DJ TEN started as a club deejay before radio deejaying came calling

DJ TEN started out as a club deejay before radio deejaying came calling. He speaks with ALFRED WANJOHI on his art, challenges and aspirations Where did your journey in deejaying begin? My journey to being a DJ begun in 2014 after completing my studies at the DJ academy and by 2015, I was already working as a DJ in various clubs around the country. In 2016, I joined Mediamax to work with Kameme FM, but a year later, I moved to sister station Milele FM. Was deejaying what you always wanted to do or it was something you picked on the way? I was always so musical while growing up; I was always singing and writing lyrics. I started deejaying in high school and after I was done with school, I knew this is what I wanted to do. The big gamble I took was that I chose deejaying with no plan B. It was either being a DJ or anything related to music and nothing else. How is it working on radio with the likes of Wilbroda and Jalang’o? It’s fun! For me, I always take it as a learning opportunity; it is humbling working with such experienced personalities, which being a young person in this industry would want to learn from. Is there a difference working as a radio DJ and club DJ? There is a big difference; the main one being that as a club DJ, you have a physical live audience unlike in radio. A club DJ’s playlist is based on instant reaction on your audience, while radio on the other hand is based on imaginations of what your listeners like. What are your career challenges? The biggest challenge I’ve faced, especially as a beginner was getting gigs. The DJ industry is currently very saturated; now, everybody wants to be a DJ. Getting the equipment is also an enormous challenge for many DJs. The equipment is expensive to hire or buy. Do DJs face a security challenge in Kenya, especially in clubs? Security is one of the biggest problems in the entertainment industry at large. Sometimes you go to gigs late in the night with your equipment and you don’t know what’s waiting you up the road or even what kind of people are going to be there. Many times as a DJ, I find myself in an environment where there are a lot of intoxicated people. Like in the recent case involving DJ Evolve, it was saddening and I wish if our places of work as DJs would be more secured. Safety guidelines, among them, banning firearms in public places such as clubs would come in handy. What are your aspirations? I want to venture into music production because I really love music; not just mixing, but also even the production aspect of it. So, expect a couple of tunes even as early as this year. I have met a couple of artistes and shared my idea and some projects are already underway. I wouldn’t want to let the cat out of the bag yet, but hopefully we should be dropping some tunes soon. Would you say DJs have contributed in growing the Kenyan music industry? Yes! DJs have played a huge role in ensuring Kenyan music is on the airwaves. I wouldn’t say we are where we want to be, but we are at maybe 70 or 80 per cent of playing Kenyan music. What would be your advice to other young DJs? Persistence and patience are key. You have to work hard, meet a lot of people and network with them for gigs to start coming your way.

DJ TEN started as a club deejay before radio deejaying came calling

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DJ TEN started as a club deejay before radio deejaying came calling

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