By Dorian ‘Paul D’ Rogers | @pauldtheripy
I sat down and had coffee with DJ manager, event planner, and UAE socialite, Kitty Kittens, to discuss all things related to UAE nightlife and her profession related to event management.
Paul D: You are of Caribbean descent but born in New York. What are your earliest memories and how has your background shaped who you are today?
Kitty: My parents are from and island call St. Vincent and The Grenadines. I was born in Brooklyn and spent all my summers and holidays in St. Vincent with my grandmother. Having the access of both places as my playground has groomed me into who I am now. I was able to travel at a very young age by myself and see that there was much more to the world. My mom was such a hard worker and seeing her grinding it with two jobs and still living her life was something I looked up to. My grandma was always there to remind me that St. Vincent is where my family stated but told me I must be able to find my own way.
Paul D: It’s amazing that you were able to gain international experience at such an early age. Describe what it’s like to manage a DJ. What type of matters do you handle?
Kitty: Managing DJs is great stuff. I love how each one of them has their own style in which the handle the crowd. I deal with mostly the booking and contracts for them. Sometimes I may have to do a bit of promoting as well for the gig if need be.
Paul D: Having A.L.L.A.D., Crown Prince, Mad Hands and others as a part of the family gives you arguably the strongest line up of DJs in the country. How did you get in to event management?
Kitty: I got into event planning in high school. It started with the night school talent show one year then I moved on to handling the fashion show the next year. I used my modeling connects to get top designers such as Karl Kani, Mecca, Moshood and FUBU who were in urban market at the time to sponsor and give the clothing towards the show. After doing and outstanding job, I was rewarded with the chance to jump on board as an event planner for the Karl Kani brand. I remember the rush I felt after the fashion show it was so rewarding and amazing to see it all come together just how I imagined it. I was in love with events from then on.
Paul D: Seeing a vision come to life is what I love about event planning. What’s the most rewarding part to you?
Kitty: Seeing an idea turn into great memories.
Paul D: What’s the most difficult or challenging part about event planning?
Kitty: Deadlines are the hardest. Sometimes, people don’t move as fast as you need them to, especially in the UAE!
Paul D: Where does the name Kitty Kittens originate from?
Kitty: Kitty is from my love for Hello Kitty. When I smile, my eyes disappear like a cat so the name just stuck. The kitten part was given to me by a DJ named Peewee. He loved how I always had beautiful friends around me. He would always say you and your Kittens look beautiful.
Paul D: You have a set of friends known as the Kittens. How does one become a part of the Kittens crew? Is there like a formal application process or something?
Kitty: To become a kitten, you have to be my friend and be true to the core. Kittens are uncut and sure of themselves in the world. They all have their own identity and that’s what makes them a kitten and I love that about all of them.
Paul D: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Kitty: In five years, I will have my own night club back in St.Vincent with my screen printing machine in the back. My club will be the place to stop by when people come to the island. They will all talk about Kitty’s Hide-Away one day!
Paul D: I better have lifetime VIP status there! You’ve spent significant time in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. How are the nightlife scenes different?
Kitty: Night life is different in Dubai. Most people go out just to go out. In Abu Dhabi there are a lot of themed parties in order to get a good crowd out. Also, most clubs in Abu Dhabi are not up on the service and club ethic but I only think that’s due to it just becoming more of a place to party in over the last year.
Paul D: You are constantly around music and DJs. What makes the ideal DJ set? Is it emceeing, blending, mixing, song selection?
Kitty: The ideal DJ set is when the groove and the selection is mix right. A perfect set is when the DJ vibes off the crowd and knows how to switch it up to match the mood. There are loads of DJs out here but not knowing how to mix and play to the crowd would set you up for failure any day.
Paul D: Speaking of mixing, how about we mix together our dirhams and pay for this bill together?
Kitty: *Stares blankly*
