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Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]

LAST Sunday night, Southern Cross Estate in Matsheumhlophe became a happy hunting ground for emergent local wheel spinner, Kotwane Hikwa who rocked an appreciating crowd at an event dubbed, “Garden of House” held at Southern Cross Estate in Matsheumhlophe, Bulawayo.

Last month, Bulawayo meant business as scores of people flocked to the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre for the annual Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) but amidst all of the entrepreneurial activity, light-hearted entertainment was served as well and Hikwa was at the heart of that.

“Thank God it’s Friday” might be the slogan that patrons who frequent The Smokehouse use as they anticipate a date with one of The Smokehouse’s sought-after resident DJs, Kotwane Hikwa.

Hikwa’s three-hour set has been a weekly fixture for elite personnel who converge at the establishment every Friday night.

Sunday Leisure caught up with the soft-spoken DJ who said his journey to being one of the revered wheel-spinners at The Smokehouse wasn’t always carved in stone but practise made him “perfect.”

“Trust me, it wasn’t always like this (people jamming to his sets). I’m a product of failing and going at it again. Practice made me perfect. Back in the day when I was at High School, I used to burn discs for my friends and before long, I would hear my mixes doing rounds in my hood and that was like fuel to me as it gave me the urge to continue learning the ropes and perfecting my craft.

Scenes from Garden of House – Pic cred Garden of House Twitter page

“My big break was on Valentine’s Day 2013 when DJ Mzoe gave me a chance to play at Forty40 and that spelt the genesis of my DJ’ing career and from there, there was no looking back,” he said.

As a resident DJ for The Smokehouse, Kotwane Hikwa has left the establishment in flames with his live sets which are not pre-recorded but rather incorporate the idea of mixing different instrumentals with different vocals to come up with one cohesive sound, something that he calls, “ulti-mixing.”

With a career spanning a decade, Hikwa has always been a man on a mission and what he has been doing so far is a testament to how far he has come.

The 29-year-old DJ has worked under Mduduzi “Mdue” Mdlongwa’s 3D Events and got his first major residency at Zarah Lounge after impressing Zarah Lounge owner Phathisani Nkomo when he curtain-raised for DJ Fresh at Cosmopolitan in 2019.

He has been a resident DJ for E68 in Matshe Umhlophe, Zarah Lounge, and Emakhandeni Cricket Club.

Making crowds go haywire has become second nature to him and he has seen his popularity grow in leaps and bounds, a feat he attributes to humility, hunger to learn and having a knowledgeable manager.

Scenes from Garden of House – Pic cred Garden of House Twitter page

“This sector requires one to be organised and one way of doing that is having a knowledgeable manager who will take care of the administrative side when you get down to work. It’s hard trying to do it all on your own so having Tanaka ‘Kiki’ Makeba has been working like a charm for me.

“She makes sure that I’m well taken care of and don’t have to worry about anything. That makes me perform freely and deliver captivating sets to please the audience. You never stop learning in this sector and I have made it a point to humble myself and acquire all the knowledge and skill I can get.

“This is because I understand that DJs are the life or death of any club so it’s imperative for one to have the requisite skillset in coming up with tailor-made content for patrons,” said Hikwa.

The wheel-spinner is also adept in Human Resources management after having graduated from the Bulawayo Polytechnic.

Follow on Twitter @MbuleloMpofu