What's New at The Numberz for May!
Welcome everyone, and thank you for checking out this months newsletter!
Many thanks to our continuous members, subscribers, readers, listeners and community members!
We're gearing towards enjoying more warm weather to come, our 5 year anniversary happening later this year, and are excited to keep you all posted with great things leading up to that date.
UPCOMING EVENTS
We're getting ready for our Spring Edition of The PDX Black Podcast Fest happening May 27th. This time, it will will take place at Lloyd Center Mall within the old Victorias Secret, with doors opening at 1PM and ending the full day at 9:30 PM.
The last time we held our Black Podcast Fest, we hosted several important conversations from powerful voices within our community, ranging from topics of Black Mental Health/Sexual Health, Community, City Representatives & the importance of familiarizing ourselves with other empowered Black voices, and various talks on the impacts to our POC community. This year, we are equally excited to host more of these important conversations yet again.
Our Spring Podcast Fest will be hosted by Jamila Singleton with the following schedule of listed participants.
2pm - The Bruce Poinsette Show
3:30pm - PDX BIZ TALK
5pm - Sharing Culture Podcast
6:30pm - The Dirty Rose Podcast
8:00pm - The Unrefined Sophisticates
The festival will also feature DJ performances by ALoSo, Simone the Waterbearer and Ambush.
Vendors will be onsite providing food and beverages along with other locally produced products including the Numz Bodega pop up shop. Follow us on Instagram for updates!
We'll also be live-streaming portions of the festival on our Twitch channel
Here we share a recap video from our Fall edition of the Black Podcast Fest produced by local artist, Jason Hill
MY PEOPLES MARKET
My Peoples Market is Back with their 12th annual market! Join us, as we provide music for the event on June 3rd & 4th from 12- 6PM, as well as have a NUMZ BODEGA booth on site!
We love partnering with our friends over at My Peoples Market, and sharing space with other local members and POC businesses from throughout the City.
This FREE event will take place over at The Redd on Salmon. There will be food trucks onsite within the closed off street, family friendly vibes, music, with indoor & outdoor vendors to shop from.
THE REBOUND KIKI BALL
The Numberz FM is proud to announce, that we are newly sponsors to The Rebound Kiki Ball here in Portland.
The Rebound was on a short break, and returns to their normally scheduled programming this June 16th. This event, produced by Papi Ada (Legendary Father of the House of Ada, most recently seen on HBO’s Legendary Show Season 3) as well as Sumi Malik (Local PDX Urban Planner), with Host/MC Sophora The Aura (from The House Of Ada), along with DJ SLTWTR & The Numberz own DJ ALoSo-has become a new addition to the POC & LGBTQIA+ nightlife scene here in Portland since November of 2022.
These Kiki Balls highlight the artistry, talents & competitive skill of community members within OTA (Open To All) categories/opportunities for competitors to engage in a runway styled face off for cash prizes. Originally an underground scene within the 80’s in NYC, Vouge Balls have always been a huge part of POC and Queer culture. They have remained safe spaces throughout many cities across the world for these communities to live openly and freely to showcase their artistry, creativity, talents and dancing abilities. Categories range from Vouging (a unique dance form that blends a sort of ballet & break dancing fusion), Face categories, Runway + more. To learn more about the culture of the Ballroom scene, watch documentaries such as “Paris Is Burning”, or shows like “Legendary” & “POSE”
Here is a Recap from the last Rebound Kiki ball which took place back in February, for its Black History Month showcase over at the Crystal Ballroom.
PALLET POP UP MARKET
This Juneteenth weekend, June 17th from 11-7 PM, we will be rejoining the Pallet Pop Up market at the Lloyd Center Mall again. The event takes place at the old H&M, on both floors with several other vendors, as we host downstairs with our NUMZ BODEGA lounge. The last one was much fun, (with photos down below), as we got to play music provided by local DJs, and brought out our latest in merch & sales!
This time, we’re even more excited to connect more with you all, and will be hosting a Street Fighter Video game tournament!
Come Hang out with us while you shop, enjoy music, compete for a friendly video game tournament, & enjoy food and drinks!
COMMUNIT ENGAGMENT HIGHLIGHT
Meet Duronte, Founder of Nite Owlz. He’s a Portland Born local artist, community member/visionary, & business owner. Duronte shares with us in an interview how he was inspired to create something productive out of the fluxes in life which can bring restlessness at times. He wanted to also help share this intention for community by starting his own non profit, and business that could help give back to community as well by working with the youth in helping provide work opportunities for those who may feel uninspired in any restlessness of their own, hint the idea of Nite Owlz.
He and his teams own lifestyle are reflective of his inspiration to utilize energy, care and attention to detail within establishing a 24 hour cleaning service available to the city, businesses and local residents of the Portland Metro area. This then lead to other ideas blossoming to different extensions of Nite Owlz such as a clothing brand line, and other endeavors.
Listen back to the interview here to learn more on ways to help support and follow the Nite Owlz journey.
FEATURED ADVERTISER/ PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHT
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Bobby DiMarco is a local queer artist in PDX. Also a Graphic Designer, Bobby continues to find passion in creating music. His previous work can be streamed on platforms such a Spotify, but his latest Single- “Fast/Slow” can also be heard weekly in our “Top 200” and “PDX Hour” radio segments.
COMMUNITY PLAYLIST HIGHLIGHT
DJ LAFLOR is a first-generation Colombian-Miami based artist in Portland, OR, who fell into DJing through curiosity and an interest for connecting with family back home. Inspired by the Salsa, Cumbia, and Boleros that she grew up listening to while cleaning on Sundays – she started collecting spanish vinyl in hopes to preserve records for the next generation to come. When feeling homesick for Miami, you’ll catch her switch over to digital to play out Throwback Puro Reggaeton and Quinceañera classics.
We got to hang out with DJ LAFLOR at the last Pallet Pop up within Lloyd Center Mall, as she DJ’d for us and provided the tunes! We got to catch up afterward and get her to share a community playlist.
Click Here to stay onto of the latest with LAFLOR and her endeavors.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
The Numberz FM, Double Tee Concerts, Mammoth NW, and Soul'd Out Productions are coming together to bring you Jidenna's On The Silk Road Tour happening at The Rosaland This July!
Follow us on Instagram and watch out for our stories as we share upcoming ticket giveaways leading up to the event!
The Numberz FM thanks:
Soul'd Out Productions
Double Tee Concerts
Mammoth Northwest
Roseland Theater
for their partnerships and continuous support with sharing lasting experiences with our community!
“Jidenna is a popular American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born to a Nigerian father and American mother, he spent the first six years of his life in Nigeria where his father was a professor. They returned to the US after they were abducted at gunpoint while traveling in a bus in Nigeria. Showing an early interest in music, Jidenna decided to become a rapper in the seventh grade, but continued his studies. He joined Stanford University at the age 18 to study sound engineering. Later he switched his major and eventually earned his BA degree in ritualistic arts at the age of 23. Thereafter, he moved to New York City to start a career in music, but lack of funds forced him to take up a teaching job. He released his first song, ‘Classic Man,’ when he was 29 years old, and his debut album, ‘The Chief’, two years later. He is also socially very conscious, being actively involved in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. Proud of his Nigerian heritage, he returns to his father’s country, contributing to its development.”
-sourced from www.thefamouspeople.com
TALK CONTENT
With Black Maternal Health Week having been April 11-17th, a newly nationally recognized week centered on education and advocacy around Black women, families, communities around the birthing experience.
“Not every Black pregnant women is fortunate enough to live to watch their child grow. Leaving behind motherless children and single fathers. Stories such as Amber Rose Issac and Kira Johnson are just a few. In a world in which Black women have to fear for their safety and lives before, during and after pregnancy due to factors such as institutionalized racism playing a major role- Black women matter and need to be protected as they are the backbone of the Black community.”- Binna
We had the chance of having chatted with Michelle Smith , Portland based former Dula and a Program Manager for Black Parent Initiative’s (BPI) Doula & Mobile Lactation Program. Our host Binna had a chance to speak with Michelle where she shares some of her own personal experiences, Black Maternal Health Week, the value of a Doula, advocacy in the birthing room and various aspects surrounding Black women and the birthing experience.
Watch the full interview here
NUMZ BODEGA
NumzBODEGA’s first Pop-Up of the year happened recently at the Lloyd Center Mall within the Pallet Pop-Up Market! We were able to see our mockup come to life, and are excited for other more upcoming events, sales, and pop ups happening here in PDX.
Our next pop up appearances will happen at the upcoming Black Podcast Fest as well as at My Peoples Market, June 3rd & 4th, as well as at the Pallet Pop up Market happening again this Juneteenth weekend,June 17th!
(event details at the top of this blog!
In the meantime, our site still has several sales happening with original T-shirts being sold at 50% off.
Currently on our website, NumzBODEGA is having a Spring Clearance Sale on our Original Collection T-Shirts for 50% off!
LIVE FROM THE BODEGA
Our Live From The Bodega series continues, and here we have an interview with Kan Jones
Founder of The IX Brand
Kan is a Creative at heart and has numerous talents such as photography, podcasting, craftsmanship and more. Kan is part of the NUMBERZ.FM family and The IX Brand has been around since the opening of NumzBODEGA. The IX Brand celebrates YOU the supporter and encourages you to live life authentically and full daily, making the mantra, “do it to the nines”, personal and unique. Be sure to check out the website to support Kan and stay up to date!
Learn more about this designer and his brand, and stay tuned for new merch drops, as well as new Episodes from his Podcast with Morgan Jones,
The Unrefined Sophisticates.
A BIG THANK YOU to all our community, our newest subscribers/members, donors, community partners, viewers, readers & listeners.
We couldn't do this without you, and look forward to next months blog!