Read in Spanish

A midtown hotspot is hosting a monthly dance party featuring global beats that breaks boundaries, celebrates culture and brings together Tucson’s diverse communities.

The monthly Passport parties are held at Zerai’s International Bar, 2725 E. Broadway Blvd., and aim to fill a gap in the local music scene.

The idea for the party began when local restaurateur Lucas Gebremariam attended an African music concert at 191 Toole. He noticed that many of the concertgoers were also customers of his family’s restaurant, Zemam’s.

Zemam’s was founded in 1993 by Amanuel Gebremariam and was Tucson’s first Ethiopian restaurant. Last April, Zemam’s underwent a major expansion and reopened as part of the Z-Street International Marketplace, which includes Zerai’s and an Ethiopian coffee shop.

This overlap led Lucas Gebremariam to wonder why Tucson didn’t have a dedicated place for people to celebrate international music.

“I lived in Los Angeles for ten years and you can find every kind of music there,” Gebremariam said. “In Tucson, there wasn’t a place for African, non-Latino, or non-mainstream pop music to dance to.”

Determined to fill this gap, he decided to create a music night at Zemam’s that would feature African music.

The first Passport party took place in January 2020 and was originally called “Piques,” short for Éthiopiques, a series of CDs featuring Ethiopian singers and musicians.

Originally hosted at Zemam’s, Piques was halted by the pandemic but returned as Passport when the Gebremariam family opened Z-Street.

“Zemam’s is owned and founded by immigrants and all of our employees are refugees,” Gebremariam said. “We’ve alway embraced other cultural differences and celebrated them.”

Since the expansion, the party has been held at Zerai’s, which has become a hub for international sports events and a natural home for Passport.

At the center of Passport is DJ Herm, who has been blending beats and breaking boundaries for 13 years and is the perfect fit for Gebremariam’s vision.

After DJing in downtown clubs, Herm grew weary of the repetitive scene. Seeking something fresh, he found inspiration in Tokyo, where intimate music nights showcased eclectic sounds.

One night, he stumbled upon a Japanese Cumbia band, blending traditional Cumbia beats reimagined through a Tokyo lens.

He realized he wanted to create a similar space where cultures collided on the dance floor.

“I wanted to start a party where I could play all of this really cool international world music that I couldn’t get away with at places like Congress or Playground, because people want to hear the stuff that’s popular,” he said.

Herm and Gebremariam first met when Herm was recommended for Gebremariam’s wedding.

“I was thinking about doing a dance night, like an afro funk night on our patio and Herm looks me dead in the eye and says, ‘I would do that for free,’” Gebremariam recalled.

The two quickly bonded over their shared music tastes and began planning a dance party.

And while the first Piques event drew only 20 attendees, Passport has since grown into something much bigger, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds.

“Passport has played a huge part in making this bar what it is today,” Gebremariam said. “It existed before the bar did and when we decided to do this as a bar and coffee shop, we wanted everything to feel international so we could move the party here.”

Passport typically takes place on the third Thursday of each month and runs from 8 to 11 p.m., with Gebremariam saying the lively crowd of attendees “dance like nobody’s watching.”

“That’s the way dancing should be done,” Gebremariam said. “You should have no inhibitions when you dance. It should be a release. It should be almost a cathartic experience, and I think Herm provides that with the music.”

The party has also become a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’ve had multiple people from that community tell me that this is a safe place where they feel like they can come and dance and not be judged,” Gebremariam said. “That’s so awesome, that we can provide that for a marginalized community that needs it.”

Erick Tavares Marcelino Alves, a Ph.D. student from Brazil, first discovered the Passport parties after he and his friends started going to Zerai’s International Bar to watch the qualifiers for the World Cup.

He attended his first Passport party last February and has been a regular ever since.

“The community at Passport parties is very friendly, so we meet a lot of different people, which is different from other clubs in Tucson,” Alves said. “Brazilian songs are unknown in America and when I hear Brazilian music at Passport, it’s like I’m at home. I miss my home a lot, so having these reminders of home here is what makes my life easier while I’m here.”

Herm’s sets also incorporate sounds from Palestine, Turkey, Japan, Ghana, Nigeria and Ethiopia. He changes up the music based on the crowd’s reaction and also takes song requests to make sure each culture is represented.

“I think it’s safe to say that in the five years now, I have played at least a couple songs from every country,” Herm said.

In addition to Herm, Passport has also featured other DJs who play international music sets, including DJ Gentrification and DJ Humble Lioness.

The next Passport party will take place on April 24 from 8 to 11 p.m. at Zerai’s International Bar.

Isabela Gamez is a University of Arizona alum and Tucson Spotlight reporter. Contact her at gamezi@arizona.edu.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please support our work with a paid subscription.