Chi Sounds Like

Kenya Elan is a comedian and writer whose brand of humor channels the exasperations of everyday life, and seeks to turn discomfort into laughter. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, Elan decided to give comedy a shot and has loved it ever since. Now, as a cast member of the Lincoln Lodge, she has found encouragement and support to continue crafting her comedic style. This is what her Chicago sounds...

Vici Howard is a writer, filmmaker and the founder of Black & Brown Femme Films, or BFF. A writer since her childhood, Howard returned to her passion for film after raising her family and soon realized how challenging it is to get accepted into a film festival. Through her belief that all filmmakers should have a platform to show their work, BFF was born. BFF is an all-encompassing celebration...

Octavia Reese is a Chicago-based cellist, author, artist, digital strategist and mother. With many hats in her repertoire, the Logan Square resident works to create multi-disciplinary works that move listeners to a place of healing. As a digital health strategist by day and all-around-artist any time after, Reese combines her scientific background with her classical training to shape her artistic...

Darius Dennis is a Chicago-based artist, muralist and the founder of Big Wall Sign and Mural. In response to the civil unrest and protests against police brutality in 2020, he created the mural “I Am A Man,” located near the Blue Line in Wicker Park, which ignited a series of murals to be produced nationwide. His unique style of recreating Civil Rights era photos on a grand scale is aimed to conti...

Caro Aceves celebrates their identity as a queer Chicagoan by performing drag under the persona Kerosene. At 23 years old, they have established themselves as a full-time drag performer, taking center stage at spaces across Chicago including Berlin, Golden Dagger, Comfort Station and more. Through performing over the past two years, Aceves has discovered their own identity and forged a deep connec...

LaVonte Stewart is the founding executive director of Lost Boyz Inc., a Chicago nonprofit whose mission is to provide sports-based development and guidance to kids. A former athlete himself, Stewart created Lost Boyz as a way to give kids space to practice sports in a positive environment, and put their life on a positive trajectory. Though the organization has received multiple awards for their w...

Iconic techno and house DJ Hiroko Yamamura has made a name for herself in the Chicago and international scenes by following the sounds she loves. She admires the innovative nature of Chicago’s music and arts scene, and the down-to-earth attitudes of its residents. This is what her Chicago sounds like. This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. Keep up with Hiroko...

Growing up, Chicago muralist and painter David Gauna found an escape from everyday life through his artwork. Now, he hopes to give Chicago teenagers a chance to find themselves by encouraging their own creative expression in his “Bloom” art programs across the city. This is what his Chicago sounds like. This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced and edited by Ari Mejia. Learn...

Alyssa Gregory is a contemporary dancer and arts administrator who works to showcase the richness of Chicago’s South Side dance community, while advocating for the needs of fellow artists. Originally from northern Virginia, Gregory has found home in the city’s dance community and is a regular performer with The Fly Honeys show. She’s also the communications manager at Arts + Public Life, and host...

Bindu Poroori is a Chicago-based writer, musician, political organizer, curator and non-profit worker. In writing about her family and sharing her story as an Indian immigrant, Poroori hopes to give others who may relate something to identify with. While reflecting on social justice, community, and her role in community programming and curating creative events, Bindu gives insight on what motivate...

Sulyiman Stokes is a cultural worker and interdisciplinary artist from Chicago’s Auburn-Gresham neighborhood. Through all of his artistic mediums, Stokes focuses on telling stories of radical love in the Black community. A lifelong musician and multi-instrumentalist — from elementary school onward — Stokes discovered his passion for photography in 2018 and uses his platform to elevate the stories...

Shomari “Sho” Daniels is a Chicago DJ and entertainer — perhaps better known by their DJ persona, Zeetus Lapetus. Though they lived just outside of Chicago in Richmond Park for most of their life, they have been a part of the Chicago House music scene since they were young and moved into the city proper in 2019. During the pandemic, noticing a sense of loneliness, they decided to become a DJ. Thei...

Adia Ivey is a Chicago-based film director and producer who passionately advocates for inclusivity and representation in the field. Focusing their lens on a Black queer perspective, their narratives and documentaries celebrate diverse and authentic stories. This is what their Chicago sounds like. This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Meija.

Sandra Puebla is a community organizer and the chair of United Neighbors of the 35th Ward. Puebla specializes in constituent services for an independent political organization, representing neighborhoods across Chicago such as parts of Hermosa, Logan Square, Avondale and Irving Park. Her office works closely with Alderman Carlos Rosa to create democratic systems and redefine what “political” means...

Teresa Magaña is a Chicago-based self-taught artist and co-founder of Pilsen Arts & Community House. Though Magaña became an artist later in life, she feels inspired by her profound connection to her roots and Mexican Chicana heritage. Magaña grew up in Pilsen, and prides herself on the culture that has accepted and celebrated her. In Mexican culture, the life and death cycle is heavily accept...

Adam L. McMath is a filmmaker, a community organizer and the executive director of arts nonprofit Black Alphabet. Though originally from St. Louis, Missouri, McMath has been living in Edgewater for the past 12 years. McMath has been working for Black Alphabet since its founding in 2013, originally joining as a filmmaker, working on content “for us by us,” as he believes it is important for his com...

Daniella Mazzio (she/they) is a writer, performer, advocate, and communications and accessibility consultant. Originally from the western Chicago suburbs, Daniella attended DePaul University and has been living in the city ever since. Working for the Chicago Humanities Festival for three years helped Mazzio dive into accessibility at events and cultural occasions, leading to a multitude of opportu...

South Loop resident Stevie Valles is the co-executive director of Chicago Votes, an organization built to create voting opportunities in the city. He wants to uplift lesser-heard voices to be heard by leaders, especially young people and the incarcerated. Focusing on voter turnout in prisons has helped increase equity amongst voters, the main objective of the organization. While he understands tha...

Mary Bowman is a Chicago-based healthcare provider, associate professor and reproductive justice activist. Specializing in reproductive and gender-affirming care, including abortions and hormone therapy, Bowman feels passionately about expanding the U.S. healthcare system’s accessibility and practicing healthcare through a social justice lens. As an associate nursing professor at DePaul University...

South Side poet Tarnynon Onumonu uses words to break generational trauma and share stories of joy. Through pop-up workshops and hosting open mics, she fosters an environment of healing and empowerment. She is going on her fourth year as the poet in residence at the Chicago Poetry Center, and retells her experiences in an effort to find healing and joy. For this segment of “This Is What Chicago Sou...

Chicago doula and activist Daisy Zamora works to heal her community by supporting families bringing life into the world, and providing crucial resources to Chicagoans in need. Working with organizations including Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT), Chicago Volunteer Doulas, and Fresher Together, Zamora uplifts the community by facilitating solidarity circles and fighting food insecu...

Chicago-based journalist and musician Debbie-Marie Brown is a staff writer for the Chicago Reader whose work centers around their Chicago-based curiosities. As a journalist, they are dedicated to telling an accurate story of what the city offers its communities. Brown is also a musician inspired by the DIY music scene, and plays the guitar and sings lead vocals for their eponymous band of four. Th...

Rima Sweiss, member of the advisory board for the Chicago Palestine Film Festival, takes her community involvement to the next level by sharing the stories of the Palestinian community through film. The Chicago Palestine Film Festival kicked off on April 29 and will conclude on May 14 at the Gene Siskel Film Center. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.palestinefilmfest.com. This...

Chicago photographer Eric Strom is co-founder of GilterGuts and a self-proclaimed archivist. By creating distinctive photo booths and a supportive environment, Strom is able to capture more than a good shot; he creates a piece of history able to be shared years from now. Many of his photos can be seen on the live archives he hosts on the GlitterGuts Instagram page. This is what his Chicago sounds...

Activist, community leader and advocate, Mayadet Patitucci Cruz is passionate about giving back to under-resourced and LGBTQ+ communities. Through organizing, community engagement and program management, Cruz builds a sense of community and security for the LGBTQ+ Youth. This is what their Chicago sounds like. This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn m...