From Belize to the Bronx, from Sweden to Sugar Hill, from Dominican Republic to DUMBO, beautiful women and men come to experience a weekly urban alternative--UBIQUITA.
In the late 1990s, a group of artists, poets and musicians came together to collaborate, perform, and party at a weekly Sunday event, the Sunday Tea Party at Frank's Lounge in the trendy Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. Created by DJ Ian Friday, every week a mix of folks would let loose with afro-Cuban, soul/funk, reggae and world music playing in the background to their night of food, conversation and performance. Two regular members of the Tea Party were Kim Knox (who was on staff at the time) and DeShawn Maxwell. After a few years, changing locations and a few of those members moving onto success in their careers like Grammy-award winner, Erykah Badu, author/poet Jessica Care Moore, hip hop artists Talib Kweli, Mos Def, actors Wood Harris, Isaiah Washington, Saul Williams and others, the Tea Party ended.
And then UBIQUITA was born . . .
In November 2000, Kim Knox and DeShawn Ward-Maxwell decided to bring the feeling of the Tea Party of Brooklyn and blend it with the diversity and grit of the legendary Low Profile Mondays @ Ludlow Bar with DJ Qool Marv (which Deshawn was one of the founders of) to expose more folks to the flavor of real music and real dancing. This was an evening of cultural exchanges between men and women on the dance floor with rhythmic sounds provided by their groundbreaking idea of an all-female DJ residency featuring DJ Reborn, DJ Selly and DJ Moni. With a DJ line-up of beautiful and talented ladies and crowd of exotic and culturally diverse and beautiful men and women, UBIQUITA was the 1st to preserve the sexy without the pretentious attitude. The night is all about everyone coming together for one common desire - music.
On any Thursday night, when you enter the warm inviting room of neo-soul addicts, house music kids, hip hop heads, Rastas, cross-country jet setters, you may join Mos, DJ Beverly Bond, singer/songwriter MeShell N'Degeocello, soulstress N'Dea Davenport, punk-pop icons David Byrne and Toni Basil or actresses Rosario Dawson and Aunjanue Ellis moving to a James Brown break-beat downstairs or bossa nova rhythms by Bebel Gilberto upstairs. The party has also had a long line of great guest DJs including: Qool Marv, DJ Spinna, Rich Medina, Chris Annibell, Blessed Productive, Stimulus, James Spooner, Queen Majesty, Mary Mac and many more.
UBIQUITA is a movement of people from arts, fashion, film, music and everyday folks who just want to dance in an unadulterated and unique environment. This November, the party will turn 5 years old, which is monumental for any weekly party in a city where any nightclub, lounge or promoted party may open and close within a matter of hours. The team has successfully promoted the party with an average crowd of 300+ people, weekly, by doing one thing - giving the people what they want! In March 2005 the party ended at Guernica due to the selling of the legendary haunt...but the story is long from over! We are happy to announce that we're back in the LES to celebrate our FIFTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR!!
