NiteTalk: Who the Hell is Yanni Difranco?

When Niteside first heard word that Yanni Difranco was spinning at The Bass Museum this Friday, we got a good laugh. Then we got curious. Who the hell would come up with a name like Yanni Difranco? Turns out, Yanni Difranco would. Read on.

Okay, does the name Yanni Difranco really belong to you? Begin off! First, my English not so good. I give you answer yes. Okay. Truth needs out, yes. Yanni not my real name, no. Yanni actually my mother's name. Yes. She had great mustache, which mine came from. I love my mother and her mustache so I grow one and call myself her name in her tribute. What is wrong with that? Nothing. DiFranco is my favorite lesbian folk singer.

So are you or are you not the bastard lovechild of Yanni and Ani Difranco?
My mother was not lesbian!

Bet you took a lotta rubbing growing up either way, huh?
As five-year-old in my village, I was first with mustache. Yes, my mother was very proud. My teachers at school would rub it for good luck, yes. There was much rubbing.

What about these days; folks still give you gruff about the moniker?
You know Gruff?! I have large collection of folk music 8-tracks and 45's.  "Gruff the Moniker" is one of my all-time favorite Bulgarian chant albums. Good request. I will play it for you special, John, this Friday at Bass Museum.

Okay. As a DJ though, the name seems a tad incongruous. Do you play New Age Neo Folk music? In my home country, I was great DJ. I would disc jockey from morning until late morning every day, yes. But that was many many years past. I am a bit more, can I say, avant garde? I am the Glenn Gould of disc jockeys.  I run my finger along the edge of the records and sing the melodies, yes. I have trained my fingers to read records and sing like a blind man reads braille.

So who can we expect to hear on Friday night's playlist? I recently came across a deaf man. He could not expect to hear "Friday Night's Playlist," my favorite Yugoslavian pre-neo-colonial dub-metal jam album.  However, my friends who have ears, yes. They expect to hear many things. Including Pavel Kubina, world's greatest tubax player, on that great album. Yes, he's good on Friday Night's Playlist. I will play that for you as well, John. I like you. You have good taste! You need bigger mustache, but I like you anyway.

How'd you get hooked-up with the Bass anyway? Funny story! I thought I took girl home from bar, however, the girl turned out to be double bass! Actually I should not tell that story. I lied, it is not funny. I did not realize girl was double bass until after injuring my fingers on strings and sound holes. I came to Bass Museum to return girl, yes. They would not take her, no. They told me they would call The Police if I returned to their property. I love Sting! So I will return on Friday to meet The Police. And sing records.

Sounds like quite a story... "Quite a Story?" They are Estonian post-avant-crunk-step, they sound nothing like The Police, no. Yes, I thought you would know better, John. You have disappointed me greatly. This interview cannot continue.

Yanni Difranco, whoever it is, spins Friday April 1 at Bass Museum's Beats After Sunset 2100 Collins Ave South Beach For more information call 673.7350

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