Music
PULSING BEATS and flashing lights energize a crowd as the Disc Jockey (DJ) spins another ethereal disco anthem. With just one track, people are brought together on a sonic trip, building a community immersed in soundwaves and forged through connection and trust.
In the 1970s, disco and DJ culture became an inclusive space for marginalized voices in the West, such as the queer community, as it allowed them to express themselves through music and dance. The dance floor became a platform that could unite an entire audience, forging bonds and solidarity through even the toughest prejudices of the time. Nowadays, music, disco, and the dance floor continue to be celebrated for the liberation and joy they evoke.
Inspired by this communal spirit and musical icons like Donna Summer, Jolly V (AB IS ‘25) and Krystel Casugbu (AB IS ‘25) founded the local queer collective DIVAS. Bringing an essence of community to the Metro Manila nightlife, DIVAS allows people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to freely groove along their take on disco and funky beats.
A diva is born
Photo by Veida Bongco
Music is integral to the queer experience. With every mix from their controllers, DJs and creatives do not just curate music sets and performances, but an atmosphere that builds energy and fosters collective enjoyment. This intricate craft attracts many members of the LGBTQIA+ community, flocking to packed clubs and venues to revel in elaborate sets and productions. For Jolly and Krystel, the local nightlife scene is what kick-started their interest in DJ-ing, which eventually snowballed into the birth of DIVAS.
In 2022, Jolly attended a local Pride event that solidified their resolve to pursue the craft. At that time, they had already dabbled in local club culture but had yet to begin DJ-ing. During that party, Jolly was starstruck by queer artists such as Dignos, Celeste Lapida, and Papa Jawnz, whose acts showcased the potential of what the queer community could achieve within the nightlife scene.
Among these performances, it was Pette Shabu’s performance that made DJ-ing “click” for Jolly. “It’s like seeing both [the performer] and also the backstage, on the sound, on the decks [supporting her] that made me want to start getting into the nightlife,” they explain.
Meanwhile, for Krystel, whose main practice is design, it was Jolly’s encouragement that got her into DJ-ing, practicing with the controller every so often as months passed. However, it was an alternative musical project curated by Papa Jawnz that truly immersed her in the craft. “[There is something about] dancing and being on the dance floor […] that’s very healing. It makes me happy, you know, it’s like it’s an escape,” she shares.
Her first “real” performance, as she calls it, was staged in 2024 at an event spotlighting queer publications hosted by Spruce Gallery, a print magazine emporium in Ortigas. Performing with Jolly and another friend, she found the experience to be a great beginner gig as there were low stakes, allowing her to freely play and explore music.
While the pair had a fairly uninhibited introduction to DJ-ing, they noticed some persisting gaps in the field. In response, they formed DIVAS to stand out from the trends they observed within the scene—the prevalent commercialization, lack of diversity in both DJs’ backgrounds and the genres they play, and restrictions on showcasing political messages.
Jolly and Krystel aimed to spin a different track in the local nightlife, focusing on disco and house, with the help of the friendships and connections that they had built in the creative industry. Despite the two having different levels of involvement in DJ-ing, they are still tied by their love for music and their hopes for the queer community.
Through DIVAS, they are able to stay true to their core and freely express themselves. Their parties, or kabaklaans as they call it, are a colorful mix of pop culture and queer identity—emphasizing powerful messages through eye-catching visuals and a deep reverence for music.
You better werk!
Photo by Veida Bongco
A year after its conception, Jolly and Krystel continue to center every event they throw on their commitment to authenticity and community. By embracing the boogie of disco, a genre deeply rooted in queer history and culture, as well as local queer icons like Regine Velasquez, DIVAS offers a form of creative resistance to the dominant nightlife landscape. “[The] defining part of DIVAS is that we really focused on bringing out the music of the past. […] That’s what sets us apart,” Krystel stresses.
DIVAS’ events are a testament to Jolly and Krystel’s visions as artists. The collective’s most recent project is a pride celebration last June at Apotheka in Makati City—the same nightclub that hosted their first queer party. Since then, they have consistently worked together with local artists, especially disco and house DJs. They also collaborate with other collectives to organize events featuring drag artists and other queer talents.
Beyond music, they also try to uplift local businesses, as evident in their Valentine’s event, where they partnered with food ventures in Katipunan. In everything they do, DIVAS prioritizes bringing a communal aspect to local nightlife, highlighting different businesses, groups, and personalities.
However, these inclusive events and celebrations do not come without challenges. Jolly and Krystel shared that securing funding for venues and ensuring fair compensation for collaborators remain their biggest struggles, especially as they prioritize giving emerging artists gig opportunities. Sometimes, they even resort to sacrificing their own cut to ensure that other acts are properly compensated. Finding stable projects for queer DJs and performers becomes even more challenging after Pride Month, when bookings tend to slow down.
Despite these hurdles, Jolly and Krystel find fulfillment in every event, believing that they are successful as long as there is joy, regardless of the challenges behind the scenes. “I think at the end of the day, I want to try and show some joy and try to make people laugh [because] life as [a] queer person is immensely difficult, and [for me], it was laughter, with friends that got me through a lot,” Jolly confides.
With this, their events become something more than work and profit. It highlights people dancing and having fun, which transforms their parties into something much bigger than a night out—an experience that is meaningful and lasting. Immersed in strobing lights and groovy tunes, these kabaklaans unfold as a celebration of queer identity, utilizing music not just as a backdrop but as a vessel for expression, solidarity, and healing.
Queering the future
Photo by Veida Bongco
DIVAS demonstrates that music can become a powerful safe space, where soundwaves offer solace and connection, ultimately binding people of all identities together through rhythm and expression. Krystel states that, “[Music is] freedom [because] I’ve seen how liberating it can feel to be on the dance floor. I’ve felt it myself.”
Jolly echoes that the dance floor is an opportunity to feel free and see one’s representation because it allows them to encounter similar people without the fear of judgment.
Beyond their parties, Jolly hopes that inclusive spaces can continue to grow not just for DIVAS but for the queer community as a whole. Now that the pair have full-time jobs, they wish to have opportunities to continue their work and vision as DIVAS.
Over time, they hope that they will no longer need to rely on big institutions, such as prominent nightclubs, sponsors, and brands, to create space for their kabaklaans. They long to get to a point where every day feels like a party and queer expression is celebrated beyond the confines of a nightclub or event space.
Jolly explains that being involved in queer nightlife—whether it’s drag queens, DJs, or drag queens who are DJs—has allowed them to build meaningful connections and a deeper sense of comfort and belonging. “[Music] connected me with other queer people who struggled the same way I do, who think similarly to me, who love like me, [and] who live like me,” they expound.
While the future of DIVAS and the queer community may not be crystal clear, their experiences affirm the intersection of music, queerness, and liberation. And just like the heyday of disco, people seeking comfort may hit the dance floor, close their eyes, and sway through soundwaves—imagining a future where great beats can remix an era of love and solidarity.
