We had the good fortune of connecting with Ohla Kristina Gainey (However I’d like the description to show my name as Ohla) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ohla, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I’d have to say my eagerness to invest in myself. I’m talking all the way from the beginning to now. Any time I’ve taken that extra step (I.e., paying to gain more knowledge to further my skill set in my field), it’s always paid dividends.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s always been a great time to be a DJ but more now than ever the common listener seems to be much more appreciative of the art form. And that’s exciting! Despite the pandemic turning many of our lives upside down; one saving grace for us DJs (and our viewers) has been the ability to reach people through live-streamed DJ sets on Instagram and other platforms. Which in itself was a challenge because I no longer had a crowd in front of me that I could read. Not to mention Instagram randomly cutting DJs lives short due to copyright claims. After a couple of live-streamed sets I realized that it’s a different world to DJ live on social media and it would best serve me and my viewers to just let the music take me on a journey and those who vibed with it would stay locked in. That’s the most important thing really. Letting the music speak for itself. Music has the ability to heal and give people a way to escape the troubles of the world. That is a huge part of my brand and what I strive to do anytime I step behind a pair of turntables.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
That’s a tough one because there is so much to do out here. Which is a big part of the reason why I moved here from Ohio 10 years ago. To name a few places to eat I’d suggest Nobu (Malibu or LA), Ellie’s (Long Beach), Barton G (for the uniqueness of the dishes and atmosphere), Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, Republique (Brunch). I’d suggest for unique and good drinks to hit up Saint & Second (Long Beach) and for strong drinks The Sunset Trocadero (West Hollywood). Gotta hit the beach and my fav is Laguna Beach. If something more touristy is preferred I’d suggest Santa Monica because of the Pier and all the surrounding restaurants and bars. If looking for parties I’d suggest to hit up dope parties on Instagram like TGIM, Crush On You, Brunch 2 Bomb, etc to see when their next event is and where.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s hard to only name one because there have been quite a few people/organizations that have been instrumental in where I am so I’d like to shoutout a few and in no particular order of importance: DJ Dazzler, Scratch DJ Academy, Tessa Young & Prism DJs, Ernest Paige (DJ Bern), Toneé Macara, Lena Waithe, Paloma & other staff of Scratch Events, and of course my family and close friends for their never ending support and love.

Website: www.djohla.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/djohla
Facebook: www.facebook.com/djohla

Image Credits
Aaron Pryor