[ CLUBBING ]
Equal rights at
the turntable
AFTER GOING strong for a year and a half, Kasi "Rebel Girl" Nunes has decided to pull the plug on her monthly "Rebel Girl Underground" party at Chuck's Cellar in Waikiki.
"We just decided this month is going to be it," she said when reached by phone earlier this week. "You want to end it while it's hot."
The last "Rebel Girl Underground"
Where: Chuck's Cellar, 150 Kaiulani Ave.When: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. tomorrow
Cost: $5, 21 and over
The last 18 months have been quite a ride for the Kamehameha graduate, who returned home in late 2002 to find a nightlife scene almost completely devoid of female influence.
"When I first came to this island, there was a huge need for it," said Nunes. At the time, the all-female DJ collective Sisters in Sound was the only option for women who wanted to rock a crowd. So after a quick crash course on spinning records and throwing parties with DJs Zita, Chia, Marloca and Toki, she struck out on her own in Waikiki.
" 'Rebel Girl' was a meeting round, a training ground and a place for us to network," she said. "We've created a community."
Nunes cites the recent success of "Girl Fest" as a sign that her efforts to bring like-minded women together are paying off. Most of the volunteers for the festival knew each other from SIS and RGU events. Another sign is resident DJs Lady J and Primmitiv getting more gigs at other venues because of their involvement with RGU.
More women have discovered kindred souls at the monthly amalgamation of DJs, drummers, artists and underground scenesters -- enough that, when Nunes gets back into promoting again in a couple of months, her next party won't cater exclusively to the ladies.
"I just feel like a glass ceiling was broken with 'Rebel Girl,' " she said. "I don't feel that there's a need for one party with female DJs."
So for one last Saturday at Chuck's, DJs Lady J, Rebel Girl, Primmitiv and Chia will get busy on the decks, while also showcasing live performances by the "Women of the Harem" belly dance troupe, cabaret singer Sequoia Carr-Brown, drummer Khedija and vocalist Maria Re. Photographer Kim Kinard and painter Kimi Werner will also share their work.
And what's next for Nunes and the rest of the Rebel Girl Underground crew?
"Basically, three out of the four Rebel Girls are now in a live band," she said. The new group, X-Factor, is comprised of Nunes, Primmitiv, Selah Geissler, Jesse Savio, Corey Gennen and Brian Vanderbeek.
"I'm just going to ... focus on the band," said Nunes of her plans for the immediate future. "Before the party, I didn't DJ, I didn't rhyme.
"Now I want to improve as a DJ and as a musician."
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