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Alrighty, today is May 17th. We are here at the Anacostia River Festival. My name is Inaya. Can you state your name for me? I'm Sheniece or Nini. Um, are you okay if I record this interview? I'm totally fine with that.

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Alrighty. Perfect. Um, so my first question. Um, when did you get involved in the Go-Go scene? So, I mean, when did I get involved in the Go-Go, I felt like it was already there, you know, because, you know, where I was born and stuff like that, and then, like, already having it around, like when I was born, growing up and stuff, so. Pretty much as a young child, like anybody else around here, like when we was younger type of thing and, you know, just grew to love for it, yeah. Okay. Um, and do you remember what your first show was like? Um, my first show. Yeah, I feel like I do, um, hot, sweaty, everybody pushing each other, um, uh, dancing, twerking, you know, uh, clapping as they would say, clapping on top of each other. Just. Just a wild, wild scene, you know, I ain't going to lie. But it was still fun. Like, it was really fun. Like. So, yeah. Something like that.

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Okay. Um and how has the Go-Go scene changed over time since that first show? Since the first show? Um, I feel like I have seen the importance of Go-Go over time. Um, especially like with that situation where they try to mute Go-Go and it was just like, wow, like this thing is really getting out there. So, you know, I have seen it grow, you know, grow for the better. I would say, um, shout out to the Go-Go Museum. They just put that down there on MLK, so that's real nice to have. Um, yeah. Just seeing the importance of it. And you know, how it could change, you know, people's lives and stuff. Yeah, yeah. Have you had a chance to stop by the Go-Go? I did, I did, and I was able it was so good and I was able to take my coworker there. She, um, you know, she from the other side, you know, but it was cool to bring her, you know, to let her see like what I enjoy. You know what I love? Um, and stuff, but it was really good. If you haven't been there, you have to visit. Downstairs, they have, like, um, like a little stage where they have performances and stuff, and then they have, like, um, holograms of Big G from Backyard, you know, you can and then Sugar Bear and stuff. So it's a real nice experience. Real nice interactive experience. Yeah, yeah.

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Um, beyond the music itself, what are the important and maybe unseen or underappreciated elements of the Go-Go scene? Yeah, that's a good question. I would say, um, I would definitely say the community, how it brings the community together, you know what I'm saying? Like how it's not about violence. You know, D.C., you know, we can be known for like, violence and stuff like that, but it's how non-violent it can be and how happy everybody can be. Everybody come together. You probably don't even know that person. But you hear this song, they hear this song. They're like, hey, you feeling it? I'm feeling it too, you know? So stuff like that, like how it can just bring people together, um, the happiness of it, the love of it. You know, it's just how, how it makes you feel like you can hear a regular song. Like the Adele song, for example. Hello. You know what I'm saying? You can hear that song and but how Backyard switched it up and just made it like, hello, like. So it's just like, it's just how it can just bring people together and bring people out. It's just so amazing, honestly. And it's just and, you know, it's not going to stop because these are generations seeing this little kids, you know what I'm saying? They're hearing the Go-Go songs they beating their feet like it's just amazing. Like just how it can just bring people together, the community of it, the non-violent of it. And, you know, people will come, people will be like in front of the stage shouting out their hoods, you know, stuff like that. But it's it's like a certain feeling, like it's an adrenaline rush. So it's like it can't, it can't be muted like at all. Like it's so important Yeah. Um, in what ways do you feel that you have contributed to the Go-Go scene? Yeah. Um, definitely. I would say bringing people out whenever, you know, Go-Go is around. Um, uh, you know, just promoting it, you know, uh, posting it on my page or, you know, just playing it in the house really loud so everybody can hear it, you know? Um, following the bands whenever they go out of town. Backyard will be in Philly, what, in three weeks at the Roots Picnic, I'm going. So, you know, just showing love to them and appreciating them and then telling them how much I appreciate them when I see them, you know what I'm saying? Um, you know, just doing stuff like that and then, you know, buying these tickets for the Go-Go because the Go-Go can't get high, but you got to be in there free. It's always free before 10, free before 11. So you know, that's cool too. But you know, just enjoying it with them and loving loving it, loving the scene, loving the Go-Go scene. Loving it. Yeah. Yeah.

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Um, could you tell me about a woman or multiple women who have been important to the Go-Go scene, both on and off stage? Um, yeah. So I would say, um, for women, um, see, I see, I don't know too much history about the women in Go-Go, but the ones I grew up off of, I would say like, um, it's two it's two women. I can't even think of their names right now in the Backyard band. But it's two of them, the lead singer, you know, watching her, and then also the other one that be on the mic. I cannot think of her name right now, maybe because she put me on the spot, but yeah, just women like that. And then like my mom herself, you know, watching her grow up in it. My aunt, my aunt will be here today, but just watching them enjoy it and you know, and loving it, it's just like, ooh, I want okay, I'm feeling that too. Like, how you feeling it. So yeah. Women like that. Honestly. Yeah. Yeah. Um. Next question. My favorite question. What is one word you would use to describe Go-Go. One word to describe Go-Go. One word. Oh. Just one. Huh? One word to describe Go-Go. Passionate. Passionate. Yeah.

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Awesome. And I choose passionate because it's like you have to have a passion to, like, be able to be creative with music like that, you know what I'm saying? And these artists, these local people that be around here, being in these Go-Go bands, everybody from here got a family member in the Go-Go band, like my mother was in the Go-Go band. Like it's just the passion, the passionate. Like to have it. So. Yeah. Being passionate. What do you think the Go-Go scene will look like and sound like in the future? Um, I think it would be the same, you know? I think it would definitely. So it's already out there, you know, but it would be out there more, you know? Um, yeah. I don't think it can't change. Like, can't nobody change it. It's just like so significant. Like it's a it's a type of beat, you know. So I feel like it'll be the same but just bigger and better, you know? Yeah, yeah.

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And is there anything that you would like to add that I haven't asked you? Um, nah. You know, just love Go-Go. I love Go-Go, you know, I love Go-Go music. Um, just live life and love Go-Go. Like, that's it. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking the time. Thank you, thank you.