For the Love of Mojo at Cityfest

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As the nation celebrates its independence with fireworks, flags and parades, thousands of Detroit music lovers are expected to gather in the New Center Area to get some “Mojo.”

As part of the 21st annual  Comerica CityFest, a group of the city’s leading techno/electronic music DJs will lead a celebration on July 5 to honor the contributions and legacy of longtime local disc jockey, the Electrifying Mojo, during the “For The Love Of Mojo: A Tribute to the Electrifying Mojo” event.

I wish he was still on the radio,” says 39-year-old Rick Wilhite, who will perform in the tribute event along with Mark Duncan, Kenny Dixon, Jr. and Carl Craig.

Mojo, whose real name is Charles Johnson, was a fixture on several Detroit radio stations including WJLB-FM (97.9) and WGPR-FM (107.5) for more than 20 years. He is credited for expanding techno/electronic music to urban audiences as Mojo, who is African-American, did not adhere to the traditional R&B and soul formats of urban radio stations and often played rock ‘n’ roll and various other forms of music.

The battle for musical diversity often left Mojo at odds with his program directors leaving Detroit radio in 1998. While Detroiters may no longer hear Mojo on the airwaves, Wilhite, who originally thought of the idea of honoring the boundary-busting spinmaster, says the event is a way to acknowledge his efforts to bring Detroit together through music.

“As the people that are performing, we can give the musical background on what he was trying to do,” Wilhite says.

Craig, 40, who has performed techno music all over the world, said Mojo’s influence reaches beyond the genre of techno music.
“The Electrifying Mojo was a very important person in the Detroit music scene and is the major inspiration to current music makers in Detroit from techno to hip-hop to rock,” said Craig, the 2010 creative director of Movement, who lauded Mojo for supporting good music, no matter the artist or genre.

Metromix caught up with Craig while he was on tour in Europe and talked Mojo, his legacy, and his hopes for the tribute event.

Why do you feel it is important to honor the Electrifying Mojo?
The music that (Mojo) played had no boundaries and was full of imagination. Detroit radio just doesn't have any format or on-air personalities that can match Mojo's contribution. And it is necessary to give a full dose of music diversity to the people in the city who remember as well as to those who want to know the legacy.

And what was his influence on Detroit from your perspective?
When he was on the airwaves he had total control. How many places in the U.S. can urban kids claim to like The Human League?

What is your favorite memory of listening to Mojo?
Listening to my little K-Mart radio while being lullabied to sleep with the sounds of the theme from “Star Wars.”  This guy’s music selection gave me the ability to listen to and appreciate all types of music from anywhere in the world.

We know that Mark Duncan, Kenny Dixon, Jr., and Rick Wilhite are part of the tribute. Who else do you expect to participate?
We hope to include Juan Atkins as a special guest (Atkins is considered by many to be the originator of Techno music and credits Mojo as one of the first to play his records on-air).

Finally, what do you think Mojo would say about this tribute?
I'm not dead yet.

“For The Love of Mojo: A Tribute to the Electrifying Mojo” event is on the Pure Detroit Stage July 5 from 2-8 p.m.