04 Dec 2014

Perseverance is a skill that most people lack and it is not every day that one gets to come across one exhibiting such traits.

It has been said the youth of today lack patience and perseverance, which is a downfall for many. Most people do not want to put in the time and sweat in what they do and they seem to forget that as a person, one has to start somewhere.

One such fella is Princewill Chipaladza who only last year was washing dishes at Sky Lounge and now is their resident disc jockey.  Going by the stage name of Dj Prince de Kok, the young man finished his Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) in 2009 and right after he attended school to learn how to be a Dj.

“I went to a school here in Botswana called Ydj Botswana and it was for six months,” he said, adding that he was inspired by Owen Rampha to be a Dj. He indicated that his first gig was in 2010 at Lizard Lounge and so far he has played with guys like Owen Rampha and Spins from House junkies.

Dj Prince de Kok said to him being a Dj is a career and not a hobby like for most people. “I have long wanted to be a Dj since 2004 when I was still in Form one and now I am living it,” he said. He said the only problem he has with the Dj industry in Botswana is  lack of many clubs and the operating hours of the already existing clubs.

“Being a Dj in Botswana is very slow in terms of not having incentivized clubs that enhance us as Djs,” he said, adding that people who acquire his services should understand that being a Dj is what puts food on the table for him.

Talking about what kind of music he plays, Dj Prince de Kok said he mainly plays soulful house, RnB and Hip-Hop and he is looking to also drop his own music. Speaking on his plans for the next 5-10 years, Dj Prince de Kok said he is looking to own a studio.

“I want to compose and produce music and travel to overseas gigs as I have already met a few people who have been impressed with my sets and want to invite me over,” he said.

On what he enjoys most about playing at Sky Lounge, Dj Price de Kok indicated that crowd there is amazing and they love his sets which are mainly old school jams. He went on to call on government to encourage clean fun by building infrastructures that can accommodate a lot of people.

“Batswana have to be encouraged to promote gigs that take place in the mornings and afternoons so that we can utilise that time and not always have late night shows,” said the young lad. Dj prince de Kok indicated that his biggest challenge so far is getting people who book him to remunerate him accordingly.

“They forget that I have to transport my equipment and maintain my equipment with my own personal finances and as such the money I get should allow me to break even at the end of the day,” he said, adding the risk of getting your equipment stolen or damaged is high.

Being a disc jockey in Botswana has over the years picked up as we see more young people who have the talent taking it seriously and doing it at a larger scale.

Also, disc jockeying competitions have come to the fore to encourage those that have the talent to try their luck and in turn open doors to endless opportunities. ENDS