From Singing Bowls To DJ Decks | International Women's Day

On Saturday night I swapped my Singing Bowls for DJ Decks!

In January 2025, I promised myself I would find a hobby that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and when I spotted a local workshop inviting women and gender-expansive people to have a go at DJing, I was IN!

As you well know, I bloody love music.

But the thought of playing music on vinyl sparked something in me that made me feel curious and super excited.

It’s such a slow, mindful hobby in a lot of ways - because you have to spend a lot of time listening to a lot of music… Then you have to actually find the vinyl in a record shop!

It’s like treasure hunting.

Over the past 15 months, I have been driving around in my car to curated playlists, learning about which tracks sound best together, and it opened my heart to a whole new world of music that I had never experienced before - 70s Latin funk.

It started with this one track called Algeria by Elia y Elizabeth. I was instantly taken in by the audacious brass introduction that melted into a shuffly, silky piano, which burst into a chorus so joyful it brought me to tears. It transported me into a world of soft pop, folk, and tropical funk that this little Lancashire lass had never experienced before.

They are singing in Spanish too - so I had no idea what the words were until I Googled them… They’re singing about a woman who sells avocados.

What’s not to love.

Women celebrating women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RD01U_g1KFw4k&v=01U_g1KFw4k

After attending the We Turn Tables workshop last May, and after a year of very slowly curating my collection, I got invited to do my first gig on Saturday night in celebration of International Women’s Day.

I chose a 40-minute set packed with all my favourite female artists to celebrate International Women’s Day - from Elza Soares, Asha Puthli, Carole King, Evinha, Hanna, Fleetwood Mac, Sade, and of course the Cocteau Twins.

From songs about goddesses… to love… to Mother Earth… to what it feels like to be a woman - it was an honour to share their voices and creativity 🧡

It was LITERALLY my first time behind the decks (apart from a two-hour workshop and a 1-to-1 lesson with JoMo), and it was a massive reminder to do something that makes you crazy nervous/excited! Once my little hands stopped shaking, I just couldn’t believe how magical it is watching people dance 💃

I’m used to people meditating with their eyes shut 😆😂

I haven’t felt that combination of nerves, fear, elation, happiness, and joy in such a long time.

Finally, thank you so much to JoMo, Yorkshire Sound Women Network, Nelson’s Wine Bar & all the AMAZING women I shared the decks with on Saturday Night.

Here’s to the women in music!

Hannah xxx