Brooklynites: Come Party Against Ratner Tonight

Develop Don't Destroy gets ready to dance
The Brooklyn Papers

The most prominent activist group to protest plans for Bruce Ratner's proposed Atlantic Yards development, Develop-Don't Destroy Brooklyn, is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 6.

It will be a dance party, at the Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Ave., at President Street.

The old bath house-turned-theater space will host the party, set to start at 9 pm and go "until the music stops," according to their flier, and entertainment will be provided by DJ Rekha, the band Paprika, and DJ Fabian Alsultany. A raffle will take place at the end of the night, and prizes include gift certificates to local restaurants and a bookshop, clothing from a local designer and a grand prize of two tickets to the Broadway musical "Hairspray."

"We do these fundraisers not just to raise funds for the legal fight," explained Goldstein, "but to do outreach to the community to better inform people about what's going on." He said it would serve to "bring people together who are opposed to the project."

DJ Recka made a local name for herself by hosting the long-running Basement Bhangra and Bollywood Disco dance parties, which highlight her unique mixing of Indian and dance hall electronic music. For the past several months the activist DJ also was teaming up with Not in Our Name, a national anti-war organization, to hold weekly "Bhangra Against Bush" dances in TriBeCa.

Alsultany, who comes from Arab and Latino parents and is a first-generation American, is known for using a wide-ranging mix of world music with his electronic and urban beats. He's been cited as doing "Arabian Electronica" mixing to "Salsa Drum n Bass," or doing dancehall with Moroccan and South Asian with Brazilian.

"It's be a big dance party," said Goldstein, adding that beer and wine will be available, and advance tickets can be purchased on the Web at www.dddb.net/ticket.php for $15 until noon on Nov. 6, or bought for $20 at the door.