Naponi Jurkin has a hard time finding a place to dance in Dallas.
“I won’t go somewhere if I know the music is bad or the DJ is bad,” Jurkin said.
Jurkin, who is South Sudanese, has struggled to find music in Dallas nightlife that reflects her personal playlist.
That changed when she attended True Colors, a monthly dance party at Sandaga 813 in Downtown Dallas. The event features music of the African diaspora blended with a wide variety of genres such as house, disco and R&B.
“There’s African music I listened to as a kid and my parents are singing,” Jurkin said. “It brings a nostalgic feeling.”
Business partners Adeola “DJ Ade” Kofoworade and Menab Tesfu founded True Colors in 2023.
Going to a club in North Texas often comes with a high price tag. Patrons are often encouraged to pay for a table in a reserved section. Frustrated with this trend, Kofoworade and Tesfu wanted to create a more inclusive space that also gave a younger generation of Africans in North Texas a way to celebrate their culture.
“We wanted to create this space that was inclusive and [where] people truly can show their true colors. A play on words,” Tesfu said.
True Colors is inspired by events like the Boiler Room, a London-based online music broadcast, and the New York traveling day party Everyday People.
From the beginning, True Colors drew large crowds. About 400 people attended the first event at Ruins in Deep Ellum, which got shut down because it was over capacity. Since the event draws such large crowds, True Colors moved to Sandaga 813, a larger venue. Now, about 1,000 people are known to attend.
“We kind of underestimated how much Dallas needed an event like this,” Kofoworade said. “This is something that we’ve always been praying for, and it just happened really quickly.”
Inside a typical event at Sandaga 813 is an indoor stage, a bar and open dance floor drowned in colorful mood lighting. Outside, there’s an equally vibrant stage with fairy lights mimicking the stars. Local food vendors, like Lord of the Wings and Fyah Suya, line the perimeter.
Each stage has its own theme. The indoor stage features local DJs that usually play a mix of house, Afrohouse, dance and disco. C.B. Smoove and Emanuel are just a few DJs that have performed at True Colors.
The outdoor stage rotates through DJs that specifically target African culture with Afrobeats, Amapiano and Dancehall music, and their new segment “Future Beats” gives up-and-coming DJs a chance to show their skills. One of those DJs is Elise “Vogue Eli” Mbungkah. Mbungkah specializes in mixing Afrobeats and Coupé-décalé with house music.
“I was honored because not many people were offering to let me DJ at that time,” Mbungkah said.
Mbungkah was stunned at the crowd’s response. She said she felt the ultimate high being on stage.
“If you’re good, you’re good, and if you’re not doing so good, you’ll be able to tell from the crowd. But they were amazing,” Mbungkah said.
True Colors parties have spread to Houston and Austin, where DJs and artists such as Los Angeles’ Blaq Pages and Nigerian artist Bnxn have performed.
“If I wasn’t with Colors, I wouldn’t have really been in the same space as them. So being able to connect with them and then find a middle ground where we relate as far as music goes has been amazing,” said Kofoworade.
This month, True Colors will be hosting a one-year anniversary party to kick off the summer. They plan to only play Afrobeats and Amapiano music as an ode to their first event.
Attendees can expect a variety of food options, free drinks and all the best highlights of the African Diaspora.
“What our community of True Colors has done is it’s given a place for transplants to feel at home,” Tesfu said. “We’re one of the few events where people can come and actually meet people and become part of our community.”
The next True Colors event is on Sunday, May 26 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Sandaga 813. Tickets start at $20 on Eventbrite.
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