Brooklyn-based DJ Bridge has emerged as a growing presence in New York’s underground house scene. Her sets weave together classic house, gospel house, disco, and ballroom influences, shaping vocally driven sessions rooted in energy and connection on the dance floor.
Photo credit: Bridge – Official
Born in Italy, Bridge brings a global perspective to a sound deeply connected to house music’s foundations. Her selections often pay homage to the genre’s pioneers while introducing those traditions to new audiences. This approach has drawn the attention of artists such as Natasha Diggs, musclecars, Stacey Hotwaxxhale, and Barbara Tucker.
Beyond the booth, Bridge is the founder of UPLIFTED, a party series centered on community and the legacy of Black house music, and co-founder of the Brooklyn-based collective PowerHaus. Through both projects, she focuses on creating spaces that celebrate expression, connection, and the cultural roots of the genre.
In this conversation, Bridge reflects on discovering house music, teaching herself to DJ, the responsibility of preserving the genre’s origins, and the challenges of building community in today’s scene.
EG: Hi Bridge, welcome to EG. I first saw you last summer at Soul Summit in New York. Your set felt incredibly mature, and I later learned it was your debut there and still early in your DJ journey. Who was Bridge before DJing, and who is she now? Who is the woman behind the decks?
Bridge: Thanks for the invite! My name is Bridgette. Bridge is really like an alter ego of mine, and when I started DJing, I thought about what name I would use for myself. I wanted it to be an homage to my name, but it also represents “bridging” generations of house music, connecting Gen X and older communities with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. I’ve always been a music lover. Disco, R&B, jazz, soul. Music has always been part of who I am.
EG: How did you find house music?
Bridge: I first heard house in 2006 when ‘Change For Me’ by Arrow, remixed by Joey Negro (now Dave Lee), came on. It changed my life. I didn’t know what it was, but it felt melodic and emotional, and that four-on-the-floor rhythm was unlike anything I had heard before.
When I moved to New York City in 2017, I went to Soul Summit for the first time on July 8, 2018. I was 22. I heard the bass from the street and wondered what it was. It was classic house. Most of the crowd was in their late 40s, 50s, and 60s. Black and brown people dancing together to house music. That was the first time I realized people like us enjoy house music in that way. They were not just dancing. They were spiritually connected.
EG: What did music sound like in your life growing up? Who and what shaped your taste?
Bridge: In the early years, it was my dad. He had a huge vinyl collection for the house and the car. I grew up listening to Michael Jackson, The Whispers, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Janet Jackson, and Barry White. A lot of disco, funk, and pop.
My mother was into Ghanaian gospel and Highlife music, which is essentially Ghanaian folk that evolved into gospel. I didn’t appreciate it as much growing up because it felt old-fashioned to me.
EG: When I hear those songs remixed into house, it feels like rediscovering them through a new lens. It brings nostalgia and even makes me appreciate music I once dismissed.
Bridge: Exactly. It shows that music moves through generations and sounds. That’s why I play a lot of gospel house. My mother’s gospel background and my father’s disco, R&B, and soul influences all come together. Music was always playing in my house. My parents would argue over whose music to play. I grew up dancing to everything. I never stand still when I hear music.
“Raving is political. It’s about community and recognizing that people from different backgrounds can come together in the same space to share music”
EG: How did you learn to DJ?
Bridge: I’m self-taught. For a long time, I would go to parties and stand behind the DJs watching them. They would ask when I was going to start DJing, and I would always say I couldn’t. I was fascinated by how they moved a crowd, so I kept showing up.
About five years ago, my husband bought me a DDJ-400. That was the push I needed. Friends showed me some basics because I’m a visual learner, but after that, I practiced constantly. A friend eventually pushed me to play live for the first time. I didn’t feel ready, but that’s when it clicked. DJing is technical, but it’s also a performance.
EG: You’re not only playing music but also educating people about where this culture comes from. House and techno were created by Black, Queer, and Latin communities, yet that history often gets erased. Why is it important for you to keep that story alive?
Bridge: It’s my responsibility. I don’t see it happening enough. I’m able to play house music because of the founders and the work they put into it.
Throughout history, a lot of Black, Queer, and Latin art has been repackaged and presented as something new. Those communities often did not have the resources to market it globally. Today, everything is accessible. Anyone can learn this history online. What I talk about is not new information.
EG: Do you think it is every DJ’s responsibility to do the same?
Bridge: In a way, yes. Anyone can research where this music comes from, but many choose not to. DJs who benefit from this culture should do their due diligence and share the history.
I also love history and community. I would feel guilty growing in this space without acknowledging the people who built it. The more we talk about it, the less surprising this information will be.
EG: Sometimes people push back and say they just want to party without thinking about history.
Bridge: That happens a lot. But raving is political. It’s about community and recognizing that people from different backgrounds can come together in the same space to share music. Without understanding the history, it’s easy to treat it as just another party.
EG: What do you want people to feel when you play?
Bridge: I want people to feel free, like they can do anything. That comes from the songs I choose and how I perform. If people see me dancing and being myself, it permits them to do the same. I want them to feel empowered when they listen to me.
EG: What do you think the industry is lacking right now?
Bridge: Community. In my few years of DJing, I’ve seen how difficult it can be to build trust. As a Black woman, you often have to work several times harder for opportunities.
There is also a lot of gatekeeping. Some of the people holding power should be creating more opportunities for Black, POC, and queer DJs and producers. I’m determined to push forward and bring others up with me.
“DJing is technical, but it’s also a performance”
EG: How would you describe your sound?
Bridge: I move across styles as long as the groove feels right. I love classic house and vocal house. I love disco because it’s the predecessor of house.
I also play baile funk, NOLA bounce, and pop house edits. Sometimes I include Beyoncé. I like to say I spoon-feed house music to my generation. If they don’t connect immediately with classics like Martha Wash, Barbara Tucker, or Masters At Work, I introduce them through edits and remixes.
EG: What sets have changed things for you in terms of opportunities?
Bridge: My first set was at a bar in Williamsburg with terrible speakers. You could barely hear the music. It lasted about fifteen minutes, and I played three or four songs.
A turning point came on March 21, 2025, at Soul in the Horn, Natasha Diggs’ party. I had admired that event for a long time, so that opportunity meant a lot. That was when my alter ego really came to life.
Playing with Musclecars at Good Room was another big moment. They gave me the 1 to 3 AM slot, and the room was electric. My Soul Summit set at Knockdown Center was also major.
Throwing my own party, Uplifted, was another milestone. With St. James Joy and Cleopatra James on the lineup, we brought in around 800 people. That helped define what I want Bridge to represent.
EG: Where do you dream of playing in the future?
Bridge: New York will always be my home base, but I want to play worldwide. Two dream bookings are Glitterbox Ibiza and Glitterbox Croatia. Their parties are joyful and high-energy, which matches what I bring to the room.
In New York, I would love to hold a residency at spaces like Refuge or Public Records.
Bridge is set to perform on March 27th at Webster Hall in New York, May 22th at Lightning in a Bottle in Buena Vista Lake, and June 19th at House of Yes in New York. Grab your tickets here.
Follow Bridge: Website | Soundcloud | Instagram
