©Photo by Sergei Gapon/AFP
DJ Vika, an 85-year-old Polish activist and great-grandmother, challenges ageism through music and advocacy, promoting unity, equality and tolerance while inspiring seniors to embrace life fully.
In the heart of Warsaw, an unusual sight captivates the crowd at a Gay Pride event: an 85-year-old woman with snow-white hair, adorned with oversized headphones, grooves alongside a flamboyant drag queen. This is Wirginia Szmyt, better known as DJ Vika, a Polish DJ, activist and great-grandmother who’s made it her mission to shatter stereotypes about seniors.
“Old age is not a disease,” Vika declares, her wrist adorned with a stack of colorful bracelets that mirror her vibrant personality. At 85, she feels “eternally young” and is determined to challenge societal perceptions of aging. “Being old doesn’t mean you have to become a plant and spend your life looking out the window,” she tells AFP while setting the rhythm for a dancing crowd from her elevated platform.
Photo by Sergei Gapon/AFPVika’s journey as a DJ began 26 years ago, following her retirement from a career as an educator in a youth correctional facility. Initially, she organized educational events for seniors to help them “adapt to the 21st century.” These gatherings, which started as meetings with religious leaders and politicians, quickly evolved into festive occasions filled with music, seaside trips and various celebrations.
Recognizing a gap in Polish society, Vika explains, “In our country, there wasn’t a tradition of offering something to the elderly. The elderly person was simply the one who had to take care of the family.” This realization sparked her desire to create more opportunities for seniors to engage with life actively.
Inspired by LGBTQ pride marches, Vika initiated senior parades in 2013. The inaugural event in Warsaw drew an impressive 14,000 participants. “I thought that given how the elderly are perceived in Poland – that they bother us, that they prevent us from living, that they’re old – we should have a parade to show how beautiful they are,” Vika explains. Since then, similar senior parades have become annual events in several Polish cities.
Photo by Sergei Gapon/AFPDJ Vika’s influence extends beyond these parades. She regularly performs at pride events, women’s rights festivals and celebrations in cities like Nice, Frankfurt and Helsinki. However, her most frequent gigs are at dance parties for seniors held in a Warsaw shopping center. Here, she spins a mix of Latin hits, Eurovision songs and local 80s disco tunes for her loyal audience.
“Music fills my life,” Vika says, emphasizing that her goal is to “bring people together.” Her impact is evident in the words of her fans. Maria Michalak, a sixty-something nurse, travels an hour by metro with her husband to attend Vika’s events. “Compared to other events of this type for seniors, this one is the best,” she says without hesitation. “Maybe they should organize them even more often.”
Andrzej Jan Kuspik, a 73-year-old retiree, attends DJ Vika’s sets every month. “She does it for us,” he says, expressing his gratitude by buying Vika flowers on International Women’s Day.
Beyond entertaining, Vika uses her platform to advocate for important causes. She champions gender equality, LGBTQ rights and pushes for a more open-minded and tolerant Poland. “I’m for unity, for equality, for love, tolerance, and openness,” she states before taking the stage at a recent Pride event. “All of this allows us to live in joy,” she assures.
Despite her busy schedule, which includes frequent travels across Poland and abroad, Vika has no plans to slow down. She believes that everyone has an inner child, which allows them to feel younger. This philosophy drives her to continue inspiring seniors to embrace life fully and actively participate in society.
Photo by Sergei Gapon/AFPBéatrice Moreau
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