We’re heating up our Chinatown dancefloor with NYC/Queens icon DJ Rekha x YiuYiu 瑶瑶 for a South Asian x Chinese dance party!

A big inspiration for Chinatown Records, DJ Rekha has been making NYC dance + sing along to their favorite songs for decades, from Basement Bhangra to Bollywood Disco. We’re going fully digital for this one, so expect favorites ripped from our CD collections and the world wide web!

Remember to bring along any special garments and textile remnants for this season's interactive art installation, With Flying Colors by Annika Cheng. These recycled textiles will be incorporated into a series of banner flags that will be flown over Corky Lee Way during future block parties. With Flying Colors seeks to honor Chinatown garment workers and the people who love and wear the clothing that speaks to the world about who we are.

This is a block party for the whole family! Rain or shine ~ let us know you’re coming by signing up for free. Extra big shoutout to Jeff at Canal Sound & Light for leveling up our sound & teaching our resident vinyl DJ to go digital. See you there 💃🕺

This season of Chinatown Block Party 夏日傾情 is made possible by Canal Sound & Light. Sponsored by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs with support from NYC Dept of Small Businesses. Thank you to our community safety partner, Nonviolent Peaceforce.

DJ Rekha (born Rekha Malhotra) is a DJ, producer, curator, and educator. Their dynamic dub and hip-hop informed DJ sets often incorporate South Asian Diasporic dance music with ears to a global sound that resonates with dancefloors across the planet. They have shared the stage with many artists including AR Rahman, Yoko Ono, the Roots, M.I.A and have performed in festivals, clubs, and community spaces worldwide including the inaugural Women’s March, London Mela, 5X Fest, SXSW, Sundance.

They founded Basement Bhangra, in 1997, one of NYC’s longest-running club nights. Their debut album "DJ Rekha presents Basement Bhangra" (featuring a track with Wyclef Jean) won much critical acclaim and was nominated for best DJ album by the 2008 Plug Awards. They are the founder of Basement Bhangra™, Bollywood Disco, Lipstick Optional, and co-founder of Mutiny (with Vivek Bald) and Ronak (with Atif Ateeq) club nights. @djrekha @basementbhangra

YiuYiu 瑶瑶 is a DJ and oral history educator for Chinatown Records 華埠錄音 ~ a homegrown community effort to celebrate the richness of music, memory, and history that comes with inherited family collections. Spanning across Chinatown block parties, sonic histories, living room listenings, and endless learning with family and neighbors, Chinatown Records is an ever-growing record of the people we love, who bring all this music back to life with us. @chinatownrecordproject @rochellehkwan

Chinatown Block Party 夏日傾情 with YiuYiu 瑶瑶 & DJ Rekha

Chinatown Block Party 夏日傾情 with YiuYiu 瑶瑶 & DJ Rekha