“A force to be reckoned with, NGAIO is more than just a singer. This powerhouse of a performer can switch from a killer DJ set to delivering intricate jazz harmonies with a voice that could have stepped out of the 1940s, to heart-hitting spoken word. Expect music that crosses cultures, pushes boundaries and leaves you wanting more.“
Listen
NGAIO’s newest release combines the heart and soul of Four Quarters with her love of bass and undergound music she’s known for as a DJ. An introduction into the new chapter of her solo work.
Latest release:
Hold You Down Remixed – NGAIO
DJ & Radio Host
Ngaio’s infectious party starting selections saw her being booked at Glastonbury the same year she learned how to DJ in 2016. Since then she has played countless festivals, runs events with her all female/non binary DJ crew Booty Bass and hosts a monthly radio show on Soho Radio. Previously, Ngaio had a weekly radio show on SWU FM and has been featured on Rinse FM, BBC 1Xtra, BBC 6 Music and BBC Introducing.
Want to read my work?
Check out the blog!
Experience
DJ & Host
NGAIO’s high energy DJ sets are made up of sounds from around the globe and messages that matter, drawing heavily from her cultural background and travels.
Blending bass and global music, her sets combine Afro, Latin, Dancehall, UK Funky and D&B and live vocals. Find her on the decks, the mic, hosting events and monthly Soho Radio show.
NGAIO MUSIC
“I am who I am because of what has nurtured me. And that runs deeper down than skin. There’s so much more than one ethnicity. So why should I choose a side to live in.”
A voice that could have stepped out of the 1940s. Jazz layered harmonies wrap around the listeners ear speaking to identity, feminism and hope.
BOOTY BASS
Founded in 2018, Booty Bass brings together female and non-binary DJs taking inspiration from our collective diasporic backgrounds.
Expect high energy, big tunes, respect driven audiences – our parties are not to be missed. As a collective, and when we link up with Shade Cartel to run Obsidian.
Latest Ngaio Music Posts
Music is a listening sport but there’s a fair lot that goes on behind it. Whether it’s deciding what tracks to put in a new mix, going through the writing process, writing about what drives me as a creative and where I get my inspiration and the people who I work with along the way, I tend to document my musings here.!
Rag’n’Bone Man, O2 Academy
Bumping along on the bus to Rag n Bone man I didn't have a whole to go on in terms of expectation which I love - I take great joy in discovering an artist after they've blown up. It was the same with Kendrick Lamar, I point blank refuse to listen to an artist once too...
Chineke! Orchestra: Classical music diversified
"I could count on my hand the amount of people of colour I’d played with in the past 35 years... That’s not good." Fresh off the phone from BBC Radio 4, Chi-chi Nwanoku walked me through her mission to champion change and celebrate diversity in the Classical...
Chineke! Orchestra, St George’s
'I want black and minority ethnic musicians to walk on stage and know they belong' After speaking to Chi-Chi Nwanoku I was more than a little excited to watch Chineke! Orchestra playing music by Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint George at...