Millicent Andile Dube, Showbiz Reporter
IN recent years, there has been a rise in female DJs who have stood their ground to build their names and reputation through hard work.
Bulawayo has been one of the places that has embraced these talented women and seen the rise of female disk jockeys.
Among these is DJ Kapitol C (real name Nontokozo Sithandekile Khumalo) a DJ who specialises in deep house music, soulful house and Afro-house music.
She has been in the game for five years and has shunned the stigmatisation that comes with building a career in a male-dominated space. Those who have attended events such as Meet n Grill, House in CBD, Deep in the City and In Tha House Sessions curated by The Balcony would attest to the fact that the DJ is definitely one to look out for. She has also shared the stage with South African artistes, Oscar Mbo, Sun El Musician and Daliwonga.
Born and raised in the Nketa suburb in Bulawayo, The DJ said growing up, she used to listen to a lot of different music genres by local and foreign artistes and that inspired her to pursue a career in music.
“I got into the music industry as a result of my passion for art which is still a driving force to my growth. Recognition is the ‘cherry on top’ of all the work I’ve been putting into my craft and I’ll always be appreciative of the love I get when I’m on the decks,” said Kapitol C.
DJ Kapitol C
In August last year, she was the first DJ to feature at the Friday Late Night show at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo, a show that was mainly dominated by hip-hop artistes. This show, among others, boosted her as she was put in the spotlight.
“It was a great experience because I got to showcase my hip-hop passion as well as house music. The Friday Late patrons were a joy to play for and they proved that hip-hop heads are very much appreciative of other music genres outside of hip-hop. Such shows helped boost my career and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” she said.
Sadly, the show was put on hold at the start of the year as the NGZ closed for renovations.
Reflecting on her journey in the industry, the self-taught DJ said hers has been more of a calling.
“I went from being a nine-year-old that loved keeping notepads with songs i loved and new ones i did not want to forget. My transition from being a music lover to a DJ/selector was an organic one because of the genuine love I had for music and the need to share what I enjoyed listening to with the world,” she said.
In order to keep relevant in the very competitive industry, the DJ who doubles up as a poet said she will be releasing some of her new sets that will bring a whole different vibe as they will feature some of her poetry works.
“Poetry is another passion of mine. I’ve been performing poetry since I was a child and lately, I’ve been spending my time on the notepad and studio. All I can say is that I’m looking forward to putting out a body of work that will exhibit my poetic and music production prowess.
The enthusiastic DJ also took the opportunity to highlight some of the things she wishes could be done in order to create more opportunities for women in the entertainment sector.
“I’d like to see the emergence of musical academies dedicated to female artistes. These academies must equip female artists with adequate skillsets in enhancing their art of choice, legal representation, marketing and monetising their brands. By doing so, the industry will get to be characterised by a high number of self-sustainable female DJs and artists alike,” she said.— @millieythandile