DJ Dola is an ardent music lover, vinyl collector, and passionate social dancer, DJ Dola was born in the UK, by Nigerian Yoruba parents. His love for music and dancing is from a very young age, listening to his dad’s record/vinyl collection, and he began collecting records/vinyl during the disco era of the 1970’s. His taste in music spans across most genres, which include traditional Yoruba, classical, contemporary Jazz, modern Jazz, country, rap, Hip Hop, RnB, African, Cuban Music Salsa, Latin Jazz, Guaguanco, Kizomba, Zouk etc.

Dola is a dancing DJ, and began djing at local parties and clubs in the 1970’s in Nigeria and in the 80s and 90s in London  England. In 1998 he started a salsa school/social at Corts Wine Bar, Chancery Lane in London UK with Robert Charlemange, and moved to the Washington DC area in Jan 1999.

DJ Dola New Logo NO Background

DJ Dola is owner of World Dance Festival www.worlddancefestival.co. The premiere Latin dance event in Maryland, the first Congress of the year on the east coast of the USA, and hosted at the prestigious Baltimore Hilton, downtown. The the next one is from May 4-7,2023

DJ Dola is also a co-founder of the hard core Salsa Underground DC vinyl Social www.salsaundergroundc.com hosted on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month at the Capital Ballroom in Bethesda, the only regular vinyl social in the region since 2013 playing salsa dura, salsa vieja, guaguanco, latin Jazz, cha cha cha and boogaloo and timba.  He’s also a co-founder of Salsa Cubana Collaboration, and  Turntablism Vinyl Experience, a vinyl social that brings together vinyl DJs from out of town.

Dola has traveled extensively globally working as a SAP software consultant, and djing in various countries and events in London UK, Bern, Geneva and Montreaux in Switzerland. Holland Netherlands, Salsa Nights Awards & Tunnel Night Club in Moscow Russia, Kiev Ukraine, NY, Salsa Glam 2009 New Year’s Eve Party Montreal, Canada. He was a regular DJ at Mr. Mambo’s Social in Washington DC, and in 2010 he was invited as one of the few DJs on the All Star Salsa Cruise in Barcelona.  Other events include Baila Duro Xtreme Cleveland Ohio, Latin Vintage 1st Friday’s Salsa Social Richmond VA, Pura Vintage Richmond, Mambo Room Norfolk VA, USA, Baltimore Cuban Salsa Party, Baltimore Salsa Bachata Congress, Art In Motion Social in Philadelphia, Johnny Sanchez Salsa and Chips at the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore  and various events around the DMV area.

He was the resident DJ at the famous Barking Dog Salsa Tuesdays in Bethesda MD, DJ’s regularly at Clarendon Grill Salsa Mondays in Arlington VA,  DC Casineros Cuban Dance Social, Rueda de Casino Baltimore Cuban Dance Social, and also at weddings and corporate events like the Smithsonian museum in DC.

Awards: 2013 Mr. Mambo’s “DJ for Life”, 2013 Honors Night, 2014 Honors Night, 2015 Honors Night DJ of the year,  2014 Salsa Underground DC “Event of the Year”, 2016 Honors Night DJ of the year.

Congresses: Baltimore Salsa Bachata Congress, Capital Congress, DC Fall Salsa Bachata Festival, Alaska Salsa Festival, Interfusion Festival DC, Nixmotion Festival Burlington Vermont