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DJ Zinhle with DJ Liz

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
UP-and-coming DJ Liz says she learnt a lot from seasoned award-winning DJ Zinhle from South Africa, after the two shared the decks at a party held in Bulawayo at the weekend.

DJ Liz (real name Sharmaine Lizzie Waldman), who spent the greater part of the weekend playing host to DJ Zinhle, said she used that opportunity to find ways to improve her career as a DJ by sharing notes with AKA’s baby mama.

“During our outing, we spoke about issues which affect us as women and of course, talked about clothes, makeup and all. DJ Zinhle said it was refreshing for her to share the decks with a female MC as she was used to performing with male DJs,” DJ Liz said.

The Bulawayo DJ, who was the only female act at DJ Zinhle’s All White party at Horizon Night Club, said Zinhle had inspired her to focus on producing her own music.

“My plan now is to learn music production as I want to have my own music that I’ll promote and popularise when I’m on the decks like Zinhle. It’s good watching people dance to music that you’d have produced and I know I can do just that,” said DJ Liz.

“Watching DJ Zinhle take control on the decks, I learnt that I shouldn’t rush into changing a song, I instead need to take my take my time, dance with the crowd and get them to sing along to the music I’ll be playing.”

DJ Liz is undeniably carving a name for herself on the local showbiz scene as she keeps securing high profile gigs in the city. The young beauty, who has been deejaying for under a year, has already performed alongside South Africa’s Black Coffee, Black Motion and at the Kalawa Homecoming party last year.

Hailing from Burnside, DJ Liz said she owed her success to show promoters – 3D Events who gave her a platform to shine. From working for 3D Events, Liz met DJ Crazy Black – a resident DJ at Hartsfield Tshisa Nyama who mentored her into being the polished product she is today.

“I started off as a promo girl for 3D Events before venturing into deejaying after Mduduzi Mdlongwa – 3D Events founder – facilitated that Crazy Black mentors me. DJ Crazy Black was quite patient with me and taught me a lot and I owe him for that,” said DJ Liz.

Liz had always been passionate about music and at one point considered enrolling for a sound engineering course.

“Growing up, I loved listening to music. Deejaying is something I always wanted to do from when I was in high school at Orion College. However, when I completed my studies and went to university in South Africa, I was tempted to do sound engineering, but sadly, I ended up enrolling for a course in human resources. Fortunately, I was also good and excelled in HR.”

But as fate would have it, Liz, who was employed in Harare where she put her Human Resources degree to use, resigned two years ago to focus on her music career.

“I ditched the job I had in Harare two years ago and started deejaying full time, something which I don’t regret doing.”

Besides deejaying, Liz is a fashion designer who runs a family clothing boutique – Crazy Look Fashions – with her twin sister Sharleen.

She said her mother designs most of the outfits she wears at shows.