Why So Serious?

DJ Serious Black didn’t come to play. Born Selena Tatum Isles to Trinidadian parents, this globe trotting mother, yogi, and turntable extraordinaire is no-nonsense about sharing her gifts. It all started back in ‘94 when she snuck into a party to break dance with her cousins. DJ Seriousblack was awestruck by the way the emcee rocked the stage and kept the crowd in their happy place. It was then that she knew her calling.

She raced home to her father with one request – “Dad, can you teach me how to DJ?” she asked. He was a musician and an engineer with a record collection of over 10k. His response: “Go downstairs and get two records. I’ll be there in 5 minutes”. The rest is history. “I played bass most of my life, so I took to DJing like a fish in water. My musical background helped a great deal and it was inevitable that I’d become a DJ; all avenues pointed that way. Since then, she’s divvied up the stage with an upper crust of musicians including Afrika Bambaata, The Rolling Stones, and Stephen Marley.

DJ Serious Black may be a muggle, but that doesn’t stop her magic. If her stage name rung a bell, you’re not imagining things. With the Sirius star tattooed on her arm, this self-proclaimed serious black woman was inspired by Harry Potter’s godfather to switch her moniker. She made the change from DJ Pebbles to Seriousblack over drinks with friends. “I really dig Sirius Black,” she says. “There’s more to him then we think”.

DJ Serious Black is a resident DJ at Sound Off™ Experience. Her goal is to understand music, moods, and create intimate connections. She specializes in mixing rap, funk, soul, house, dancehall, reggae and world beats. Have a listen to 51 minutes of her seriously groove worthy playlist on SoundCloud.

Her motto: “Keep it simple and be kind”.