Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
How DJ Travisto found his ‘happy place’
On radio, online and in local and international clubs, Travers Solomon is living his music dream, writes ROBIN ADAMS
HE’S cemented his status as a household name on the SA music scene. And he’s fast becoming a well-known international DJ, too, having played sets poolside in Ibiza, and in Mozambique and Namibia. Travers Solomon or “DJ Travisto” is a radio producer by day, and music DJ by night. The 46-year-old resident DJ at the weekly Sundowner session at The Hyde Park Southern Sun in Joburg says while he now calls Jozi home, his roots are still firmly in Cape Town.
Growing up in Mitchells Plain, Travisto attended Parkhurst Primary and then Westridge High. He describes his teenage self as a bookworm with a keen interest in sport.
“I was the nerdy boy always with his nose in a book, but I also tried my hand at athletics, soccer, volleyball, squash, and my favourite, baseball.”
His love affair with music started young. “My parents’ love for music played a key role, and as a child I loved to record music from the radio and make mix tapes to play back on my tape recorder. Playing the music I wanted to hear when I wanted to hear it was always important. My dad’s excellent jazz and pop record collection had a solid impact on my taste in music. Disco, pop, jazz and later house music would always be my happy place.”
That “happy place” now manifests in a live set online every Friday at 1pm.
“Last year on a whim I decided to livestream one of my practice sessions from the studio (on Facebook live). I should have been working, but felt the strong urge to play music, so I hashtagged the session #fuggitdrukanommer.”
Since then, Travisto’s become somewhat of an internet sensation. His audience has grown from a handful of friends to thousands tuning in live every week, with several thousands more replaying the set later.
He gets responses from fans as far afield as South East Asia, the middle East, Australia, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.
The Eye Radio, an online radio portal, saw the broadcast and approached him to stream on their platform.
“The show has a unique interactive audience and it’s a highlight of my week because I play the music I love for people who are very involved and appreciative.”
Weekend Argus visited Travisto’s Joburg studio during one of his recent mix sessions. The DJ danced nonstop throughout his set, and sent shout-outs to most of his listeners and viewers who comment on his Facebook feed.
Seeing his love for music now, it’s difficult to believe that initially Travisto never gave music or radio a second thought for a career.
“Music never seemed like a viable choice, so because of my love for books, I studied English at UCT with the plan to become a high school English teacher.
“Fate had other plans for me. In my third year at varsity I signed up at UCT Radio and this changed my trajectory. I met people there who would go on to be lifelong friends and shape my career path.”
Travisto dropped out of his course and volunteered his time at community radio stations like CTFM and Peace FM, before landing a job at the iconic Spaced Out Sound Studios in Zonnebloem.
“I worked under the owner, Tully McCully, as his engineering assistant and learnt how to operate the gear and edit audio. I also got valuable lessons in how to not take s*** from advertising people.”
He re-enrolled at UCT in 1995 and finished his degree with a teaching diploma – all while “on the job”.
“I knew, however, that teaching wasn’t on the cards for me and the studio was my future.”
In the late 90s, Travisto started a freelance stint at the biggest radio station in the Cape at the time – GoodHope FM.
In 2000, the opportunity to join popular Joburg youth radio station YFM came knocking, and the DJ moved to Gauteng.
“This was a seminal time, as I got to work with DJs like Fresh, Khabzela and Bad Boy T.
“YFM in the early 2000s was an incredibly creative place to be and my work space was directly outside the live studio. Bands like Boom Shaka, Bongo Maffin and artists like Brenda Fassie and Vinni da Vinci were regular passers-by. I was in awe.”
Three years later, Travisto was on the move again,back to the Mother City, to become the full-time station producer at GoodHope FM.
In 2006, he returned to Jozi to work at national radio station 5FM, as producer of Dj Fresh’s afternoon show, The Fresh Drive.
“It was a no-brainer, so I jumped at the opportunity and set up my own studio in Joburg.”
Since then Travisto has had his hand in the production of some of the biggest radio shows in the country – on both 5FM and Metro FM. “I’ve worked with serious radio talent including Fresh, Roger Goode, Glenn Lewis, Unathi, Catherine Grenfell and Thando Thabete.”
Travisto’s work day starts when most of us are still asleep.
“I’m in studio by 4am to work on Metro FM’s Fresh Breakfast, which runs from 5 to 8am weekdays. I ingest coffee intravenously while I prepare for the show and produce audio packages while the show is on air.”
A quick breakfast break around 9am after putting the show’s podcasts online, is followed by preparation for 5FM’s Thabooty Drive show from 3 to 6pm. Then Travisto heads home for family time where “I’m usually droopy-eyed at the supper table.” He’s in bed by 8.30pm.
Travisto is married and has two children, Ela, 8, and Leo, 6. He admits balancing work and family is a “juggling act”.
“But we manage to keep the balls in the air. My wife handles the school run in the morning, and I operate daddy’s Uber in the afternoon.”
Talking about his job gets Travisto excited, and he speaks of his colleagues with high regard. “Fresh and I have shared some of the best times anybody could hope to have at work. He’s pushing hard on this new platform with the team on Metro FM, which means I’m sprinting between studios to get things to air on time and sounding hot. It’s rejuvenated my love for what I do.
“Thando Thabete and her crew of young talent on the Thabooty Drive are the future of radio in SA. They make me grateful to be doing the creative work I love.”
As for future plans, Travisto remains tight-lipped. “Some innovative stuff with the show on The Eye Radio in the not too distant future, but I can’t say too much about that till plans are finalised. I’m excited to do some international travelling with my family later this year.”
Travisto will be back in Cape Town on June 3 doing what he loves best – playing house music for a crowd. He is the headline act at an event named Daghood at the River Club in Mowbray.