Tira grateful for journey to raise Durban’s flag
IT'S a Tuesday afternoon, and the sun dips to the horison and a lethargic sounding DJ Tira is on the line.
He sounds preoccupied and asks for 20 seconds to wrap up his business meeting.
Tira, real name Mthokozisi Khathi, has been at the forefront of a regiment of cool trendoids coming out of the eastern seaboard of SA and stamping its authority as the playground of the country – in the process stealing the shine of the City of Gold that is Johannesburg.
Hype around the Fact Durban Rocks marquee at the Durban July is what’s buzzing in Tira’s world.
Fact Durban Rocks, now in its fifth year, is dubbed as the biggest music festival at the Durban July. The secret behind its success is playing local music and accommodating artists of different genres from across South Africa.
This year’s line-up includes the best in hip-hop and house – AKA, Black Coffee, Black Motion, MiCasa, Kwesta, Durban’s Finest, Nasty C, Riky Rick and DA L.E.S.
Tira is the man behind the festival and boss at Afrotainment record label, and tomorrow fun seekers will indulge in yet another experience he says will be a notch higher than in past years.
Reflecting on the event, Tira says the journey has had a lot more ups than downs.
“It’s business, not everything can or will run smoothly as you wish but I’m more than grateful and happy to say it has been a wonderful journey,” says Tira.
He describes the Fact Durban Rocks theme as 100% local. “We grew up attending ‘umgruvo waselokshin’ (township parties) where local music would be played a lot, so we are still carrying that legacy, keeping the theme as authentic and fresh as it can be. People love it when we cue in Mzansi-produced music, they relate to it and it reminds them of their mgruvo. The approach now is different and more professional.
He is looking forward to BET award-winning DJ Black Coffee’s set. “Black Coffee is ours and he’s a star. He has done exceptionally well and I respect him for that. I’m really looking forward.”