DJ O'Neal shares his experiences with Phikwe youth

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Wednesday June 18, 2008 00:00

 

Many youth, particularly the students who participated in the June 16 (Day of the African Child) commemorations at Botshabelo Customary Court, envied O' Neal who has become their role model. The popular DJ started his talk by castigating parents for claiming that they do not know why their children resort to drinking alcohol and smoking yet they are the ones who send them to bars and other drinking spots every day. He urged parents to address issues in a more realistic manner. O'Neal, who was raised up and schooled in Phikwe, said like every student there were things that he did not understand and only got to realise the folly of his actions when he grew up. He said he did not see the need to read harder and instead spent most of his time, enjoying himself with other boys on the streets.

O' Neal said he later joined a music group and became its leader. But other group members were not as committed to the project and dropped one by one and eventually O'Neal was left alone.

One day a family planning to open a nightclub in Selebi-Phikwe approached him, offering him a position as the club's DJ. He knew nothing about the job but accepted the offer despite the low pay.

He later moved to Francistown where the market for DJs was bigger and more lucrative than in Selebi-Phikwe. He told his audience that he entered a competition that was organised by PSI as the first DJ from Selebi-Phikwe. That was where he was approached by RB2 personality DJ Sly, and others, advising him to move to Gaborone to explore possibilities as a radio DJ.

'I decided to move to Gaborone. With only P150 in my pocket for my entire stay in Gaborone, life was very tough. Everything was too fast in the city - cars travelling at very high speed, and people walking very fast.'

He walked close to 10km from where he was staying with his aunt to Yarona FM's offices to look for employment. When he asked for a job, the official who received him just laughed and asked him to try the next morning. But when he called the following day, as arranged, the official was not available for the appointment he set with poor DJ O'Neal. Because of the determination he had to realise his dream he had to walk the same distance daily to Yarona FM premises until such a time when most employees came to know him as the 'boy who always sits' outside their offices.

'As a way of getting rid of me I was finally told that there were auditions somewhere. I went there but unfortunately I failed the auditions and spent a week without going to Yarona FM offices. But despite the setbacks I did not despair because I had a vision to achieve.' After this he visited one of the most dangerous places in Gaborone to look for a job in a nightclub. He was at some point almost stabbed. After working in the nigh club for a year, Yarona FM held fresh auditions and officials were surprised to see him there again.

'I was among university graduates, English medium school students and other high-class children who were dropped off by their parents in fancy cars while I went there on foot. We had nothing in common so I did not even chat with them as we waited for the results.'

As the results came out he was called into the office and jokingly told that he had failed the test. But he argued that the people who had auditioned with him did not look so desperate and that he seriously needed the job. Much to his relief he was finally told that he had passed the auditions.

O'Neal said he was given a slot at night and suspected it was probably a plot to prevent many listeners from tuning in to his programmes. However, he excelled so much that he was given more slots on the station until he became the reputable DJ that he is today. He said he mainly uses his past experiences in life to spark some lively radio debates that many listeners have come to like. He urged students to always read anything that comes their way. 'I used to read anything by candle light before I fell asleep and it paid dividends,' he said.  His colleagues were university graduates while he merely had a Cambridge certificate and he excelled, he said.

O'Neal shared his past experiences in a bid to urge the students to have a vision and work tirelessly to achieve their dreams and also to speak out on issues affecting the youth in Botswana.