DIG! Family Favourites

Gip Dammone & Lubi Jovanovic
Bimonthly, Saturday 8-10pm
Past, Present & Future Jazz, Soul, Global Beats

DJs Gip Dammone and Lubi Jovanovic have been running all things jazz/soul/global beats (Latin/Afro/Brazilian) up north (Leeds UK) since the mid-1980s. Live music gigs, clubnights, festivals, record labels and radio shows in the 80s and 90s as part of the legendary DIG! Family (alongside fellow brother DJs Chico Malo and Eric “Ez” Speak).

With parties like DIG!, The Cooker, Yardbird Suite and Casa Latina, they brought the best from across the world to the heart of Leeds. Guests like Roy Ayers, Gilles Peterson, Sharon Jones, Jazzanova, Eddie Palmieri, Joyce, Rainer Truby, Azymuth, Mark Murphy, DJ Spinna, Jimmy Smith, Terry Callier, Quantic, Lee Fields, Reuben Wilson, Tania Maria, Mr Scruff to name a few.

In the mid-1980s in Leeds, they took jazz out of the pubs and into the clubs and kickstarted the Latin scene from scratch. In the 90s, they rode the acid jazz wave and also hosted events in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Teesside. Lubi was Mr Latin UK writing for Straight No Chaser 1996-2007 (“Latin Lowdown Column”) and curating compilations for labels like Fania Records. Gip ran two record labels, Cooker Records and Yardbird Suite Records.

On the radio, they’ve had shows from the start, first on Leeds pirate stations in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. Then in the 1990s on Jazz FM (northern studio) and LSR (Leeds Student Radio). For the last 6 years, their shows have been the mainstay for jazz/soul/world music on Leeds independent station KMAH Radio – Gip with “Retrospect” and Lubi with “Soul Rebels Sessions”.

Over 40 years in the game so expect gems from their vinyl archives alongside new fresh sounds and releases. Past, present and future jazz, soul and global beats for all the people.