MS REGGIE: FROM AFRICAN DANCE TO THE DJ BOOTH

For five years, Regina Stoitcheva aka Ms Reggie has been teaching African dance, using movement as a way to connect people with the rhythms and cultures of the African continent. Now, she is taking that relationship with music one step further.

Of Bulgarian-Nigerian heritage, Reggie grew up with a natural connection to African culture, but it was her travels and encounters with African dance traditions that truly deepened that connection. Time spent in Belgium and travels through Cape Verde, Uganda and Egypt exposed her to different communities, sounds and approaches to movement — experiences that gradually turned her curiosity into a passion.

Today, she is taking her first steps as a DJ, bringing together her understanding of rhythm, movement and African music for Afro Sunrise — a session designed not for the peak of the night, but for the beginning of the day.

Starting gently and building gradually, the set explores the richness of African rhythms and melodies, allowing the energy to rise naturally with the morning.

We sat down with Reggie to talk about dance, music, identity, travelling, and what happens when a dancer finally steps behind the decks.

Q: You have been connected to African dance for years. Where did that relationship with African music and movement begin?

Reggie: I think it has been a combination of things. Being of Bulgarian-Nigerian heritage, African culture has always felt like something I wanted to understand more deeply, but I didn't want to approach it only from a distance.

Travelling played a huge role in that. Living in Belgium and being exposed to different African communities there opened another door for me. And then travelling to places like Cape Verde, Uganda and Egypt, encountering different traditions and seeing how people actually move, celebrate and connect through music — that really lit a fire in me.

I think that was the moment when dance stopped being just something I enjoyed and became something I wanted to explore much more seriously.

Q: You have been teaching African dance for five years now. What has teaching taught you about music and rhythm?

Reggie:
Teaching has made me listen differently.

When you dance, you don't just hear the beat. You feel the accents, the pauses, the conversation between the music and the body. You start noticing small details that you might otherwise miss.

And teaching other people makes you very aware of how differently everyone experiences rhythm. There isn't always one "correct" way to feel a song.

For me, that connection between music and movement is at the heart of everything I do.

Q: You are now making your debut as a DJ. Why DJing, and why now?

Reggie:
It actually feels like a very natural next step.

I've spent years teaching people how to move to music, organizing events and constantly searching for new African sounds to share. At some point I realized that I didn't only want to dance to the music or teach it — I wanted to create the musical journey myself.

There is something very exciting about being able to choose what comes next, how the energy develops and what story you want to tell through the music.

So I wouldn't say that I'm suddenly becoming a DJ. It's more like I'm adding another language to something I've already been doing for years.

Q: Your first session is called Afro Sunrise. What does that concept mean to you?

Reggie:
I wanted the first session to feel like a sunrise rather than a party that happens to start early.

The morning has a completely different energy. You don't need to hit people with the biggest track immediately. You have time to breathe, listen and gradually wake up.

So the set starts softer and more atmospheric, then slowly builds. I'm interested in the details — the rhythms, the melodies, the textures — and in allowing the energy to develop naturally.

For me, Afro Sunrise is about that moment when the world is waking up and the music becomes part of it.

Q: African music encompasses an enormous range of rhythms and traditions. What attracts you to it as a DJ?

Reggie:
The richness.

I don't think of African music as one sound or one genre. There are so many different rhythms, melodies, traditions and contemporary interpretations coming from different parts of the continent.

What I love is that you can find music that is incredibly minimal and hypnotic, music that is deeply melodic, music that makes you want to move immediately — and all of it can have this very strong sense of rhythm.

I'm interested in exploring those connections rather than putting everything into one box.

Q: You also organize events promoting African music in your city. Why is that important to you?

Reggie:
Because I want people to have access to the music beyond the sounds they already know.

I've been organizing events with different styles of African music because I want to create spaces where people can discover something new without feeling like they need to already understand the culture or the scene.

Music is such an easy entry point. You can hear something you've never heard before, feel something, start dancing — and suddenly you want to know where it comes from.

That kind of curiosity is what I want to encourage.

Q: How do you approach putting a set together? Do you plan everything in advance?

Reggie:
I prepare, but I don't want to control everything.

I like having a selection of tracks and ideas that I know could work, but once I'm actually playing, I want to listen to what is happening.

Especially with a sunrise set, the progression is important. I don't want to force the energy to go somewhere before it's ready.

For me, DJing is a conversation. I bring the music, but the moment, the people and the environment also have a voice.

Q: What do you hope people take away from your first DJ set?

Reggie:
Honestly, I hope they discover something.

Maybe a new artist. Maybe a rhythm they've never heard before. Maybe they simply start their morning feeling good.

I don't think every set needs to be a huge, life-changing experience. Sometimes it's enough to create a beautiful moment where people feel connected — to the music, to each other and to themselves.

If people leave wanting to hear more African music, then I'll be very happy.

Q: And where do you see Reggie as a DJ going from here?

Reggie:
I'm still discovering that myself, which is part of the fun.

I don't want to rush into defining myself too narrowly. I want to keep listening, keep travelling, keep dancing and keep discovering music.

There is also a lot more I want to explore within African electronic music — the relationship between traditional rhythms and contemporary production, and how those sounds can exist in different environments and dancefloors.

For now, I'm enjoying the beginning.

Every artist has to start somewhere. I'm starting with the music that has been making me move for years.