ZEMI is an ancient Taíno word for the gods, spirits, and ancestral forces that govern all living things — the earth, the water, the wind, the unseen. For the indigenous Taíno people of the Caribbean, ZEMIs were not distant deities but active presences, consulted for healing, guidance, and connection.
October 9–11, we carry that name into the desert intentionally.
There is something ancient about sleeping under an open sky, waking with the sun, and letting the land quiet everything in you that doesn't need to be there. There is something equally as ancient about a beat that moves through a crowd until everyone is moving as one. ZEMI in the Desert holds both — a music and wellness festival rooted in that return, where sound is not just entertainment, but medicine.
By day, yoga, breathwork, sound bath, and cacao ceremony guide you inward. By night, some of the best DJs and live music curated specifically for this experience carry that same energy onto the dance floor — because the bassline and the breathwork are both medicine, and the fire at night and the stillness at dawn are both part of the ritual.
The land that holds us is part of the ceremony too. ZEMI is a leave-no-trace festival — we ask every guest to move through this desert with the same care and reverence we bring to everything else this weekend, leaving it exactly as we found it, so it can hold gatherings like this for years to come.
This is a festival built for people who want to feel something real — through movement, through sound, through connection to the people dancing beside them. It's the kind of weekend you don't just attend. You remember it.
This is not an escape from life. It is a return to it.
TENT & CAR
We are guests of this land before we are anything else. For three days, the desert holds our tribe — our tents, our fires, our footsteps — and in return, we hold it with care.
ZEMI in the Desert is a Leave No Trace gathering. What you bring in, you carry out. What you borrow from the land, you return exactly as you found it — every cigarette butt, every bottle cap, every trace of your stay. This isn't a rule handed down to you. It's a practice we hold together, the same way we hold space for each other on the dance floor and in the circle.
Keep your music considerate of your neighbors. Keep your presence light enough that the desert barely knows we were here, and full enough that everyone who was here remembers why.
RV GLAMPING
For those who want to be fully immersed in the ZEMI experience without setting up a single tent pole, our glamping package offers a different way to camp with friends — one where comfort meets community.
Tucked within the festival grounds, the glamping area is home to a limited number of fully outfitted RVs, reserved exclusively for guests who choose this premier tier of the ZEMI experience. Each RV comes ready to go — beds made, kitchen stocked, AC running — you just have to show up, have a good time in community, and leave with no trace effortlessly.
Optional Add-ons
Jerry William is a San Diego-based multi-instrumentalist and sound healer whose music blends handpan, guitar, synthesizers, and live looping into immersive, cinematic soundscapes. Deeply rooted in Latin American traditions, his work weaves organic textures with electronic atmosphere to create spaces for deep listening and release.
At ZEMI, Jerry brings a full sensory arc — live music to open hearts, a sound bath to guide bodies into stillness, and a carefully crafted sonic atmosphere to hold space for breath work.
Jamuna is a seasoned yoga instructor & Qigong Sifu with over 10 years of experience guiding students and aspiring teachers on their journey towards holistic wellness. Renowned for his compassionate and integrative approach, he skillfully weaves together traditional yogic philosophy, mindful alignment, and classical Qigong techniques to create transformative practices accessible to all levels. As a lead facilitator for numerous 200- and 300- hour yoga teacher trainings, Jamuna has mentored hundreds of instructors, emphasizing the profound connection between breath, movement and self awareness. Committed to lifelong learning, Jamuna continues to practice and teach yoga and Qigong in studios, retreat centers, and online. Jamuna, a former monk, studied Bhakti yoga in India and is committed to empowering individuals to cultivate resilience, joy and community both on and off the mat.
Surya is a lifelong yoga practitioner and teacher of over two decades, with 500+ certification hours across multiple modalities and experience as a personal yoga fitness coach. Named and raised by a loving yogi father, her practice runs deep — both on and off the mat.
A teacher at San Diego's Yoga Deck, Surya is a mother of five, and that spirit of nurture shows in her classes: playful, grounded, and focused on guiding students toward peaceful being alongside real physical strength. Students leave her sessions feeling stronger, kinder, and wiser — in body and mind alike.
Kamana is the duo project of Jerry William and Michael Ruy, crafting ambient, cinematic, and world music soundscapes rooted in Latin American influence. Blending live instrumentation with electronic production, Kamana creates immersive journeys built for both movement and meditation.
Kamana brings a mixed DJ and live music set for ecstatic dance to ZEMI — merging deep, driving rhythms with organic, in-the-moment instrumentation to keep the dance floor moving and connected.EMI
Andy Geiger has been a student of breathwork and meditation for nearly 15 years and has more recently expanded his practice through the study of Somatic Experiencing as both a student and practitioner.
Through his own practice, Andy has found that subtle work with the body and breath offer a direct path back to our natural state of balance.
Rather than striving to create a particular experience, Andy invites us to become curious about the one we're already having.
Andy holds a calm, supportive space where participants can meet themselves with honesty and compassion.
Karina is a dedicated energy worker and holistic facilitator who guides individuals on profound journeys of healing, self-discovery, and energetic alignment. With a deep reverence for the mind-body-spirit connection, she creates safe, transformative spaces for her clients to release blockages, awaken their inner potential, and cultivate authentic joy. Drawing from a rich tapestry of modalities, Karina’s offerings are thoughtfully tailored to meet each individual where they are. She is well-known for facilitating heart-opening cacao ceremonies, using this sacred plant medicine to foster deep emotional release and inner connection. Her practice also includes thorough energy cleansing, designed to clear stagnant or negative energy and restore harmony to both the physical and subtle bodies. Her compassionate, presence, and grounded wisdom empower others to embrace their truest selves and step into a life of purpose, profound healing, and vibrant energy.
DAUCHÉ, an internationally acclaimed Touring DJ and Creative Producer transcends genres with her mastery in crafting immersive sonic landscapes. Fueled by a passion for R&B, Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop, and House, her euphoric-inducing sounds create memorable experiences that resonate globally. More than a DJ, she ignites profound soulful vibes, instilling joy and empowerment. With over a decade in the industry, DAUCHÉ's commitment to celebrating culture shines in every performance. Her tenure as the inaugural former resident tour DJ for R&B ONLY LIVE stands as a crowning achievement, sharing stages with Jon B, Mýa, Lloyd, The Chicago Kid, and many more. She has also brought that same crowd-moving energy to afrohouse stages including Chocolate House, Afro Diaspora Festival and Afro Muzika. ZEMI weekend, she will continue to inspire, urging us to embrace our best selves through the transformative power of music.
Court 'N Jo don't just DJ – they build community through music. This dynamic duo specializes in bringing people together, using the infectious energy of afrohouse to create spaces where everyone belongs. Their connection as a team radiates outward, creating an atmosphere where the dance floor becomes a family. They move as one unit, channeling the collective energy of the room and reflecting it back tenfold. Every track is chosen not just to make you move, but to make you feel connected – to the music, to each other, to something bigger than yourself. They have this beautiful gift of reading not just the room's energy, but its soul, knowing exactly what will bring people together in that moment. For Court 'N Jo, the real magic happens when strangers become friends through shared rhythm, when the dance floor becomes home, and when music erases every barrier between us.
Ghana-born, Miami-based DJ and producer whose sound sits right at the heart of afrohouse — deep, dark house and techno grooves laced with the percussive, tribal rhythms of his Ghanaian upbringing.
Nii Tei is one of Miami's most recognized names in dance music. He's built a reputation for weaving those roots into the genre's evolving sound, mixing wooden percussion hits, tribal chants, and Afro melodies into hypnotic, dancefloor-ready sets. He's a regular fixture on the Miami club circuit, playing frequently at Club Space and Do Not Sit on the Furniture.
He's shared stages with some of afrohouse's biggest names, including opening for Black Coffee at Club Space, and has teamed up with producer Late London on the Disco Africa EP — a genre-defining fusion of tech house and authentic Afro percussion.
DJ MxFAFO is a Zambian-born DJ based in San Diego, blending Afro House, Afro Tech, Amapiano, and melodic electronic sounds into immersive dancefloor experiences. A former professional dancer with over 20 years of international performance experience, he brings a unique understanding of rhythm, movement, and crowd energy to every set. Inspired by his African roots, DJ MxFAFO creates authentic musical journeys that connect people and keep dance floors vibing.
Born in the heart of Italy — a region renowned for technological innovation and craftsmanship — dBTechnologies blends Italian creativity with cutting-edge audio engineering. Rooted in a heritage of mechanical precision, acoustics, and design excellence, the brand pushes the boundaries of sound to deliver exceptional audio solutions for live performances, touring, and installations worldwide.
With a relentless focus on innovation and user-friendly design, dBTechnologies empowers artists, engineers, and venues to create unforgettable audio experiences — from intimate gatherings to massive stages. We're proud to be entirely powered by dBTechnologies and to have them as a sponsor, bringing that same precision and craft to the sound experience at ZEMI in the Desert.
FeeLIT Records is the ultimate destination for music lovers in San Diego. Named one of Yelp's Top 25 Record Stores in the United States and Canada, this new and used record store is the one-stop shop for all things vinyl — plus a curated selection of new and used CDs and cassette tapes.
Whether you're buying, selling, or trading, FeeLIT's expert team has you covered, with a wide selection of rare and classic records guaranteed to turn up something special. ZEMI in the Desert is proud to welcome FeeLIT Records as a collaborator for the Bari Vinyl Tent, bringing that same love of music and discovery to the festival.
Owner David "Drum" Curby was born and raised in West Philadelphia, where good food and good music were
simply a way of life. Drum grew up surrounded by Caribbean, Southern, and Philly
flavors that still inspire every menu he creates.
Whether it was family cookouts, neighborhood block parties, or just cooking for friends, food was always the
reason people came together. As a producer, songwriter, and artist, Drum
approaches food the same way he approaches music—blending influences, creating something original, and
creating experiences people remember.
Today, Drums Beatstro Jawn brings those worlds together through unforgettable catering, pop-ups, wellness
events, and private dinners—serving bold flavors, great energy, and a little taste of Philly, Jamaica, and the
South in every bite.
INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR, PERFORMER, OR VOLUNTEER
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Please fill out this form!
Includes:- 2 Day Festival Pass- 2 Day Camping Pass- Access to all group wellness activities (yoga, qi gong, sound bath, breathwork, cacao ceremony, ecstatic dance)
This ticket includes:- 1 Camping Pass- 1 Festival Ticket for Friday
This ticket includes:- 1 Camping Pass- 1 Festival Ticket for Saturday- Access to all the Group Wellness Activities
For those who want the full ZEMI experience without dealing with logistics, this package is for you. No pick up, no clean up, no worries! Arrive with your group to an already set up camp, and leave the weekend with no stress. We handle it all!Sleep & Space: A queen bed, two full-size bunk beds, and a jackknife sofa, all made up with fresh linens. AC running, so rest comes easy after golden desert days.Fully Stocked: Dishes, pots and pans, cooking utensils, coffee pot, toaster, dish soap, sponge, trash bags, and toilet paper — all there before you arrive. Step outside onto your own outdoor rug and the space is already yours.** 2 day RV Camping Passes & 4 Festival Tickets included **$500 Refundable Security Deposit Included in PriceThis price includes:delivery / pick up feeRV preparation feewaste disposal feepropane feewater fee$500 refundable security deposit
This pass is mandatory for anyone bringing in their own RV. RV spots are limited due to venue space.
This includes access to Friday's event. Excludes Camping
This includes access to Saturday's event inclusive of all group wellness activities (yoga, qi gong, sound bath, breathwork, cacao ceremony, ecstatic dance). Excludes Camping.
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