One of the great pleasures of being KSVY’s Program Director—and getting to move through the community as a journalist and as DJ STARJAY—is meeting the people who are actively creating the culture of our region.

Salty Sundays founders Blaire Carson Scheibal and Tamer Hamawi are absolutely two of those people.

I recently welcomed Blaire and Tamer to KSVY Sonoma for a conversation ahead of the Salty Residency July Finale at Napa Music Hall on Friday, July 31. The night brings internationally acclaimed, Istanbul-born and Barcelona-based DJ and producer ELIF to Napa for a special headlining performance.

Over the past few years, Blaire and Tamer have helped open new possibilities for dance music in Napa Valley. Salty Sundays has grown from a local pop-up party into a creative production company presenting events in Napa, San Francisco, New York, France and Tokyo—all while maintaining a strong sense of place and community at home.

Their events are not simply about booking DJs and filling a dance floor. They are about creating an environment: thoughtful music, visual imagination, radical self-expression and the kind of human connection that can only happen when people are invited to truly participate.

In our interview, we talk about how their personal and creative partnership works, the evolution of Salty Sundays, the more intimate vision behind the Salty Residency and why ELIF was the artist they wanted to bring in for its July finale.

The evening begins with a free Plaza Happy Hour from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. along the Napa River, featuring Tamer and Australian duo Contour. The party then moves inside The Club at Napa Music Hall at 9:00 p.m. for ELIF’s Napa debut.

My Community Report on KSVY is proud to support the musicians, DJs, producers, promoters and independent venues that make our region so surprising, creative and alive.

Listen to our full conversation with Blaire and Tamer for all the insight and fun.