It may seem like an alternate universe but just over two years ago, DJs were our titans. From Dj D-Nice’s live streamed dance parties to the masterminds behind Versuz’s Instagram events, disc jockeys took us out of our quarantine-induced stupor and helped transcend the harsh realities of a world ravaged by COVID through humanity’s connective tissue: music.
Sitting atop Mount Olympus is Dj Graffiti (real name Martin Smith), who, just like his musical peers took to social media to deliver transcendental mixes, masterfully blending genre-bending melodies during the height of the pandemic in 2020. Already a seasoned Dj with nearly 20 years of experience, Smith set up his turntables and spun for crowds of thousands in his digital audiences across his social channels for nearly a year.
“I realized there was a need huge void that needed to be filled, so when COVID-19 restrictions lifted a bit, I realized I didn’t want to be a full-time Dj traveling on the road anymore,” Smith shared with ESSENCE, whose talents have taken him all over the world to work with and open for some of the biggest names including Beyonce’, Kid Cudi and The Roots among others.
Also founder and CEO of marketing agency OVERFLOW, Smith has helped companies like Google, Dell, and Amazon with their digital growth. As a part of business engagement strategy Smith DJed a virtual corporate event, and this completely changed the game for him.
“The pandemic really made me realize how much I wanted to spend more time with my family, like many of us, so I came up with a way to bring those incredible live music experiences to people whether we’re together or apart.”
He added: “After the corporate event, people were sending me messages about how they were ready to take on the day or, they didn’t realize how they needed it and now they’re so much lighter and happier. It was really eye-opening.”
This prompted the idea for his event engagement app Togapa, a play on the words together and apart. It allows in-person, hybrid, or virtual event guests to make and upvote song requests for DJs to see in real-time.
“The practice of deejaying is essentially a conversation because you play a song and then look at the reaction of the people,” he explained. “It’s a give and take. I wanted to ensure that people had that feeling of connecting with a DJ no matter where they were, anytime.”
Currently, in its beta phase, Topaga has already integrated with Spotify and allows users to submit song titles from the streaming platform’s vast library directly to the live event’s DJ.
“It essentially a way to streamline the joy I’ve seen these connected events bring to people, even in corporate settings,” Smith explained. “There’s always been a recession, political stress and struggles—every day there’s something else to weigh us down. And this brings joy. But Togapa helps remind us of the happiness we felt during the darkest, just listening to our favorite songs along with the rest of the world.”