Lakuti

Lakuti’s passion for music knows no bounds. That passion for music extends beyond the dance floor both musically and politically. An experienced music curator, producer, Uzuri artist agency and label head, a sought-after educator on dance music’s history and a critical voice of the scene, Lakuti takes on many roles. A DJ and musician first and foremost, the Panorama Bar resident draws from a deep understanding of music in it‘s technicolour glory .

Born and raised in Soweto, South Africa, real name Lerato Khathi, Lakuti’s passion for music came early on in life, inspired by her mother’s in-depth record collection, housing some of the best in soul, funk, disco, pop and some home-brewed South African pop, bubblegum, jazz and beyond. Her grandfather, a jazz aficionado also nurtured and fired up some of her musical interests by schooling her in the art of jazz. Whilst other kids would be outinthe street playing, Lakuti would obsessively be recording tapes and writing lyrics to her favourite songs.

Her own musical taste soon expanded and chartered territories beyond her family’s influence. The biggest impact was to discover Johannesburg’s best nightclubs at the time, from a goth / ebm /wave weekday venue to LGBTIQ Clubs ,warehouse parties and beyond. The phenomenal records coming out of New York City, Chicago and later Detroit completely captured her imagination and would prove to be transformative.After completing stints in law school and film school, she traveled to Toronto further immersing herself into electronic music.

Making London her home from 1997 to 2012 was a catalyst for fully pursuing work as an independent entrepreneur within the music scene. She founded the Sud Y Electronic label alongside fellow South African Alan Abrahams aka Portable, then went on to throw some the cult Sud Y Electronic parties for 11 years, booking an international list of legendary DJs and live acts as well as new artists, many of them playing for the first time in the country.

In 2007 she established her own independently run label Uzuri Recordings, a year later extending it to an artist bookings and management agency. In an industry that saw very limited opportunities for Black artists, Lakuti went onto work with and highlighting and creating opportunity to them.

Lakuti has established herself internationally as a respected and beloved DJ, playing both rising and renowned clubs, festivals and arts events onall continents, as well as hosting countless nights at Berghain/ PanoramaBar where she and Tama Sumo launched the events series Bring Down the Walls and Your Love, celebrating guests from the Black and LGBTIQ+ communities both in and outside of the DJ booth.

As a musician, Lakuti’s vocals featured on records by Matias Aguayo, Violet x Elles, and Portable; as a producer she’s co-remixed a track by Swedish alt pop stars The Knife and released a track with Tama Sumo for Berghain’s in-house label Ostgut Ton anniversary compilation in 2021. 2022 saw the release of a remix she & Tama Sumo did for Producer and Cofounder of New York City’s Love Injection Magazine & Record Label. Since 2020 she’s gone to host her Bring Down The Walls radio show on Universal Rhythms, Lakuti’s longstanding career can best be described with versatility and continuity, a never-ending curiosity and profound wisdom, and a deep love for music and the people that shape and strengthen its foundations.