From DJ booths to stage lights, David Walters’ journey about connection in rhythm

Some artistes play music. Others live in it. And then there’s David Walters — French-Caribbean musician, DJ, singer, cultural nomad — who seems to breathe rhythm like oxygen. As part of the global Fête de la Musique celebrations, Walters brought his genre-bending magic to India, landing at Chandigarh’s Tagore Theatre. But here’s the thing: he didn’t just show up with songs — he showed up with

a heartbeat.

DJ booths to deep roots

“I started as a DJ,” Walters says casually, like someone explaining how they once worked retail in college. “You just wanna make people dance.” Simple enough. But what if the records stop feeling like enough?

That’s what happened. Walters felt boxed in — too many borrowed beats, not enough soul. So, he did something a lot of DJs never do: he picked up a guitar. Then a keyboard. Even dabbled in bass.

And somewhere between the chords and choruses, he found something deeper than the drop — his voice.

Why singing hits different

“I realised singing lets you talk to people in ways you can’t with just words,” he said.

There’s something about that, right? The way a melody can hold grief, joy and memory all in one breath.

Walters sings not just to entertain — but to reach.

Caribbean at the core

Here’s what sets Walters apart. He isn’t chasing global playlists or the algorithm gods. “Honestly, I don’t care about recognition,” he shrugs.

And yet, his music — with its roots in the West Indies and echoes of Africa — has found ears (and feet) all over the planet. From Brazil to Paris, Sheffield to LA, his sound just clicks. Maybe it’s because it’s honest. Maybe it’s because joy, when it’s real, doesn’t need subtitles.

Or maybe — and this feels closest to the truth — it’s because rhythm is universal. When the beat’s right, your body just knows.

Learning from every sound

You know what really lit him up, though? Talking about India. “I feel like Indian classical music is a science,” he said, eyes wide. “You have a Guru for life. It’s not just music — it’s a way of living.”

He respects that deeply — the idea that you never finish learning music. And for a man who sees music as language, India feels like a whole new dialect to love.

Not just an album

His latest album, Soul Tropical, pulses with everything he’s been talking about — movement, emotion, heritage. It’s got collabs with legends like Mario Canonge and Ballaké Sissoko and it travels sonically from the Caribbean to Africa, with pit stops in Brazil and France.

More than music

Let’s not get too lofty. Walters still just wants you to move.

“I want to make people dance,” he says with a grin. But not mindless dancing. Dancing that shakes something loose. That makes room for joy. That heals. “Music doesn’t change your life directly. But it changes how you feel. And that… that changes everything.”

So what’s the takeaway?

Maybe it’s this: In a world where music often feels manufactured, Walters reminds us it can still be human. Messy. Joyful. Grieving. Alive.

And when he’s on stage — guitar slung, smile steady, rhythm flowing — he’s not just performing. He’s sharing something sacred. He’s inviting you into his world.

One beat at a time.

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