It started at a Zumba studio in South Central. Malik “Memo” Williams had persuaded the owner to rent out the location for what he expected to be a small party. Equipped with crates of funk records and inherited turntables, he wanted to create a space where he and his friends could listen to all their favorite oldies without the gaze of an older crowd.
The 28-year-old dubbed the gathering the “Night of the Blaxican,” named after his own mixed ethnicity (Black and Mexican). As the smooth sounds of soul and R&B flowed through the residential neighborhood, a line of more than 300 people began to form. “We didn’t even think it was going to pack out like that.
It was crazy,” Williams said. “The studio ended up telling us we could never do it again, but it didn’t matter because we already did it. We knew people wanted this kind of social gathering.
” Since 2016, Night of the Blaxican has grown from sporadic meet-ups to a full-blown celebration of oldies culture, complete with lowriders and the sounds of Smokey Robinson. The monthly party is hosted at venues around the L.A.
area — from Thunder Studios in Long Beach to the Canyon in Montclair — with upward of 3,000 people attending. During every function, Williams brings together a mix of live bands like the Delfonics and the Dazz Band, DJs, small business vendors and even carnival rides to embrace the music and culture he grew up with. With a DJ for a father, Williams says he has always felt a deep connection t.
