CROSS COLOURS was originally a clothing brand launched in the late 80's by Carl Jones. What inspired Jessica Cross to take on the name as her DJ alias, aside from the obvious, is due to the mission of the brand itself. CROSS COLOURS was not merely selling clothes- it was pushing a message: "Clothing without prejudice". It is one thing to be a self promoting DJ, but CROSS COLOURS is all about the message behind the music in addition to the rhythm itself. A firm believer in the power of music, she is doing just that- allowing that power to flow through her and letting the music do its work. 

 

 

 

ORIGINATING FROM THE BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA, JESSICA CROSS AKA CROSS COLOURS, HAS BEEN MAKING HER MARK AROUND THE GLOBE SINCE SHE MADE HER WAY BACK TO THIS WORLD IN 1988.

 

BORN TO AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FATHER AND AN EQUALLY SOULFUL SO-CALLED WHITE MOTHER, CROSS' YOUTH WAS SURROUNDED BY MUSIC AND THE ARTS, INFLUENCES WHICH CHALLENGED HER TO SEEK A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURE AND IDENTITY.  HER FATHER, A SINGER AND RETIRED BANKER FROM ST. LOUIS MISSOURI AND HER CALI MOTHER, A PHOTOGRAPHER AND BUSINESS INNOVATOR; BOTH BELIEVE IN THE NOTION OF FOLLOWING DREAMS AND A PASSION FOR THE ARTS. 

 

A MUSICIAN HERSELF, CROSS' KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC IS ROOTED IN BOTH THE BLESSING OF ARTS EDUCATION AND HER FAMILY VINYL COLLECTION. HER MUSICAL HOUSEHOLD PROVIDED A FOUNDATION OF SOUL, JAZZ, FUNK, DISCO AND R&B. HER FIRST MUSICAL MEMORY OF NOTE WAS DROPPING THE NEEDLE ON EARTH WIND AND FIRE THEN JUMPING FROM ONE COUCH TO ANOTHER IN RHYTHM.  A BLOSSOMING TEEN IN THE HEART OF THE HIP HOP AND NEO-SOUL MOVEMENT THESE BEATS ALSO RETAIN A DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF HER MUSIC COLLECTION. 

 

AS SHE TRAVELS THE WORLD CROSS' KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC HAS GROW EXPONENTIALLY. HER FASCINATION FOR VINYL HAS FOUND HER DIGGING   IN LONDON, NEW YORK, AMSTERDAM, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, MIAMI, CHICAGO, ST LOUIS, PHILLY, KINGSTON AND CAPE TOWN; HER CURIOSITY FOLLOWS MUSICAL RABBIT HOLES FROM ONE RECORD STORE TO ANOTHER, DUSTING THROUGH CRATES, DIGESTING LINER NOTES AND BONDING WITH MUSICAL SOUL MATES WHO OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES FEATURED IN HER PRODUCTIONS.

 

CROSS COLOURS DEEP APPRECIATION FOR CULTURE- THAT THE SOUL OF EVERY CITY CAN BE ABSORBED THROUGH ITS PEOPLE AND THEIR CONNECTION TO ART AND MUSIC-LED HER TO FOUND THE NON-PROFIT SOUL CITY MOVEMENT (WWW.SOULCITYMOVEMENT.ORG) IN 2010 AFTER GRADUATING FROM OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE WITH A BA IN CRITICAL THEORY SOCIAL JUSTICE, DOUBLE MINOR ETHNOMUSICOLOGY AND FINE ARTS.  THIS ORGANIZATION IS A MOVEMENT FOCUSED ON EMPOWERING ARTISTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO CREATE, COLLABORATE, MENTOR AND SHOWCASE THEIR WORK TO STRENGTHEN INDIVIDUALITY, CONNECTIVITY AND COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY.  

 

CROSS BELIEVES THAT WITHIN THE SOUL OF THE CITY THERE ARE SOUNDS THAT WEAVE A STORY OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE. AS SHE MOVES FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, THESE NARRATIVES ARE COMPILED AND HONORED.CROSS COLOURS' ABILITY TO RE-TELL THESE STORIES IN HER SETS- TO CURATE A MUSICAL EXPERIENCE THAT INHABITS THE ENERGY OF EACH SPACE, PERSON, OR GROUP AND RELATES IT TO ANOTHER-IS HER HOMAGE TO THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF EXPRESSION. 

 

WHILE LIVING IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, CROSS COLOURS TEAMED UP WITH VETERAN DJ PIERRE-ESTIENNE TO PRODUCE VINYL DIGZ IN 2011; A STRICTLY VINYL PARTY HOSTED AT VARIOUS UNDERGROUND LOCATIONS REPRESENTING THE SOUL OF THE CITY. THE PAIR SOUGHT TO ESTABLISH AN EVENT THAT WOULD UTILIZE THE ESSENCE OF VINYL CULTURE TO BRING NEW LIFE INTO THE CITY AND ACTIVELY WORKING TO BRIDGE SOCIAL GAPS IN SOUTH AFRICA WHILE STILL CELEBRATING AND CONNECTING OVER MUSIC. THEY CALL IT "PARTYING WITH A PURPOSE". 

 

CROSS COLOURS HAS AN EXTREMELY ECLECTIC MUSICAL TASTE; THERE IS NOT ONE GENRE THAT IS SPECIFIC TO HER SOUND. SHE EXPLAINS THAT HER MUSICAL TASTE CAN ONLY BE ABSORBED BY SOUL; WHICH HAS LONG BEEN DECLARED AS SOMETHING THAT IS HARD TO DEFINE. SHE DESCRIBES IT AS A 'UNIQUE CONNECTION BETWEEN HEARTS THAT MAKES BODIES SENSITIVE.' SHE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT SHE GETS A PHYSICAL REACTION, A TINGLING SENSATION THROUGH HER BODY WHEN HER SOUL CONNECTS TO A CREATION. IT IS AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION.

 

"MY JOB IS TO PUT MYSELF OUT THERE, TO SHARE WITH OTHERS, TO BE INSPIRED, AND TO INSPIRE, THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM. IT IS A PROCESS OF LETTING GO, CONNECTING TO THE MUSIC AND CONNECTING TO THE CROWD AND THE SPACE AND THEN ALLOWING EVERYTHING TO CONNECT TO EACH OTHER." 

FROM OLD-SCHOOL TO NEW SCHOOL; KNOWN ARTIST AND PERHAPS UNKNOWN OR FORGOTTEN- CROSS COLOURS CAN BE EXPECTED TO PLAY NOTHING BUT MUSIC CREATED FROM THE HEART WITH A MESSAGE TO ABSORB, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

 

work experience

 

  • VINYL DIGZ (FOUNDER, RESIDENT DJ AND CURATOR); CAPE TOWN, SA 2011-PRESENT
  • RESIDENT AT BLAKES BAR AND LOUNGE, CAPE TOWN SA 2011-2012
  • FAT BACK SOUL, CAPE TOWN SA 2011-2012
  • RAGAZZI LIVE, CAPE TOWN SA 2011-2013
  • JULIP BAR, CAPE TOWN SA 2011-2015
  • ZULA BAR, CAPE TOWN SA 2011-2014
  • THE WAITING ROOM, CAPE TOWN SA 2011-PRESENT
  • KITCHENERS, JOHANNESBURG SA 2013
  • CROSS COLOURS WAS ALSO A FEATURED DJ AT SOME OF CAPE TOWN SIGNATURE EVENTS INCLUDING; COLD TURKEY, KOOL OUT LOUNGE, THE TOFFEE FESTIVAL, LABIA NIGHT MARKET, AND THE PRESTIGIOUS AFRIKA BURN ARTS FESTIVAL IN THE KAROO DESERT 2011-PRESENT
  • TOURING DJ WITH SINGER/SONGWRITER ZAKI IBRAHIM, JOHANNESBURG SA 2012
  • ROOM 389 BAR, OAKLAND CA 2013-2014
  • STUDIO 151, NEW YORK CITY 2015-PRESENT
  • LEAD BELLY, NEW YORK CITY 2015-PRESENT

 

AND THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES...

testimonials

 

 

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