No gold at end of DJ rainbow
Aspiring youngsters should not get stars in their eyes, warn two pros
JOINING the ranks of aspiring disc jockeys in South Africa will bring you many wonderful things — but fabulous wealth is not one of them. That is the view of seasoned DJs Wesley Reddy and Ryan Nair, commenting on the growing popularity of the career among young people, especially in the Indian community.
“Youngsters have got to understand that you’re not going to be a rich man doing just deejaying in this country,” said Reddy. The 34-year-old, who started his career at the age of 14, is the host of a popular KwaZuluNatal radio show.
He describes himself as a radio presenter, DJ and emcee, explaining that “a DJ is someone who mixes music and a presenter is someone who presents content”. He adds that not all radio presenters are necessarily DJs. He works in IT by day. He said more young people were trying their hand at deejaying because it had become more accessible with the proliferation of cheap, even free, digital software available for download.
“I think the fact that it is so accessible has made it more popular,” he said.
DJ and radio show producer Nair agreed: “It’s a good thing, but at the same time it’s a disadvantage because some of the other important skills that go with being a DJ are being lost.”
These skills, he said, included the ability to do live mixes (“reading” and adapting to an audience’s mood) by selecting and playing around with appropriate music, instead of playing only what was on prerecorded CDs.
Reddy laments the loss of the art of being a master of ceremonies, which he considers integral to being a DJ.
“Where people fall short is that you’ve got to master every aspect of it. I’d say 99% of DJs don’t talk any more. If you can’t speak, what do you do if things don’t go according to plan? How do you create a connection with your audience?”
The two DJs agree that mastering different techniques — from manual old-school turntables to modern digital mixers — is what gets you taken seriously.
“The most important thing is that if you can mix on turntables, you can mix on software — but not the other way around,” said Reddy.
Both say the apparent glamour of deejaying is what attracts young people.
“They probably see what we do as DJs at parties every weekend and they get the impression that we’re living like rock stars,” said Nair.
“As glamorous as it looks, it involves homework. It’s not just about going to parties all the time. As much as I enjoy what I do, in some ways it’s just a job.”
Sadhna Beebaasoo, 17, of Isipingo, has been deejaying for four years. The female DJ, a rarity, started her career after playing with her father’s mixing equipment. Since then, she has been performing at various events and recently began shadowing club DJs.
“Wesley Reddy introduced me to the manager of Vacca Mata in December. I deejayed a bit and DJ Warren G helped me. He told me that I’m doing well as a female DJ.”
She said she knew she probably would not make a lot of money as a DJ and was planning to study for an MBA after matric.
Reddy and Nair advise aspiring DJs to diversify their skills, go into music producing and aim to get into radio, although the saturation of the market for DJs makes the latter especially difficult to achieve.
Reddy suggests having a day job.