KwaDwesi DJ brings romantic ballads to the people
Gone are the days when oldschool Bay R & B fans had to sit and listen to the radio to pair their Sunday afternoons with their favourite music genre.
In the just five months since KwaDwesi DJ Chuma “Blendish the Selector” Kimberley, 33, took to the decks to serenade Port Elizabethans with romantic ballads at some of their favourite party spots, she has gathered a fan base bigger than she anticipated, she said.
She is one of a few Port Elizabeth disc jockeys who specialise in the genre and her goal, she says, is to give R & B lovers the experience of a “Sunday Chillaz” away from the confinements of their homes and radios.
“I vowed to myself I would make Sunday Chillaz a culture in Port Elizabeth with my own DJ skills because usually people just have playlists of this kind of music, not an actual DJ,” she said.
Also a talented vocalist, Kimberley said she started singing from a young age but stopped to focus on her job in the HR industry.
She pursued DJing upon her decision to return to music.
“I just thought I can’t be trying to kick off a singing career and auditioning at shows alongside 17-year-olds, so I decided to learn something and asked one of my friends to teach me how to DJ,” she said.
She got the hang of the skill within just two weeks and soon started knocking on doors for gigs, a process that had its own difficulties, she said.
“It’s difficult to get people to open for you, especially when you’re a young woman playing a genre that’s dominated by older male DJs, but I persisted.
“There was a time when I was never called for gigs and I had to nag people, but my career has grown faster than I imagined it would in five months,” Kimberley said.
Thanks to those who opened doors, the DJ has created a name for herself and played in establishments such as Pata Pata Lifestyle and Ekupholeni Cocktail Lounge in Port Elizabeth, and various others in Cradock, Uitenhage, Humansdorp and Alexandria.
To celebrate love and to thank those who have played a role in the development of her career, Kimberley will host her first event, Love, Lust and Music, at Pata Pata Lifestyle in New Brighton on February 29.
On the line-up are fellow DJs Docta Musiq, Aubrey the DJ, DJ Jola, Ace Man and Lorenzo, who all gave her a helping hand when she needed it.
“The event is to thank DJs on the line-up as well as Port Elizabeth people for the incredible support they have given me in such a short space of time,” she said.
“I don’t want to wait 20 years to thank my people when I can do it now.”
Love, Lust and Music starts at 2pm. Pre-sold single tickets cost R60 (R100 for doubles).
At the gate, single tickets cost R80 and doubles R140.
Contact Kimberley on 073-079-7287 for pre-sold tickets.