goer and not the DJ. What makes YOU want to move?
A DJ maintaining and building the energy of a night song to song without losing the dynamic of the beat in transitions. My favorite DJ's are ones that take me on a journey through memory lane, energetics, & vibe.
7) Which do you prefer? Spinning vinyl or digital?
Ideally, I love to spin digitally using serato with a vinyl interface on turntables. Best of both worlds.
8) The music industry has changed so vastly in the past 4 or 5 years. What do you think of the current trends in music and what do you miss?
I don't pay attention to current trends in music as much as I keep an ear out for innovative artists and those progressing the leading edge of their genres.
With music being as accessible as a simple & immediate download, there's been an increase in the amount of sounds I have to sift through to find gems, which is of course more time-consuming. I miss the feeling of buying a new album and listening to it over and over again while I pore over the cd's album art & insert.
9) To add to that, what artists are you absolutely feeling?
I could be here until next week answering that question because of the hundreds of mp3's I go through weekly. There's a fresh movement in LA's underground featuring earth shaking artists such as Rob Roy, Flying Lotus, & The Gaslamp Killer. Even if I don't fell an artist's entire repertoire, I always have a few songs every week that I cannot get enough of. This week, it happens to be Jay-Z's "Venus vs. Mars" off the new Blueprint 3 album.
10) You were already successful as a DJ, so what made you want to go a step further and start LionessLA? What do you hope to do with this venture?
LionessLA is a special events and marketing firm I founded with my business partner Aneesah Williams so that we could have the institution in place to create events we can call our own from their conception to their presentation. Instead of DJ-ing other people's events & fitting into their concept of nightlife, LionessLA is a way for us to produce events that combine our passions for quality music, live art displays, fine dining, fashion, & philanthropy. We began in 2006 with a mission to innovate Los Angeles nightlife with the LionessLA signature. With Los Angeles underway seasonally, we can now focus on collaborating with other cities around the world in addition to expanding Lioness Entertainment to take on other aspects in the music industry beyond event PR.
11) And lastly, we all know DJ's who don't seem to care about people sitting DOWN. What are your top five make-them-move, rump-shaking, no-parking-on-the-dance-floor jams of all time?
1. Get Your Freak On - Missy Elliot
2. Shorty Swing My Way - Kp & Envy
3. Shake it to the Ground - Rye Rye
4. Bucky Dun Gone - M.I.A.
5. Do My Ladies Run This Mutha - Memphis Bleek ft. Jay-Z
LionessLA online |
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Lioness LA Presents... SUNKISSED 2009
September 01, 2009
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Lioness LA Continues to Uplift Hollywood Nightlife with the Annual Launch of SUNKISSED, a Signature and Socially Conscious Nightlife Event.
Hollywood, California, September, 29th 2009 – LionessLA will present the finale of its Summer Nightlife Series for 2009 with SUNKISSED at Crown Bar in Hollywood, California. Promoting the charitable efforts of Peace X Peace, SUNKISSED will feature an exceptional art installation by artist and photographer, Christina M. Felice. LionessLA’s own DJ Lady Sha will be on the turntables with special musical guests throughout the night. Exclusive gift bags and giveaways will be given to guests by the event sponsors.
SUNKISSED is an annual Lioness LA event dedicated to celebrating charitable organizations who contribute to the prosperity of Women and Children. SUNKISSED is one of the most anticipated LLA events of the year. It launches Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 at Crown Bar—Hollywood’s regal hot spot and abode to LA’s most influential scenesters and tastemakers. Andy Fiscella and GQ editor, Chris Huvane, are the masterminds behind Crown Bar’s mystic and prestige. “LionessLA is looking forward to working with Crown Bar again on our favorite special event. Our last soiree at Crown Bar had over 400 attendees; we’re hoping to repeat that success. Lioness LA is also excited to promote the efforts of Peace X Peace alongside SUNKISSED. Peace X Peace works tirelessly to create peace in the world by bridging divides and uplifting the spirits and status of women from all countries—while encouraging real women to create real peace by communicating and supporting one another!” says Aneesah Williams, co-founder of LionessLA.
SUNKISSED is the finale of their 2009 Nightlife series and is followed by SPARK—a networking soiree, in early October.
To submit your Celebrity, Media, or Industry reservations, email aneesah@lionessla.com
Crown Bar is located at 7321 Santa Monica Blvd.Hollywood, CA90046. For more information on SUNKISSED and future events, visit http://www.lionessla.com/events.php
About DJ Lady Sha (Shaden Tavakoli) – She is one of Los Angeles’ influential and most talented female DJs. Having gained notoriety among Hollywood’s elite, she possesses an extraordinary following in southern California, the Bay area and New York. With a fan base that consists of thousands, Lady Sha has moved dance floors worldwide. In 2008, Lady Sha was also the first female DJ to win the Winter Music Conference’s DJ Spin-off. Her worldly vibe includes hip hop, reggae, soul, old-school, R&B, Middle Eastern tunes, afro-beat and rare grooves. Also co-founder of Lioness Entertainment, DJ Lady Sha serves as one of the main attractions at events, and she will be headlining all events in the Summer Nightlife series.
About PEACE X PEACE (Peace by Peace) -- The mission of Peace X Peace is to improve the status of women everywhere and to build sustainable peace. These efforts began in 2002 when Patricia Smith Melton, a poet, playwright, film maker, and photographer, gathered six experts in peace and women's rights from around the world to discuss how they might respond as women to the violence of 9/11/2001. Peace X Peace launched a global social network to connect women around the corner or around the world for cross-cultural dialogue and international understanding and developed popular e-news and web features that highlight women’s solutions and perspectives for peace. Today, more than 20,000 women bridge geographic and cultural divides, via the internet, and connect for friendship and dialogue, mutual support and solidarity, and collective peace action.
About LionessLA— LionessLA is a marketing and production firm with an emphasis on exclusive nightlife experiences and special events. Established in 2006, the Lioness mission seeks to expose clients to the finest in music, art, cuisines, venues, and products. Co-founders Shaden Tavakoli (DJ Lady Sha) & Aneesah Williams engrave the LionessLA signature universally with an impeccable taste for quality and progressive entertainment. By continuously building strategic alliances with sponsors, press, & charitable organizations, LionessLA innovates the forefront of global nightlife & social philanthropy.
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The Duchess Guide: LionessLA Feature
April 17, 2009
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April17
Bonjour!
Well I have a double dose of exciting things for you today. The first is that it’s Friday. And that means featured friend of Duchess day! I love learning more about these fabulous women I’m featuring and most have become fast friends and respected business peers. The second is that the Duchess Digest has gone front page. So if you want to read my front page featured article called “Sex and the City of Angels,” check out www.singlemindedwomen.com
Now - today’s featured lady is nothing short of miraculous. I remember meeting Aneesah and hearing her talk about LionessLA. It sounded great. Then I went to one of her events as a club in Beverly Hills and just about died. Talk about having your shit together! This woman brings her A-game every time and the game with LionessLA is wired tight! It was the most amazingly planned, organized and fun event I’d been to in Los Angeles. Great vibe, fabulous music and tons of fun people. She’s not just a great business woman, she also happens to be a caring, loving and funny as hell person. She has a heart of gold, could carry her own stand-up show and does the most amazing work. Enough of my blabbing, let’s pass the mic over to Aneesah to hear more . . .
***Click on the Press Clipping to read more***
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Dangerous and HP talk to DJ Lady Sha,
February 03, 2009
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Stiving Daily, LA CityBeat
January 22, 2009
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STRIVING DAILY
Lady Sha and the songs they secretly want to hear
By Nathan Solis
Although she was the first female to win the spin-off at Miami’s Winter Music Conference, Lady Sha will still take requests – but she’d like it to be a bit more respectful than just shouting your favorite song at her. Born Shaden Tavakoli in Iran, she made L.A. her home base with LionessLA, a female-focused special-events firm run with Aneesha Williams that dedicates each night’s proceeds to charity.
What made you decide to create a female-focused promotions company? If you’re active in L.A. nightlife, you notice that it’s male-dominated. All my bosses are male. When I met Aneesha, she was going to be my PR manager and just manage me as a DJ. But we made such a great team, we said that we needed to start a company that has a feminine presence. We don’t like to be exclusive – we have male DJs – but just to have that feminine touch. I liked that when we started LionessLA, I was dictating the vibe and the music. We still work with other promoters, but when it’s just us you notice the difference.
What’s an album that will never fail to get people moving? There’s no such thing. Different songs are the trigger for different crowds. I was at a club one night and the song that inspired the whole crowd to get moving was Green Day’s “When I Come Around.” At another club it’ll be Missy Elliott “Get Ur Freak On.” Yet at another it’ll be Aaliyah’s “Rock the Boat,” you know? It really depends on the crowd and playing the song they secretly wanted to hear without them knowing it.
Minnie Riperton or Nina Simone?
They’re so different. But Nina Simone. Especially Nina Simone remixed.
What was your last day job?
Lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons after I graduated Berkeley to supplement my income as a broke DJ. I haven’t had a day job since, and I’m feeling so blessed. I’m striving daily. I’m just trying to close the male/female divide.?
Lady Sha at Hot Butter Fridays at the Dakota Lounge, 1026 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. Fridays, 7 p.m. $5, free before 11. 21+. Lionessla.com or myspace.com/djladysha.
VIEW ONLINE: http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/striving_daily/7963/
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Press photos of Sunkissed September 2008
September 27, 2008
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Hollywood Charity Event Raises Awareness, Funds for Global Water Foundation
June 26, 2008
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Meet the scenester: Lady Sha
December 11, 2007
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Meet the scenester: Lady Sha
Giving back to the community, one party at a time
By Alexandra Le Tellier, METROMIX
December 11, 2007
LINK TO ARTICLE
Shaden Tavakoli, better known in the nightlife scene as Lady Sha, didn’t set out to become a DJ. The L.A. native grew up in a strict Persian household and did her parents proud by studying anthropology and pre-med at UC Berkeley. But while studying abroad in South Africa, she got in touch with her true passion, music, and turned her love of hip-hop, reggae and soul into a career as a DJ.
Next thing she knew, she was back in L.A. with residency at the Standard on the Sunset Strip, where on Tuesdays and Thursdays she plays underground music by the likes of Flying Lotus and Willow the Gaslamp Killer. "I like to push the envelope," she says. "The beats they use aren't predictable; it's almost like [the music is] coming from a different planet." That's not to say she doesn’t dig mainstream hip-hop, which she spins at Air Conditioned Supper Club on Friday nights. "I like to support good music, not just what’s popular," she says. Where Lady Sha has really carved a niche for herself, however, is with her charity events. About a year and a half ago, she hooked up with her friend Aneesha Williams to start LionessLA, an events company dedicated to supporting nonprofit orgs like AIDS Project LA, Global Fund and Haven House LA. Every other month, the duo puts on a party at a different club and dedicates the night to one charity. The club nights usually have an all-female DJ lineup as well as an art component like live painting. "The goal is to raise energy and awareness," she says of the free events. "Donations are optional." That said, LionessLA has collected more than $1,000 at each event, in part because donators receive gift bags—one of which included a Hustler porno DVD!
As for Lady Sha’s parents, they’re warming up to her after-dark ambitions. "They've stopped asking me if I'm going to go back to med school."
LionessLA’s next party goes down December 15 at Tantra and will have a "warriors" theme. The DJ lineup has Lady Sha alongside female DJs Step1, Puffs and Bianca O’Blivion, and KYLA will showcase a "black ’n’ bling” photography show. Email list@lionessla.com to get on the list, and come with a little cash—the night's proceeds will support the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).
Alexandra Le Tellier is Bars & Clubs editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
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Lady Lioness –DJ Lady Sha
July 11, 2008
By Hassahn Liggins
I’m sure most of us have heard that the lion is the king of jungle because it is a ferocious predator and rarely falls prey to any other species. In the urban jungle that many of us like to call Hollywood, the male DJ has dominated the nightlife scene by ferociously preying on the ears of club-goers with Top-40 hits with a slight underground mix. For years the Kid Capri’s and DJ AM’s of the world have dominated the ones and twos while driving mass crowds into rhythmic stampedes. While the lions have been unleashing a musical massacre on the dance floor for decades, the lionesses have been lurking in the shadows waiting for their moment to pounce. That moment is now here. With Spinderella leading the way, many other female DJ’s have made their way into volatile urban jungle competing for space on the turntables. Wikiipedia reads, “The lionesses are the hunters for their pride and capture their prey with precise and complex teamwork.” Mirroring the image of the “Queens of the Jungle,” DJ Lady Sha and Aneesah Williams have teamed up to form a female conglomerate known as LionessLA. In her own words, Lady Sha says, “LionessLA is a marketing and production firm with an emphasis on exclusive nightlife experiences and special events.”
While Aneesah handles most of the business, DJ Lady Sha not only commands the turntables but she also commands the crowd to groove to her eclectic blend of hip-hop, reggae, soul, and anything else that keeps the masses intrigued. When ask to describe her style, Lady Sha simply stated, “My style is creative, nostalgic but so fresh.”
But please don’t misconstrue the word, fresh, to mean new or novice; Ms. Sha is no rookie to the game. While she was in college trying to learn the curriculum she was simultaneously learning the art of turntablism. Since her days at UC Berkeley, she has rocked crowds from South Africa to South Central. “While studying abroad in South Africa she honed her skills a DJ and returned to Cali to prey on any and all who dared to enter her lioness den. As she explains, “... I came back to California after 6 months in South Africa a polished DJ. I knew my path was musical for sure after that experience... I was hooked on the high of creating incredible blends live, beat-matching genres, making people remember a time in their lives through a song, getting dance floors excited enough to dance, jump, and scream.”
While she may have left crowds screaming, the real world was screaming at her, trying to convince her to follow a path that led toward med school. Although she did get her undergrad degree at UC Berkeley, the only prescription she would be filling is one that would satisfy the appetites of music addicts across the globe. Throughout those travels she would come to realize that being a lioness in a lion dominated industry could be quite challenging. The challenge of trying to eat and avoid being eaten alive can create an awful amount of pressure on even the strongest of the pride. When asked about that pressure, Sha candidly stated, “Every time I get on the decks I feel like people are assuming I'm not the headlining DJ and I'm opening for someone else, or I'm just up there because I'm a female. I rarely think of the pressure... but I notice that people are surprised once I start rocking the crowd and I get a lot more props than a male DJ would.... I feel like women may get more compliments on a good job spinning than male DJs because perhaps it's expected that female DJ's won't be able to move a room like a male DJ would skill-wise/selection-wise.” For those of you that choose to pass off the female DJ as nothing but a sex object that lacks skill, musical knowledge, or crowd-rocking ability. Understand that the woman known as; Shaden Tavakoli is an avid pianist, guitarist, and songwriter as well. Her sex appeal is only the perfect accent to her musical prowess and relentless preparation. As she put it, “I'm preparing everyday, researching new and good music. I read up on the histories of soul, hip-hop, reggae, world music, and all music. I look up the original samples to new songs always trying to make the connections in an effort to connect with my audience.”
Connecting with audiences with a diverse blend of musical tastes has been DJ Lady Sha’s strength. From the jazz purists that frequent The Mint, the audacious velvet rope regulars at club Area, to the underground urbanites that mellow out at Little Temple, she covers the full spectrum of the urban jungle. She has become a premiere predator amongst her male and female counterparts as she masters the art of the harmonious hunt. Some may say DJ Lady Sha is a ferocious feline with an uncanny ability to prepare, seduce, then pounce on her unsuspecting prey with cuts, scratches, and intricate blends; she would simply say she is a Lady Lioness. |
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