Introducing: Yen Sung

One of Lisbon’s finest DJs, Yen Sung has been at the forefront of the Portuguese capital’s underground music scene since the early 90s. She started out playing everything from A Tribe Called Quest to A Guy Called Gerald, before becoming the first hiphop DJ in Portugal and throwing now-legendary parties which started the careers of many star rappers to-be. Her sound has developed to cover the breadth of Black music, with a special focus on deep, lush house tracks. While she may be best known for house, if the time is right, don’t be surprised to hear Yen drop some funk, soul or dub classics.

Yen’s set at GALA will be her first London show for many years. “I’ve played in London twice,” she told us, “but I don’t remember them! I’m excited to be back.” We, too, are very excited to have Yen in Peckham. Check any of her sets online and you will hear a highly-skilled professional at work behind the decks, flexing a profound and eclectic taste that has been honed over a 30-year residency at Lisbon’s foremost nightlife institution LuxFrágil.

Asked to introduce herself to the GALA audience, Yen resorts to typically humble terms: “I am Yen Sung, a DJ from Lisbon, a resident at LuxFrágil club and I like to play house, deep house, sometimes techno. It depends on the crowd and how I’m feeling.” Aside from DJing, Yen produces music and runs a label called Alphabet Street Music, together with Photonz, as well as having a brand of African print kimonos called Curry.

When she plays on the Patio on Friday, taking over from Soichi Terada and teeing up Gerd Janson, the sunset scene will be set for heartfelt house classics. Highly recommended! Thank us later.