Our Story

In 2018, Jahi Khalfani, alongside his brother Khary Khalfani and partner Laila Fakhoury, launched Dion Dia, an independent record label created to support friends, bridge communities, and expand cultural representation in Gainesville, Florida.

We used music to foster community by creating environments where people could express themselves, connect, and create freely — spaces where many in Gainesville felt at home and represented for the first time.

Dion Dia was, more than anything, an experiment in care, driven by an instinct that people thrive when they're supported and given space and resources to create. That instinct shaped everything that followed: a vintage store How Bazar became a beloved community hub; a neighborhood market Bazar À La Carte became a touring community incubator; a local festival Big grew into statewide creative and cultural infrastructure. Each initiative taught us something new about how people organize, how resources flow, and what it takes to sustain cooperative ecosystems over time. Creative Cultural is one part of the next evolution of our efforts.

A note from Jahi