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Matt Consola & Andy Allder World Pride Club
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House of Frappier Extended Club
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Silver Bluff Pride & Joy Vox Dub
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DADDIES HOME! Dub Mix
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DADDIES HOME! Vocal Mix
Las Vegas, NV — Broadcaster, entertainer, and songwriter Charles Karel Bouley II, known internationally simply as Karel, continues his multi-hyphenate success with major achievements in both media and music with the release of his new single in time for World Pride 2026 “You Have to Be Proud.” His long-running news-and-culture podcast, The Karel Cast, is reaching new audiences while his latest musical collaborations are gaining worldwide attention — including a recent Top 5 single on the UK MusicWeek Club Play Chart with dance icon Thea Austin and a Top 10 charting hit of his own with “I Dance Because”. And now, a new anthem, “You Have to Be Proud” is set to capitalize on that success.
“Pride Month 2026 was one of the worst of recent history,” Karel commented from his Las Vegas home. “The Trump regime has set rights back for every letter of the LGBTQ community,” he explained. “There’s an all out war on trans people, and now even members of our own community are trying to isolate and break up our little alphabet. I won’t have it. I once sang we are ‘stronger together’ and I meant it. And now, I feel we all need a reminder, this is not the time to retreat, it’s the time to stand strong, show our Pride and demand more.”
Karel wrote the new single “You Have to be Proud” and turned to Leo Frappier, House of Frappier, for the production. Frappier created a lush choral arrangement and once again Karel was blessed to have Dance Icon Thea Austin add her enormous talents to the backgrounds.
Swishcraft works with some of the best remixers in the business, from Matt Moss to Dirty Disco, Robbie Carrigan to DJ Rafael M and their talents have once again been called upon to provide versions that appeal to a variety of people in the Dance community. This time out Matt Consola himself (label owner and prominent DJ) paired with Andy Allder for the first extended mix, and of course, Leo Frappier’s House of Frappier has the radio edit and extended club mix as well. This time Silver Bluff Pride & Joy Vox Dub came to the party along with Daddies Home, who did a euro-disco interpretation that is very different from the original. Each offers a new take on a track destined to become a Pride anthem.
“DJ’s have been very kind to me, taking ‘I Dance Because’ Top 10 on the Music Week charts in the UK and playing all of my music with exuberance. I hope they feel the passion I have put in to this very personal song “You Have to be Proud”. I sing it in both falsetto and bass, because there are parts that are booming and other parts that need that falsetto I’ve come to rely upon so much…my constant homage to Sylvester and Jimmy Sommerville. In fact, it was one of the hardest songs to sing, with various key changes and switching from falsetto to bass in the same breath. But the words make me cry every time I hear them, because I fought in the 70s, 80s, 90, 2000s 2010’s and now in the 2020s, the same fight, the same battles, for every two steps we go forward someone is trying to push us 10 steps back, and I simply won’t sit by and watch,” he added.
This song is Karel’s third single this year. First was the release of his massively beloved remake of Sylvester’s “Do You Want To Funk” which featured Jeanie Tracy on backgrounds and original production by Leo Frappier. It, too, was on Swishcraft records. After “Funk” Swishcraft released remixes of a song Karel wrote during the Harris Campaign in the USA for dance icon Thea Austin (Snap! and solo projects) which went Top 5 UK, “We’re Not Going Back”. This was followed by the emotional “I Dance Because” and a video that brought back many of Karel’s friends lost to AIDS, and DJs took it Top 10.
Enter “You Have to Be Proud.”
Now the third single, “You Have to be Proud” is set to provide a soundtrack for the rest of the year as well as World Pride in July of 2026; and it comes at a much-needed time in the world as Pride is under constant attack from bigoted US Presidents, cabinet members, seated members of US Congress and other right wing zealots in lands far and wide. With all the noise, Karel wants to counter it with a rallying cry to stand proud, stand strong, and fight.
Karel’s musical success comes as The Karel Show continues its momentum. Broadcast four days a week, the show combines sharp analysis, cultural commentary, and Karel’s signature wit, reaching fans who want news that is honest, passionate, and unfiltered. From national politics to entertainment, economics, and LGBTQ issues, Karel’s voice remains one of the most distinctive in modern media.
“I’ve always believed that creativity is a spectrum — the podcast, the music, the writing, it all comes from the same place,” Karel says. “Right now is an incredibly exciting time. I’m engaging with audiences in more ways than ever.”
With two Top 10 UK hits, a new single just dropping, and continued growth across podcasting and social platforms, Karel enters a new chapter as one of America’s most versatile and authentic creative forces. He has been a Dance music force since his first release “Everybody, Get On Up” and then his tenure with Jellybean Benitez’ label with hits like “I Am” and “Take Your Heartache Away” as well as the internationally charting single with the Factory Team and Steve Bronski (Bronski Beat) of another Sylvester classic, “Don’t Stop.”
Contact raymond@kmprconsulting.com for media requests
Charles Karel Bouley II is an award-winning broadcaster, recording artist, songwriter, author, and LGBTQ trailblazer. Known for his fearless commentary and boundary-pushing creativity, he hosts The Karel Cast, a four-day-a-week podcast that blends news, culture, entertainment, and personal insight. Karel has released multiple singles and collaborations, including work with Thea Austin, Morgan Mallory, and top dance producers worldwide.