DJ Pari

DJ Pari
Born	Markus Schmidt (1975-02-27) February 27, 1975 Braunschweig, Germany
Occupation(s)	DJ, journalist, producer, artist manager
Years active	1992–present

DJ Pari, born Markus Schmidt, is a DJ of the genres funk, soul, jazz and Latin. He is mostly known as the founder of the Soulpower organisation and as manager and producer for Soul legends like Marva Whitney, Gwen McCrae, Lyn Collins, The Impressions amongst others.

Life

DJ Pari is the son of former professional footballer Walter Schmidt. Born in Braunschweig, Germany, in 1975, he began DJing at age 15, spinning at small underground clubs in Hannover and Hamburg. In 1994, when he was just 19, he moved to the United States to study Soul and Funk culture and dig up records. His first stop was Phoenix, Arizona, where he spent two years running a club night called Hip Joint. In 1995 he re-located to Los Angeles, California, where he teamed up with DJ Orb to launch their club night Groove Lounge. On a weekly basis, DJ Pari worked with acts like the Solsonics, Mandrill, The Black Eyed Peas, Big Black, Roy Porter (drummer) and many others. Around the same time he began opening shows for the Godfather of Soul James Brown and even toured with him for quite some time.

In 1998, DJ Pari moved back to Germany to work in journalism, reporting for Europe's largest newspaper BILD in Berlin for several years. In early 2004, he launched his Soulpower organization at the Palo Palo club in Hannover, Germany. Originally just a monthly soul party, Soulpower quickly evolved into a global project and booking agency, producing more than 400 shows and parties in more than 20 countries and 50 cities on four continents. Some of the artists DJ Pari has worked with are Marva Whitney, Gwen McCrae, Lyn Collins, Bobby Byrd, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Vicki Anderson, Pee Wee Ellis, Roy Ayers, Bootsy Collins, Clyde Stubblefield, John "Jabo" Starks, Sharon Jones, Sweet Charles Sherrell, Karl Denson, and RAMP.

DJ Pari's musical productions include I am what I am, the 2006 album by Marva Whitney, and her singles "I am what I am" and "Soulsisters (of the world unite)" as well as Mama Feelgood by Lyn Collins and Live in Paris by Gwen McCrae. Pari has also worked with Japanese Funk outfit Osaka Monaurail, co-writing for and co-producing several of the group's albums.

Since his move to Richmond, Virginia 2007, DJ Pari has collaborated with funk legend Sir Joe Quarterman and Chicago soul legend Leroy Hutson, managing the singer's 2010 European tour. That same year, he began working for The Impressions of Curtis Mayfield fame, producing several European tours for the group. In July 2012, he DJed with the Impressions at the Curtis Mayfield 70th Birthday Tribute at Lincoln Center in New York, a show that also featured Mavis Staples, William Bell, the Roots and other soul legends. DJ Pari also introduced the Impressions to Binky Griptite, guitarist and MC of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a relationship that produced the group's first single in more than 30 years. In 2016, he arranged a meeting of the Impressions with President Barack Obama at the White House.

In Richmond, DJ Pari was the co-host of the Soulpower party series and of the weekly radio show Midnight Soulstice on WRIR-LP.

In 2013, the film documentary "Power of Soul," produced by DJ Pari, screened at the Cannes Film Festival and at several festivals and theaters in Germany. The documentary features original footage and Pari's interviews with artists like James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Vicki Anderson, Marva Whitney, The Pharcyde, Kurtis Blow, George McCrae and many others.

DJ Pari is currently working as a music journalist, under his real name, for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Virginia.

Discography (as producer or co-producer)

Albums

• Soulpower - The Best of Year One (Soulpower Records, 2005)
• Gwen McCrae - Live in Paris (Hi&Fly, 2005)
• Lyn Collins - Mama Feelgood (Hi&Fly, 2006)
• Marva Whitney - I am what I am (Shout!, 2006)
• Marva Whitney - Marva Whitney with her own Osaka Monaurail - Live in Japan (Shout!, 2006)
• Undercover Express - Introducing Undercover Express (P-Vine, 2007)
• Osaka Monaurail - Amen, Brother! (Unique, 2007)
• Osaka Monaurail - Live in Spain (Shout!, 2009)
• Osaka Monaurail - State of the World (Unique, 2011)
• Osaka Monaurail - Osaka Monaurail Performs Riptide and Other Readings from the Book of Funk (Unique, 2014)

Singles

• Marva Whitney - I am what I am P. 1 / I am what I am P. 2 (Shout!, 2006)
• Marva Whitney - Soulsisters (Of the World Unite / It's her Thing" (Shout!, 2006)
• Marva Whitney - I am what I am / Give it Up Turnit A Loose" (12") (Freestyle, 2007)
• Osaka Monaurail - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours / Supershine #9" (Our Label Records, 2008)
• Osaka Monaurail - Hung Up (vocal) / Hung Up (instr.) (Unique, 2009)
• Osaka Monaurail - Tighten Up / Soulful Strut (Unique, 2009)
• Osaka Monaurail - No Trouble on the Mountain (feat. Shirley Davis / The Archipelago (Unique, 2011)

External links

• Jazz Collectors of Instagram: DJ Pari
• Our Label Records interview with DJ Pari
• Article in RVA Magazine about DJ Pari
• Big Up - 10 Questions with Dj Pari on Fleamarket Funk blog
• DJ Pari Funk mix on German Testspiel blog
• Article in Sueddeutsche Zeitung
• Richmond news coverage
• Neue Presse Interview with DJ Pari
• Soul Power at Weezie's
• Review of "The Power of Soul" documentary
• Interview with Braunschweiger Zeitung