ROAD TO MOVEMENT SERIES
Welcome back 🙂
This week’s mix by Andrea Ghita is the 2nd part of the Road to Movement 4-part series – it is my pleasure to have her on as a guest and I hope you enjoy her feature! Monday she mentioned some ways she was preparing for her Movement 2022 set, some tips for first-time festival attendees, memorable Movement moments, and some other details – check it out!
Andrea Ghita is known for her fun spirit and command of the dance floor, being a part of the City Air Detroit & TV Lounge crews, and being a little disco peach. This year is her 2nd year playing Movement and she is more excited than ever. For her interview, we talked about how she got to this point in her career, upcoming events, staying organized, favorite moments with her crews, people she’d like to work with, where she sees herself in five years, her pink hair, women in the industry, and more.
I hope you enjoy her mix and features this week.
Each mix will exclusively premiere on Deep Space Radio at noon on Wednesday – and then be available on the detroit.dance SoundCloud at 3:13pm EST.
detroit.dance: For those that don’t know who you are, give a rundown of yourself and how you got to this point in your career.
Andrea Ghita: I started getting involved in the underground music scene in about 2012/13. I was living downtown and Hart Plaza was so close that I could hear Movement from my bedroom, so I decided to take a peek one year and started learning the ins and outs of the industry and local clubs. I started out DJing with my sister as The Ghita Sisters as some may know. My first opportunity to play Movement was the last one in 2019 and again this year for 2022, so it’s exciting to be returning with the festival.
detroit.dance: What was something you took from your experience DJing with your sister that has helped you in your solo project?
Andrea Ghita: Playing with another person, especially someone who is so close to you, let alone your blood relative…you get to learn how to balance your style with someone else’s and it keeps you on your toes. It really prepared me for playing back to back with people I had never met or played with. You have to be ready for anything and that experience was a huge learning lesson.
detroit.dance: Where do you see yourself and your brand within the next five years?
Andrea Ghita: Oh, wow. That’s a tough question. I mean, five years ago I didn’t even think I’d be where I’m at today. But honestly, I just hope to have the opportunity to keep playing gigs in Detroit and hopefully in the next few years, build up a little national tour. Maybe eventually travel around the world and see the sights, play some music, listen to some music and see some names that I would have never thought that I’d brush shoulders with. As long as I keep it in my sights and stay humble and keep striving for it, it’s definitely a possibility.
detroit.dance: So the name “Little Disco Peach”, super cute – where did that come from?
Andrea Ghita: It came from my SoundCloud, when I made my account as a solo artist. When it was asking for a URL link I was thinking of a name that would describe me best and the thought sparked “Little Disco Peach” and the name has stuck ever since.
detroit.dance: if you had a bunch of peaches, what would you make?
Andrea Ghita: Oh my gosh, probably a peach cobbler. I have a buddy who always brags about having the best peach cobbler recipe so I would definitely like to take a crack at that.
detroit.dance: Who is someone from Detroit that you haven’t worked with yet that you would like to?
Andrea Ghita: Someone who I really love to work with is Hazmat. I am such a fan. He is so musically talented in every aspect. He was touring with big names for a while and he’s known for his work with the TalkBox and the Vocoder. I would love to have that in one of my tracks. One day.
detroit.dance: What about someone big, from outside of Detroit that you’d like to work with?
Andrea Ghita: Totally out of my reach, I think but Helena Huff. She keeps off the grid. She is a powerhouse and she doesn’t give a fuck. She is making such a name for herself and doesn’t buy into the social media or the fluff. I think that’s really inspiring. That’s a dream.
detroit.dance: You’ve played all around Detroit, you were part of the Paxahau Micro Movement stream and now two Movement Festivals in a row – what is important for someone like you that is continuing to grow to keep in mind and how to stay organized?
Andrea Ghita: Staying organized is actually really important. You don’t realize it until you are in the pits for a long time. A lot of the fresh kids are kind of all over the place, looking for really quick gratification and not really putting in the work. Knowing your music and doing your homework is really important to be a successful DJ. Know your music history, especially in Detroit. Our history is so colorful. We’re trying to keep it alive, but we have to recognize the roots and where it comes from. House and techno, jazz and blues…that’s all black music. We have to recognize that and stay humble, don’t step on any toes. Keep your passion alive and don’t let anything get in your way.
detroit.dance: You are involved with the City Air Detroit crew and the TV Lounge crew, what are some of your favorite moments with the two?
Andrea Ghita: Oh my gosh, that’s a tough one. So for the TV Lounge crew, what comes to mind first is when I opened up a party with Mister Joshooa and Delano Smith. From beginning to end, the party was just seamless and everyone was having such a great time. I was really nervous beforehand because Josh is one of my mentors, he always keeps me on my toes… and Delano is a Detroit legend. So it was really nice to see it all come together.
With City Air, I would have to say all of our days and nights at The Works (RIP). It was gritty and grimy, but everyone always ended up at The Works. We had a residency there for a couple of summers. We had Egyptian Lover out and some other crazy cats like that. There was nowhere else we could have done that at that time. Those days at The Works was what kind of put City Air on the map. That was our home base for a while.
detroit.dance: RIP for sure.Â
detroit.dance: So now TV Lounge is your home base, talk about why it feels like home to you.
Andrea Ghita: As soon as I was a wide-eyed young buck, I saw these big names and Detroit legends playing at TV Lounge. You could see them even on a Wednesday or a Thursday, the patio would be filled with all kinds of people dancing their asses off and great vibes all around. The staff there became like family to me, gave me so much support and everyone had welcoming smiles. Josh (Mister Joshooa) was one of the proprietors of techno and house music nights there and he became a huge mentor to me and took me under his wing. He has taught me a lot and so have the guys from My Baby, and Ataxia. It has always felt like home.
detroit.dance: What do you think about the importance of having a good support system and crew around you?
Andrea Ghita: Yeah, I’ve come to realize how important it actually is. A good support system can take you out of anything. You go through the lowest of the lows together and then also celebrate the highest of the highs together. You can stay tight knit but also keep yourself open to anyone who is kind. You just have to be careful sometimes who you give yourself to.
Having a solid group of friends is nice, because for example Movement is like a holiday for all of us. The anticipation of it has us all like little kids on Christmas Eve and then we get to enjoy it together too.Â
detroit.dance: What are some upcoming gigs you have that you’re excited about?
Andrea Ghita: Oh a ton – check these out!
detroit.dance: What are your thoughts on the women’s movement going on in electronic music?
Andrea Ghita: Women have been making their presence known for quite a few years now. As women, we get scrutinized under a bigger microscope and anything to be criticized will be criticized. We have to work harder and smarter. The women who are doing that are really showing the boys what’s up. You can definitely tell who’s doing it well. I’ve personally been in situations where I’ve had to ask myself how I really want to handle something, or by taking a shot in the ass or biting my tongue. As a woman you really have to strategize to be successful in a man’s industry.
detroit.dance: Are you ever going to bring the bright pink hair back?
Andrea Ghita: I’ve been thinking about it more and more lately. I do miss having fun with my hair. You may see something soon. Stay tuned!
detroit.dance: What do you do for work?
Andrea Ghita: I’ve been dabbling in the weed world. I work in the gardens. It’s definitely one of my passions alongside music.
detroit.dance: What are some of your hobbies?
Andrea Ghita: Being in nature, being around good company. In the summertime you can find me at Belle Isle Beach most days. I also just like to enjoy the city as much as I can, supporting my other friends who are also DJs and performers. It’s nice to see how much talent the city really has. It’s always exciting.
detroit.dance: What’s your favorite type of cookie?
Andrea Ghita: Oh my goodness. I was not prepared for this. My answer is probably controversial, but there’s nothing like a good white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie. I had them all the time as a kid.
Keep up with Andrea on her socials: