The Magic of the Chosen Few DJs House Music Fest: Black Liberation
- Mary Datcher
- Jul 13
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 14
Mary L.Datcher
The Chicago sky is blue and the white clouds pop against its beautiful canvas yet, there’s a threat of showers. But, in Chicago, on the second Saturday of July, no one gives a fu*k because if you grew up on House music, or went to a Chicago high school, nearly 30,000 people are making their way to the Chosen Few DJs House Music Festival.
This year, the longest-running House music festival (formerly a picnic) in the Midwest celebrates 35 years of fellowship in Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side. A picnic that started as the Hatchett Family Reunion behind the Museum of Science and Industry has blossomed into an annual gathering of the ‘who’s who’ of Chicago’s Black community, where they enjoy the positive energy and fellowship of House Music, a genre that ceremoniously started in Chicago over 40 years ago--some feel longer.
With the backdrop of the newly built Obama Presidential Center, the Chosen Few DJs House Music Festival has evolved into an open space for everyone from every walk of life, and folks from across the country who attend the once-a-year festival.
Chicago native Luis Mercado and his wife, Margaret, have lived in Florida for the past 20 years and returned to their hometown to attend the CFDJ festival for the first time. A former concert promoter, Mercado was amazed by the massive crowd’s positive energy in a city that's been clouded by negative news reports. “This is the part that the media misses when they talk about the city outside of Chicago. We hear so much about the negative, we don’t see the peace,” said Mercado.
Thus far, what works for the annual music festival is the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ model. The different paid VIP tent sections are arranged in a village concept, with free spaces located on the outer edges of the steel barricades. This design allows sufficient room throughout the walkway paths to prevent overcrowding, featuring one stage, one area for food vendors, and another area for vendors. For the returning crowd, this seems to work as opposed to other festivals with multiple stages and an extension of on-site activations.
For the 50+ festival attendees, the CFDJ festival wouldn’t feel right without the hosting skills of journalist Robin Robinson and comedian/actor and House DJ Deon Cole, who kept the crowd entertained and informed. The day kicked off with House veterans Greg Gray, Celeste Alexander, Lori Branch, Tony Hatchett (CFDJ), and Mike Dunn (CFDJ). Out of town talent included Ameer Brooks, Danny Krivit, David Morales, Ladies of Skyy, along with Ann Nesby. The final leg of the line-up was CFDJs, Wayne Williams, Terry Hunter, Andre Hatchett, and Alan King. There was a special awards presentation to the legendary DJ and music historian, Herb Kent, during the event, and his daughter, Robin Kent, accepted on his behalf. It's been nearly 10 years since Kent's passing in 2016.
As a Chicago native and a kid who grew up listening to House music, attending the parties from the Bismark Hotel, Sauers, the Resurrection, COD’s, Club LaRays, Medusas, the Music Box, Warehouse, and so many hole-in-the-wall spots that me and my friends would dance our hearts out—the Chosen Few DJs House Festival is reminicent to the disco, deep melodic and spiritual forms of House music. It transports many of us to the earlier days of discovery and musical freedom. From DJs, media personalities, elected officials, actors, promoters, former gangsters, business stakeholders, and community activists—all differences were set aside to come together and celebrate being ourselves without judgment, malice, or hate.
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