Growing Beats and Community With Sunny Cheeba: Discussing this year’s Banjee Boombox festival

Episode Transcript

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[00:00:00] Introduction to Banjee Boombox Festival

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Jay Ray: This week on Queue Points, we are celebrating the Banjee Boombox festival. Banjee Boombox is a fiscally sponsored, vibrant QTBIPOC festival, dedicated to the celebration, amplification and cultivation of safe spaces for the diverse voices of women, non-binary individuals and LGBTQIA+ artists, DJs and musicians. Their mission is to create an inclusive platform that not only showcases the incredible talent within the community, but also fosters an environment where every unique voice can be heard and appreciated.

[00:00:40] Welcome Sunny Cheeba

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Jay Ray: On this episode, we welcome festival performer, Sunny Cheeba.

Queue Points family, we are, of course, celebrating the beauty that is Banjee Boombox, which is happening August 3rd at the Sultan Room in the planet of Brooklyn on August 3rd.

And we have with us one of the folks that will be on the stage rocking it for the crowd there. Sunny Cheeba, welcome to Queue Points. How are you?

Sunny Cheeba: Peace y'all. Thank you for having me. I'm in good spirits. I'm tired because I had a crazy day yesterday, but grateful to be here.

Jay Ray: Welcome, welcome. Welcome, welcome.

[00:01:20] Importance of Inclusive Spaces

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Jay Ray: So We're going to definitely get into your history a bit, but we're going to first start with Banji Boombox. So this is such an important festival for a lot of reasons, but one of those reasons is of course, the inclusive, the inclusivity component of this. Um, when I get your perspective from your perspective, why is it important that spaces like Banji Boombox exist for the audience and the artists?

Sunny Cheeba: Absolutely. I feel like we need to have control of the spaces that we're in. You know, I feel like a lot of times we get booked to be on like bigger lineups or like, you know, um, other events, but being able to control this space, the, the, Diversity of the lineup that you want to see, and a place where people feel safe to be themselves, to be, you know what I mean, flamboyant, like, just loud and proud of who they are, and there's no judgment.

It is an inclusive space, and just for us to get raunchy together and feel good, you know?

DJ Sir Daniel: I love it.

Jay Ray: Yo, to that point. Okay.

[00:02:28] Sunny Cheeba's Performance Preview

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Jay Ray: So give us a little flavor. Like, so on the set. So for you, um, at B& G Boombox, like what can people expect from you? What flavor are you bringing for this? We're really curious about what story do you want to tell on stage for B& G Boombox? Love

Sunny Cheeba: because a lot of times I mostly freestyle a lot of my sets. I walk into a room understanding like I look at the artists that are playing. I listen to the music that's playing. I read the crowd before I even get on. Um, but for this, I just want to be, and you know, I only have an hour.

So I feel like I got to like, you know, from jump. Um, so you're probably gonna hear like a lot of house, Latin house, club music, classic 90s shit that's gonna like make you drop low. That's like really my vibe right now. But of course, you know, I love like reading the room and like seeing how people react to the sets that are playing and maybe if somebody's doing all of that before I might switch it up if I go on after that, you know?

Jay Ray: Love it.

DJ Sir Daniel: you are speaking my language, Sunny Cheeba, you speak my language. And I, I can't wait. First of all, this, this is a homecoming for me cause I grew up in Brooklyn and, you know, grew up in the zeitgeist of, you know, the golden era and it's so, it's beautiful.

[00:03:50] Addressing Xenophobia in Hip Hop

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DJ Sir Daniel: That Banshee Boombox is here, but it's also ironic in this moment of time that we've curated a space for inclusion in hip hop when today there are so many opponents that are popping up, opponents within the culture that aim to erase the contributions of Of various citizens of hip hop.

So what is your reaction to this moment of just straight up xenophobia within the culture?

Sunny Cheeba: Honestly, I feel like it's really telling because you hear people talk about like Being against like the police or stuff like that, but then you see artists out here repping Eric Adams and I'm like, make it make sense, you know, um, there's just so many layers to it. I feel like we have to be You have to remember the origins of hip hop and understanding that it was a voice for people who are oppressed in your cities and being able to, um, share your message with the world and be able to have a platform to speak your truth.

And I think we have to stay true to that. And yeah, I, I just, I just love what's happening and people who are like taking that and like running with it and doing what they want and speaking their truth. You know what I mean?

DJ Sir Daniel: Yeah. And like you said, there's so many of us that have, whether we were born in this country or, you know, immigrated to this country that have contributed to this culture, to this. Art. There are so many people of different walks of life. As a matter of fact, we just celebrated, um, Larry Levine, what would have been his 70th birthday, and I just.

You know what I'm saying? And to this day, you, you know, you and I, we speak the language, we're DJs. You, and so to this day, we still feel his imprint on us. And so I just would love for you to share with, um, the Queue Points podcast listeners. What. What do you want your legacy to be as a DJ and as a culture curator?

[00:05:59] Sunny Cheeba's Legacy and Vision

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Sunny Cheeba: I feel like For me, like I've always been a person where it's like, if I feel like I don't see it happening, I'm going to make it happen. So like I started throwing parties in the Bronx almost 10 years ago with my crew. And it's because, you know, we always had to travel far to like, have a good time. But I was like, I see like an area that we need to, um, amplify and being able to create your spaces and like have, have people, um, who feel the same way, who have the same, um, who have the same, um, what am I trying to say?

Like have the same values, you know what I

DJ Sir Daniel: mean? Like Mm hmm.

Sunny Cheeba: being in a room full of people who get it. And I feel like we always just have to be those people. So my legacy really is being able to curate spaces, being able to bridge the gap, you know, through generations. Like I love Being in a space where you see elders and young folks, because music is liberation.

Like, aside from DJing, I also farm. Like, I'm a farmer by day and a DJ by night. So, for me, like, being able to take control of the food system, the things you want to eat, and also the spaces you want to be in, and how the spaces you want to be in are kind of like a fractal. In the, in the larger scheme of things, like the fact that they say like a butterfly can create like a tornado and like the other side of the world, we have a, have the power to create waves of change and even doesn't matter how small they are.

As long as we do it together and uplifting each other I feel like that really is like the epitome of why I do everything I do.

[00:07:40] The Intersection of Music and Farming

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Jay Ray: So Sonny, I did not know we were going to ask this question, but I, as a food person, Sir Daniel knows this. I have to ask you, um, music is one of those things for us that has really sustained us and given us life. Food is another thing that is germane to our existence, right? You know what I'm saying? And so talk about the importance of.

You know, from your perspective, where our food comes from and why it's important that we understand that as where our food comes from and really getting into it, like you've gotten into it.

Sunny Cheeba: absolutely. I mean, being a person who grew up in New York City in the South Bronx, like I'm a child of like redlining and food insecurities, like, and being very detached from our food systems. And this is how they want it, right? Like, the variety that we get in supermarkets is nothing near to what exists in the world and the biodiversity that exists in the world.

So for me, like getting into farming was about. Being able to understand and see like the magic that is the thing like food is so magical. The fact that it grows from the seed in the dirt and like you nurture it and It teaches you so much about life and giving and taking and and the symbiotic relationships that we need to have with the earth and with each other.

So being able to like have people like I am so adamant on like getting people to come to the farm that I work at in the South Bronx, and like, it's a community space so being able to have people come and they were culturally relevant props so it's like, Not just the thing like kale and stuff. We grow things that align with our cultures.

And that's also super important because people think just giving people healthy food is changing anything, but if they don't have a connection to it, they don't know what to do with it. Right. So yeah, there's just, there's so many layers. I could go really deep into it, but food is so powerful and music.

It's like, these are the things that nourish us and uplift us. So we need to like, be very, um, Like, what is the, I think Fela Kuti says something like, music is sacred, you don't like, you don't mess with it, like, this is something, this is, this is God's tools, our tools. Um. to lift each other up. So I hope I didn't you left.

DJ Sir Daniel: No, I love this because you, I don't think you realize you dropped such a gem on us at, um, in this moment because in the basis of what you're saying is what we ingest food and music. definitely comes out in the, the energy that we're projecting into this world. And we project onto each other. And if we really want to see a change in the way that we treat each other, we're going to have to start what we're putting into our bodies, including the food and the music and Sunny Cheeba is a soldier for that change.

[00:10:43] Upcoming Events and Final Thoughts

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DJ Sir Daniel: Sonny, please let the Queue Points podcast family know how they can find out more about you as a DJ And as a, uh, a farmer, a cultural, um, soldier in this game and just find out more about your, um, about your life and who you are real

Sunny Cheeba: Absolutely. Um, I have a website, sunnytribute. com. You can find out like I update that with all my gigs and, um, any sets that I have upcoming and mixes. You can also find me on Instagram at S U N N A A Y. Um, and also like, I'm in the process of starting a farm cooperative with my friends. We're getting land in Connecticut.

And you can follow us at Sable Arbor. We're throwing parties. We have a fundraiser coming up this Thursday at Bronx Brewery. I have a lot of my friends DJing and yeah, we'll love y'all support and This cooperative model of building a new world together. So

Jay Ray: Sunny Cheeba will be on stage at Banji Boombox on Saturday, August 3rd, doors open at 5 p. m. Come and see your boys. Cue points will also be there. We will have a table there. We will be having some headphones. You can listen and you can also check out Sunny Cheeba with the set. We can't wait. I'm a dance. I'm sure.

Sunny Cheeba: yeah, do better. And I like to bring instruments, so I'm probably gonna have my AKAs or something. So

DJ Sir Daniel: I was just about to ask, are you also hitting us with vinyl or are you going to do,

Sunny Cheeba: Um,

DJ Sir Daniel: a digital set.

Sunny Cheeba: I, I have to see what the, um, what the tech is looking like. Like if sometimes, if anyone who's doing turntables, it could be a lot to transition, but, you know, either way I'm gonna come with the flavor. So don't worry.

DJ Sir Daniel: Absolutely. And I can't wait. We cannot wait. Sunny Cheeba. Thank you. Thank you so much for spending some time with the Queue Points podcast and our family and becoming a part of our family. And we will see you August 3rd on the rooftop of the Sultan building on the planet of Brooklyn. This is Queue Points podcast.

I am DJ Sir Daniel.

Jay Ray: I'm J Ray. This is Sunny Cheeba, y'all.

Sunny Cheeba: yes. Thank you for having me. So honored and so excited to get down with you on the dance floor.

Jay Ray: Absolutely. Peace, everybody.

[00:13:00] Closing Theme

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