Colette Joy Marino was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 27, 1975. She’s been a professional DJ, singer, and songwriter since the early ‘90s. What sets Colette apart from other house DJs and producers? She was one of the first DJs to add her own vocals to her mixes. This trend – that’s gained popularity in the last decade – was pretty much nonexistent when Colette started doing it.
In addition to trendsetting in the house music world, Colette started an all-female DJ crew called SuperJane with DJ Dayhota, DJ Heather, and Lady D. She’s held a long-standing residency at SmartBar in Chicago. In 2003, she was chosen – alongside household names Felix da Housecat and Paul Van Dyk – for advertisements for Motorola’s cellular phones.
Having weathered twenty years in the dance music industry, Colette has seen it all. She grew up with ‘80s pop, but she loved ‘90s house, so she mixed the two with her vocals and tracks. Little did she know, she was doing something totally new that would change house music forever.
Though her work has been used for advertisements, Colette is still an underground DJ. As dance music has become more and more popular, she points out, crowds have started mixing and meshing. While some of her audience has been with her for fifteen years in the underground scene, there are more and more who are just discovering house for its catchy use in commercials and advertisements.
At this point in her career, Colette, says, it’s very interesting, juggling her sets to make everyone happy. She’s dedicated to the old fans, but she wants to welcome – not alienate – new fans. And she’s always been one to push the envelope with her sounds.
