Deborah de Luca

Hailed by BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong as “the techno queen of Naples,” Deborah de Luca commands any venue she plays as if it were her kingdom. Her trance-like beats, elegant demeanor, and compelling samples place her on a throne in front of any crowd. Watching her perform is an undoubtedly powerful experience, and one that is surely deeply moving for dance music fans and aspiring DJ/producers alike.

Her stage presence and technical prowess aren’t the only thing about her that inspire, either. The venerable musician’s origin story, too, is deeply motivating.

de Luca was born and raised in Scampia, a community just outside Naples that is infamous for high crime rates and mafia activity. Always highly motivated, de Luca worked hard to rise above her surroundings, first working as a waitress and a dancer in local nightclubs. When she was 18, she moved to Northern Italy to pursue a career in fashion, but quickly realized that her true passion was in the music industry.

She received early career support from fellow Naples-based DJ Giuseppe Cennamo, who mentored her and provided key opportunities that built the foundation for her long and illustrious career. In 2013, de Luca took a landmark step by minting her own record label, Sola_mente Records, to use as a platform for her own releases. From here, her work slowly built steam until 2018, when she released her debut LP, ‘Ten.’

And since then, the steam has continued to build and de Luca’s music, fanbase, and career have continued to grow. She’s graced stages worldwide, from Lebanon to Paris and in 2020, she was ranked as #93 in DJ Mag’s top 100 DJs. In 2019, she held a residency at Eden Ibiza, and she still plays frequent sets on the island.