The Good Page features positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting locals in our community. Here, we meet Orlando DJ Nani Sol.
For Nani, a great night out is about more than the music. It’s about watching strangers become friends, bringing different communities together and creating spaces where people feel comfortable being themselves.
The Colombian DJ, musician and organizer has spent more than two decades making music. Today, she’s channeling that passion into events that celebrate Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ community, particularly its sapphic and lesbian creatives.
Her relationship with music began long before she stepped behind a DJ booth.
Born in Colombia, Nani moved to New York at age six. Inspired by her musically inclined brothers, she learned to read music in school and taught herself piano and guitar.
Her path to Orlando, however, was unexpected.
When her parents discovered she was dating a girl, they moved her to Florida during her senior year of high school.
“I just kind of moved here, made more friends, and became even gayer, honestly,” she recalls with a laugh.
Since arriving in 2011, she’s discovered an appreciation for the city’s cultural diversity and creative talent. Her DJing journey began in 2020, when working from home during the pandemic inspired her to explore a longtime interest. She purchased a controller, began experimenting and quickly discovered that mixing music came naturally.
Wedding gigs followed, along with invitations to perform at other events.
But Nani’s work eventually became about something bigger than performing.
Through years of experience in hospitality, nonprofit organizing and event production, she developed an approach to creating gatherings that prioritize connection, accessibility and community feedback.
She believes nightlife can offer something beyond the expectation of drinking or finding a romantic connection.
Instead, she hopes attendees leave with new friendships, memorable experiences and the knowledge that they belong.
“There’s this expectation of … trauma from going to clubs or partying, and it doesn’t have to be like that,” she explains.
Her events reflect that philosophy, with an emphasis on welcoming different identities, personalities and comfort levels.
Nani also recognizes that not everyone enjoys the same atmosphere. Some people want energetic dance floors, while others prefer quieter gatherings where they can socialize without overwhelming music or stimulation.
Listening to what attendees want helps her create experiences that reflect the community rather than a single vision of nightlife.
That commitment is especially evident in her work creating spaces for sapphic and lesbian communities.
Nani recalls DJing Wednesday lesbian events at Savoy, where people from across the LGBTQ+ community gathered to dance together.
“It was such a beautiful experience to see the mix of everybody just having a good time,” she says.
For Nani, those moments demonstrate how music can bring people together without requiring everyone to share the same identity or experience.
“It’s just a nice melting pot of a bunch of queers really having fun,” she says.
Without the family support she initially hoped for, Nani worked multiple jobs, put herself through school and gradually established financial independence.
She credits years of showing up, organizing and connecting with others for the relationships she has today.
“I built this community literally brick by brick,” she says.
Now, she’s preparing to celebrate two years of organizing sapphic and lesbian events this November. The celebration, planned in collaboration with Soul Haux Collective, will feature burlesque, drag performers and vendors.
She’s also developing original music, including an upcoming solo release.
Audiences can find her at Anthem on Fridays, BookBurn on Sundays and other Orlando venues throughout the weekend. She also shares mixes on YouTube and SoundCloud and posts updates through @NaniSolProductions.
Interested in being featured in The Good Page? Email Editor-in-Chief Ryan Williams-Jent at Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com in Tampa Bay or Central Florida Bureau Chief Bellanee Plaza at Bellanee@WatermarkOutNews.com in Central Florida.
