Daniel Dombrowe
Daniel Dombrowe (born 20 February 1973), stage name Dan D., is a German Social Entrepreneur, DJ, artist activist, event manager, and founder and organizer of Europe's largest soul festival Baltic Soul Weekender.
Life
Dombrowe was born in Bielefeld. He began working as a DJ after attending a DJ training course organized by the German Disc Jockey Organization (DDO) in 1988. From the early 1990s, he focused on African American music and organized soul music events. In the mid-1990s, he became the first German soul DJ to be invited to Japan, toured throughout Europe, and in 1997 moved from Bielefeld to London, where he worked as a resident DJ and marketing manager at the Soul Café.[1]
As a DJ, he presented his rare soul singles in internationally renowned soul and jazz clubs, including Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club,[2] 100 Club,[3] and Jazz Cafe. He also gave lectures on youth subcultures and the development of African American dance music at universities in England and Germany.[4]
In 2001, he returned from London to Germany. From 2004 to 2019, together with Kenny B., he produced and hosted the weekly The More Soul Show in Hamburg, broadcast on the local station Tide, on radio, and on television.[1] Since March 2020, he has been active at the London-based radio station Totally Wired Radio.[5]
For his 50th birthday in February 2023, Dombrowe was honored with a gala at the Kehrwieder Theatre in Hamburg, featuring live performances by The Supremes and Debbie Sledge of Sister Sledge. About 300 long-term collaborators attended, including several Baltic Soul Weekender Resident DJs, Smudo, DJ Friction, Myles Sanko, Mirko Machine, and Miss Kelly Marie.
Baltic Soul Weekender
Dombrowe is the founder and organizer of the Baltic Soul Weekender, which has been held annually since 2007. He also develops new event formats and licenses the Weekender concept, resulting in additional events such as L-Beach (in cooperation) and the Rolling Stone Weekender (licensed by FKP Skorpio). The Baltic Soul Weekender #5 (2011) and #13 (2019) were nominated for the Live Entertainment Award (LEA) in the category Best Festival in Germany.[6][7]
Dombrowe compiles the Baltic Soul Weekender compilations from records in his collection and co-produced releases in the Baltic Soul benefit project, including the single Ann Sexton – You’re Losing Me and the maxi-single That’s the Way Love Is by Gloria Scott.
As part of the Baltic Soul Weekender, Dombrowe provides year-round support—financial, legal, and social—to both well-known and lesser-known soul artists who lost the rights to their music in the 1960s and 1970s due to unfavorable contracts or fraud. Working with a Berlin-based lawyer, outstanding royalties are successfully claimed and paid to the artists. Over the years, close friendships have developed with U.S. artists such as The Supremes, The Temptations, and Sister Sledge, who support the festival's benefit project. Notably, Dombrowe reunited George and Gwen McCrae at the Cologne Soul Weekender in 2001.
Notable projects include:
- 2007: Ann Sexton’s first performance in 33 years
- 2007: Marva Whitney’s final performance (d. 2012)
- 2008: Gloria Scott’s first performance in 34 years
- 2009: Melba Moore’s first performance in Germany
- 2009: Garland Green’s first performance in Germany
- 2010: Collins & Collins’ only performance (Bill Collins d. 2013)
- 2011: Gwen McCrae’s final performance
- 2012: Leon Ware’s first and last performance in Germany (d. 2017)
- 2012: Support for rights restitution for Sugarhill Gang members Wonder Mike & Master Gee after name appropriation
- 2013: Oliver Cheatham’s final performance (d. 2013)
- 2013: Maxine Brown’s first and last performance in Germany
- 2016: Sister Sledge final performance of Joni Sledge (d. 2017)
- 2018: Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes first performance in Germany
- 2018: Margie Joseph’s first and last performance in Germany
- 2019: Ruby Andrews’ first and last performance in Germany
- 2022: Moment Of Truth’ first and last performance in Germany
Dombrowe's efforts are supported by many German artists, including Mousse T., Jan Delay, Smudo, Max Mutzke, and Fettes Brot, who waived portions of their performance fees to co-finance the benefit project. Profits from Baltic Soul merchandise also support charitable causes.
Artist statements about Dan D.
Dombrowe is a soul savior, preserving beauty from being forgotten.
Dombrowe ist ein Seelenretter, der Schönheit vor dem Vergessenwerden bewahrt.
— Christian Elster, Vinyl Stories, 2017[8]
Thank you so much for looking after the artists, you are the Robin Hood of Soulmusic.
— Oliver Cheatham, Baltic Soul Weekender #8 Booklet
The fact that Dan can reach back and make something happen for a lot of artists that were overlooked and unsung, that’s what humanity and we as Christians are about. He is doing ministry without even knowing about it.
— Kurtis Blow, Interview at the Baltic Soul Charity Gala[9]
I was in shock a human being like Dan existed on the planet. Someone who would reach out to artists from the 60s and 70s who have been mistreated and never had any royalties. And all just because he loves the music that they recorded.
— Gwen Dickey (Rose Royce), [10]
External links
- Official website
- Karin Ceballos Betancur: Der Soul-Retter: Die unglaubliche Geschichte von DJ Dan D. – Rückkehr aus der Dunkelheit in FAZ.NET (in German)
- Tino Lange: Aus der Vergessenheit wieder zurück ins Rampenlicht! in Hamburger Abendblatt (in German)
- Daniel Haas: Daniel Dombrowe: Der Robin Hood des Soul in Zeit Online (in German)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ceballos Betancur, Karin (2012-04-18). "Der Soul-Retter: Die unglaubliche Geschichte von DJ Dan D. – Rückkehr aus der Dunkelheit" (in Deutsch). FAZ.NET. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ↑ "Funky Nation Flyer". Funky Nation Radio Show and Club Night. 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ↑ Davies, Andy (2019-10-10). "Nice tunes from Eddie & Dan last night! Gloria Scott 100 Club". Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ↑ "Artist Talk with Dan Dombrowe" (in Deutsch). Folkwang Institut für Pop-Musik. 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ↑ "Dan D. – The Baltic Soul Show". Totally Wired Radio. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ↑ "Die Gewinner des PRG LEA 2012" (in Deutsch). LEA – Live Entertainment Award. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ↑ "Die Nominierten des PRG Live Entertainment Award 2020" (in Deutsch). LEA – Live Entertainment Award. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ↑ "Dan Dombrowes Rare-Soul Liste". vinyl.tv. Archived from the original on 2017-05-16. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Interview, Baltic Soul Charity Gala 2014". YouTube. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
- ↑ "Dan Dombrowe – About". Retrieved 2026-03-26.
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