DJ Captain Charles spins at Essence Festival again. The immensely popular deejay and Old School 106.7 FM radio host, who made his first appearance at Essence in the late 1990s, is familiar with the setting. He figures he’s performed at the festival around 10 times working his turntable primarily in the Superdome’s intimate superlounges. He even headed to Houston with the event following Hurricane Katrina.

What was it like for you the first time you...