VINYL MIX: EL CHINO | ALL VINYL BRAZILIAN FUNK, LOVERS ROCK & DEEP ROOTS

June 6, 2026 by SOUL OF SYDNEY

For our 14th Birthday Open-Air Jam, one of Sydney’s finest selectors, El Chino, stepped up to set the tone with a beautiful all-vinyl journey through Brazilian funk, lovers rock, deep roots reggae, soul and rare groove.

Recorded live outdoors in November 2025, this warm-up set captures everything we love about real DJs playing real records. From Mato’s reggae reworks and Brazilian boogie classics by Marcos Valle and Tony Bizarro through to Roy Ayers, Garfield Fleming and Skyy, El Chino delivers a masterclass in soulful selection.

Known to many as the host of Departure Lounge on 2SER, Trevor “El Chino” Parkee has spent decades introducing Sydney audiences to incredible music from around the world. His knowledge, taste and passion for digging make him one of the city’s true musical treasures.

Recorded live at Soul of Sydney’s 14th Birthday. Open Air • All Vinyl • Real Music • Sydney NSW

TRACKLIST

00:00 Mato feat. Ethel Lindsey – What You Won’t Do For Love
03:24 Mato feat. Lady Gatica – You Can’t Turn Me Away
07:48 Tony Bizarro – Estou Livre
11:12 Marcos Valle – Estrelar
17:36 Brenda – Natureza Viva
22:00 Unknown – Unknown Funky
26:24 Roy Ayers – Land Of Fruit And Honey
30:48 Garfield Fleming – Don’t Send Me Away
35:12 Dunn & Bruce Street – Shout For Joy
39:36 Skyy – Let’s Celebrate

More from ELCHINO: (Trevor Parkee)
Trevor Parkee — known to the faithful as El Chino — is a DJ, music producer, and radio presenter, and the pilot of the long-running radio show Departure Lounge on 2SER, dedicated to making old music sound like new and new music sound like old. 2ser.

A well-known Sydney DJ and music aficionado, El Chino spent years wandering the globe, crate digging and developing his repertoire — building what became one of the smoothest flights on the 2SER roster, covering everything from nu-jazz and Afrobeat to disco and hip hop. Having started his career in the early 80s, he has taken his music selection internationally, playing in London, Barcelona, Germany, and at the infamous Jazzrooms in Brighton. Soulofsydney2ser
Every Saturday afternoon on Departure Lounge, he takes his frequent flyers on a journey around the world — touching down in old and nu jazz, broken beat, Brazilian, Latin, soul, funk, folk, and electronica. 2serTune in / Follow El Chino:
🎙️ Departure Lounge — Every Saturday 3–5pm | www.2ser.com
www.2ser.com/programs/departure-lounge

LISTEN TO MORE OF OUR MIXES AT https://www.youtube.com/@SOULOFSYDNEY

SOUL OF SYDNEY Feel-Good Funk Radio | Now on YOUTUBE | Mixtape, Tribute, Live Recordings & More

April 14, 2026 by SOUL OF SYDNEY

Soul of Sydney Radio · New on YouTube. Tune in and listen HERE

Now Streaming on YouTube — 400+ Shows & Counting

Good news for good people, SOUL OF SYDNEY RADIO is now streaming on YouTube.

We’re talking 400+ episodes of funk, soul, disco, Brazilian boogie, hip hop and more — classic mixtapes, deep-cut tributes, live recordings, and sets from SOUL OF SYDNEY DJ’s, extended fam & guests. All of it, on demand, on your screen.

Whether you’re cooking, chilling on the couch, or throwing it up on the TV, hit play and let the vibes do the rest. Mixes are being dropped progressively so check back often, there’s always more coming.

Since 2009, we’ve been holding it down out of Redfern, Sydney — over 15 years of feel-good sounds served straight from the source. The full archive is still on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud, so subscribe there too/

If the music moves you, share it. And if you’ve got a minute, a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way in helping more people find the sound.

Find us everywhere:

YouTube — 400+ shows, new drops ongoing
Apple Podcasts — subscribe & leave a review
SoundCloud — follow for new mixes

Big love, Soul of Sydney

FOOD + MUSIC: A Courtyard Affair at Elliots Balmain feat. SOUL OF SYDNEY DJ’s | This Sun Jan 25

January 18, 2026 by SOUL OF SYDNEY

We are excited to curate music at this much loved Balmain restaurant as part of the long weekend celebration. Catch SOUL OF SYDNEY DJ’s & Friends as you have lunch in alfresco courtyard at Elliots in Balmain this Sunday from 12:00 pm.

Join the crew for lunch time food, good drinks & music selections: Full Menu, Drink & Lunch Tickets are online at their website: https://elliottsbalmain.au/courtyar-affair-january25/

Here’s a polished version that keeps your warm, community-focused tone while tightening grammar and flow — ideal for a website blurb, email invite, or social caption:

Food & Music in the Courtyard — A Soul of Sydney Takeover

Enjoy an afternoon of amazing food, drinks, and soulful sounds in one of Sydney’s most intimate courtyard settings. Experience food by one of the city’s finest hospitality crews paired with carefully curated music designed to lift the vibe all afternoon.

Expect everything from tropical funk, soul, diva disco & more, soundtracked by Soul of Sydney DJs & Friends: PHIL TOKE, BOOGIE MONSTER, INNERWESTSOUL, DJ CMAN, DJ SOUP, and THE BADGER — hosted by the brilliant MIRRAH REFLECTS, spoken-word artist, vocalist, and emcee.

This is an intimate gathering limited to just 150 people. We were there last week, and the food is absolutely divine — a creative, seasonal menu that’s full of surprises.

The afternoon begins with a 12:00 pm lunch sitting and seamlessly transitions into a sunset dancefloor session after dessert, rolling through until around 8:00 pm.

A lively indoor restaurant scene featuring a band performing in the background, while diners enjoy their meals at tables. The space has natural decor with trees and plants, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Signboard for Elliotts announcing 'Soul of Sydney' event with DJs on Sunday, door sales starting after 4 PM.

View this post on Instagram

Expect soulful, jazz-inflected soundscape, touching on Bossa, Sade-style moods and laid-back grooves, before gradually building into rare-groove, funk and soul, and finishing with diva-heavy disco and house as the sun sets. From lunchtime through to sunset, the soundtrack is designed to build.

Why we partnered with Elliott’s:
At its core, SOUL OF SYDNEY is about bringing people together through music & dance, and this collaboration felt like a natural fit combining two worlds in such a unique more personal setting with our other love of amazing food. We’ve partnered with team group before & have been fans of their restaurants at Esteban & Tequila Mockingbird, we love what the do for Sydney’s restaurant culture, We’ve always felt it would be something special to bring music, food, drinks and people together in a more intimate setting over a long weekend.

Their food & experience are consistently among the best in the city, and we’re excited to connect what they do in food with what we do in music.

Expect everything from dancefloor JAZZ, RARE GROOVE, to a heavy dose of FUNK & DISCO, building steadily from lunch through to dessert and full-flight disco. Music for mature ears, for those who know and appreciate quality.