Ottawa DJ Princia Cirondeye is pioneering a Pan-African cultural space in the Ottawa club scene.
Her series, Plantains&Caviar, promotes Black electronic music and rave culture with an event Sundays at a popular downtown night club.
Cirondeye’s vision is to create a space for “the 4Cs:” Connection, Conversation, Community and Creativity.
“There’s kind of two aspects to the conversation part. It’s one, the fact that I want people to talk to each other and get to meet new people, and, also, I want to get people talking about the fact that Black rave culture does exist … in Ottawa,” said Cirondeye.
The series is part of her collective Amashi.co, in which she has tried to create a community of DJs with whom to play and host events. The effort really warmed up at her second ever event which was a cookout.
“That’s when I started gaining traction, organically building a crowd,” said Cirondeye. These days her fan base follows her on social media and frequents her events.
As for the concept itself, she said, “A lot of electronic music came from genres that black people pioneered. It’s something that as a black community is so great to be able to kind of not only take back, but also continue to present in the scenes that we are in. That is my main focus.”
Cirondeye says Plantains&Caviar emerged from the history of the food in communities with whom she identifies. She grew up in Ottawa but has roots in Burundi and Mauritania where plantains are a typical food.
“So many Africans can attest to having it,” Cirondeye said. “Caviar itself is kind of a posh food. It’s very rare and it’s something that you don’t see every day.
Combining the two, was to express the duality of the music that I’m trying to push out. The blending of cultures and genres that I want to portray in terms of what people are hearing at my events.”
Nightlife Commissioner Mathieu Grondin says events like this are vital to Ottawa’s social life.
“Supporting local businesses, artists, and diverse cultural expression is essential for a thriving and inclusive nightlife in Ottawa,” he wrote Capital Current in an email.
“Events like this, which celebrate music, food and community, play an important role in shaping Ottawa’s nightlife and cultural landscape, making the city a more inclusive place to live.”
Cirondeye started as a DJ in 2022. She bought a DJ deck and started learning how to mix music. Three years later, she’s helping other DJs find their stage.
“I think that pushing newer DJs is so important just because I think of the privilege that I got, to be able to be pushed by older and better DJs in this city,” she said.
She often collaborates and performs with Ottawa DJ collectives such as Fortress and PassTheVibes. Through her own event series, Cirondeye is giving others the chance that she got by performing with other collectives and at gigs as a newer artist.
Kayleigh Lewis, who has been DJing for less than a year, described the event as “super fun” with “high energy vibes.” Lewis performed at the second Plantains&Caviar event in September.
“It’s a really good community and you can go to that event alone and end up having a really great time, meeting new people and I really think it is a very safe space,” said Lewis.
Cirondeye reached out to Lewis to perform at the event after meeting her at different “open decks,” which are spaces where newer DJs learn and practice the craft.
“I think there’s a lot of parties going on in the city, but Plantains&Caviar is one of those spaces that is focused on the art,” said Lewis.
Lewis says compared to other events, having a space where DJs can play what they want and enjoy themselves is what makes Plantains&Caviar unique.
“The people there are hearing new things, and everyone’s connecting,” Lewis said. “It feels more like a place where you leave feeling energized and happy.”
“I think it’s catered to everyone,” said Pavel Nangfack. “You don’t have to be Black to enjoy it. It’s an inclusive, fun environment that focuses on the music.” Nangfack attended the event where Lewis performed.
Nangfack also enjoys the recurring aspect of the event series. “It’s nice to know of something that’s reoccurring, so that you actually know that there’s something going on that caters to you in a way and it’s a consistent thing.”
