What is it like to DJ at Bluesfest? These artists have the answer

Spinning at Bluesfest is a unique experience, riding the ebbs and flows between shows and leaning into the varieties of music and crowds that Bluesfest summons

The DJs are spinning tucked away at Bluesfest along the river somewhere between the RBC Main Stage and the River stage in a self-described “Big Chill” zone, but the vibes through the night could get anything but chill. The Sleepwell Big Chill is an area that is branded as “your festival oasis,” where bluesfesters can take a seat, and grab food or a beverage in between sets of their favourite artists. A bluesfester may even catch a sunset or a breeze by the river.

But the local DJs working the spin stage are keeping the vibes and energy moving, encouraging dancers to keep the beat in the down time between shows. Karen Nimblett, otherwise known as DJ Karyen, is on the desk at the spin stage on July 15. The sun is setting and wildfire smoke is texturing the skies orange tint towards dusk.

The breeze is strong along the leaves and the river creating short whitecaps. She starts her set with a quick soundcheck after her festival-provided meal. She plans to start things off slow, with some ideas on certain genres and a vibe, and keeping it with some “afro beat stuff, maybe some R&B and some hip hop,” she said.

But mostly she will stick with “well-known artists”, moving towards some dance remixes when the dancers begin. It’s the second year in a row that Nimblett is playing Bluesfest, which she calls spinning a “great opportunity.” It’s something that Trevor Mason, a.k.a. DJ Mace, who performed at the festival for the first time on the spin stage from July 9-11, agrees with.

“I think most DJs, including myself in Ottawa, Bluesfest is the one you want to play,” Mason said. “It’s kind of like if you’re in Ottawa as a DJ and you don’t play Bluesfest, it’s almost like you’re not seen.” Now, Mason says that “the bucket list is checked off.”

DJing for decades Mason had been DJing for decades before finding himself on the spin stage at Bluesfest. He learned the craft on vinyls, shadowing friends and family who were active in the scene. When one of his cousins, who were DJs, went to bed, he would sneak to their crates and pull out their records.

“I was always fascinated by it,” Mason said, including everything around spinning, from the graphic design on event posters, to graffiti, to skateboarding, to vintage clothing and hip hop. Mason’s first love was Chicago House, followed by hip hop, but his musical roots ran deep into childhood. He grew up in a musical household and was raised on soca and Caribbean music like dancehall and reggae.

Nimblett followed a similar path. She would hear her dad play a lot of soca music in the house before she found her way to the scene through shadowing a DJ friend who owned a clothing store. There, she was able to learn and develop her craft.

She DJed in a club for the first time in around 2005, but then left the scene for about a decade for personal reasons. She found her way back to the scene around 2023 and has “been going strong ever since.” Now, Nimblett has started a Caribbean music discovery platform, became a podcast host, producer and editor, and has curated her own events.

Nimblett says that the space remains male-dominated, but since returning she’s been encouraged by more women hopping into the scene. But she isn’t waiting around, and continues the work of a trailblazer in the space. She’s also set to spin at the afterparty at the Afrovibes festival in Kitchener following her days at Bluesfest.

Nimblett was born and raised in Ottawa, and now uses the city as her “home base”, travelling for gigs when they arise. Mason, who was born in Toronto but has been based in Ottawa since the ’90s, does something similar. He performs in and organizes festivals across Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and even in the Caribbean.

“I’m moving around quite a bit,” he said. “It’s been fun.” Crazy Horse Saloon brings in its in-house DJs

The Crazy Horse Saloon has also brought along its in-house DJs for the third year of its pop-up at Bluesfest. Kwame Telemaque, otherwise known as DJ Kwame, and Michael Ciolfi, a.k.a. DJMC,

have been trading days back and forth at Bluesfest, spinning for patrons as they congregate and meet up with friends between shows. They may get a drink or ride the bull, or jam to what the DJs are playing. For the DJs, it’s an incredible ambience, change of pace from their Kanata gig and highlight of their calendar.

“It’s just so much fun to be a part of basically a big celebration of music and a big celebration of you know what our our city can provide,” Telemaque said. The DJs say that their set will change depending on the crowd and the artists who are headlining that day. It’s an echo of what Mason says about the spin stage.

“If it is a country-based artist, then you know it’s a bit more country-heavy, but we still kind of play a little bit of everything. But really, truly, I just read the crowd, and you know, if it is a country-based crowd, then I play country,” Telemaque said. “If it’s a hip-hop-based crowd, then maybe it’s a bit more hip-hop-based, and try to blend everything together and make it fun for everyone,” he said.

For Ciolfi the saloon has been a “a constant wave of people coming in and out of the tent” and “very fluid”, where it could be quiet one moment and then a couple hundred the next. Both DJs have been spinning for decades, and they hope to continue as long as the Crazy Horse keeps returning to the festival.

“This is definitely always marked on my calendar, the 10 days or 11 days where I’m like I can’t wait to not even just perform myself but go and speak to other performers and learn from other DJs,” Telemaque said.