Chelo

You’ve built so many projects around culture, but let’s start from the beginning, what was your childhood like, and were there early moments that hinted at the path you’re on now? 

Music was always a huge part of my life from the start. I started drumming when I was six, and all my siblings played instruments too. My parents really valued having a musical household, so it was always in the air. My mom loved to listen to music and dance, especially at family gatherings, the African ones, where music was just always in the background. I soaked all that up and started DJ-ing at the age of 13, getting into vinyls and all that. But honestly, I never really made a conscious decision back then saying “this is my path,” it just clicked later on. When I started producing music seriously with my brother, that’s when it became clear: Okay, this is the road I want to take.

Was there ever a time you thought you’d take a completely different path in life? What changed?

Yeah actually, I originally studied to become a teacher. That was before all the music with my brother took off. I thought I’d go down that route and become a teacher, but then music kind of got in the way in the best possible sense. That’s when I realised that I didn’t actually want to be a teacher, I wanted to be more creative, more free, and work with many more people than just one classroom at a time.

You’ve lived and worked in Munich, but your work feels global. How does the city shape you creatively, and what parts of yourself live outside of it?

Munich feels as comfortable as home does to me. To be honest, when it comes to the creative and music scene, Munich isn’t really comparable to places like Paris, London, or even Berlin. It’s a bit quieter and serves as more of a calm spot for me. But in a way, that’s a good thing because you can experiment more easily. The community is supportive, and it’s an easier place to start things. In another big city, it might not be that simple.
For inspiration, of course, I look online, which can sometimes be overwhelming, but I really love direct inspiration. That’s why I’m grateful that through DJ-ing and my job, I get to travel internationally, meet new people, explore different cities, visit stores and museums, and really soak in other cultures. That’s a huge source of inspiration for me beyond Munich.

You move between fashion, music, and curation so seamlessly, do you see them as separate worlds, or one continuous language?

For me, all of these things have the same common thread, and they fit together so well. Fashion, music, even art are all one bubble for me, and I love working within that bubble. I don’t just want to do fashion on its own; when I do fashion, I bring in music; during activations I add music to make the fashion feel more alive and emotional. So for me, it’s always been about blending those different parts.

When you’re creating, whether it’s a DJ set, a clothing drop, or an event, do you have personal rituals or habits that help you find focus?

Not really, when I’m doing the SundayTapes, I often can’t prepare the set until I’m actually at the location where we’re doing it. The same goes for gigs in other cities. I kind of have to feel something first, whether it’s the vibe of the city, the people there, or just arriving a bit earlier at the club and feeling out the crowd. That helps me get mentally ready for the set. Otherwise, it’s hard for me to get into the zone in advance.

Do you ever struggle with the tension between being a “brand” and just being yourself? How do you navigate that line?

Yeah, it’s definitely tough because those lines are really close together, so there’s not a clear-cut division. For me, I just try to keep my private life as private as possible and not share too much of that with the public. But of course, when we do things, sometimes my private world is involved and supportive, so it all kind of blends together. Honestly, I haven’t found the perfect solution yet or figured out exactly what feels right for me.

Secret Sessions and SundayTape are both about intimacy and closeness. Why is creating these hidden, smaller spaces important to you in a world that’s obsessed with scaling and exposure?

It’s pretty simple because it just feels more honest, nicer, and better that way. I think creating that kind of intimacy in a large space is not as easy. With fewer people, you can have conversations afterward; it’s kind of like comparing a big wedding with 200 guests to a small wedding with maybe 20 or 30. I’ve experienced both, and at the smaller one, you could talk to everyone, you could really connect with the couple, and it was so much more intimate and heartfelt. That’s what makes these kinds of smaller activations special and human.

What do you look for in the people you collaborate with, is it about talent, energy, values, or something else entirely?

In my ideal scenario, when I work with someone, everything just clicks, the energy, the values, the relationship between us, and of course the work itself. I don’t think there’s a perfect formula, but it’s really important to me that if I’m working closely with someone, we have a good connection. It’s less about having to hang out or grab a drink afterward and more about that natural mutual understanding and vibe.

What are you most curious about exploring in the next chapter of your life, both in your career and personally?


I’m really curious and excited about how the SundayTape is going to evolve, because I have so many ideas and add-ons in mind that we could do. My dream is really to turn it into a platform where newcomers and people who are passionate can just showcase themselves in a cool circle and a great atmosphere. So I’m really looking forward to seeing how that unfolds.

If you look back on your journey so far, what do you think has stayed the same about you, no matter how much has changed?


I think through everything that’s happened, before and especially after all the ups and downs, I’ve always stayed humble. And another thing that’s stayed the same is that my really close circle around me has more or less remained the same over the years, and that’s something really important to me.