DJ Franky Jay proves first victory was no fluke
Gasebalwe Seretse | Wednesday October 9, 2013 22:42
Instead of nursing his ego in a little corner, the DJ who won the Serowe Battle of the DJs in 2012 proved his detractors wrong by winning it for the second time running this year.
'I just wanted to prove to my detractors that I am still the champ so I entered the competition again this year and made them eat humble pie,' said the 21-year-old DJ from Maaloso Ward. DJ Franky Jay told Showbiz that his great love for house music especially from South Africa and Angola whet his desire to be a DJ . He started spinning the discs in 2011 when he was only 18 and he used to play exclusively at a village on the outskirts of Serowe called Paje.
'I knew that in Paje I would be able to perform without having too many critics around me so I borrowed deejaying equipment from DJ Hot and started learning the tricks of the game. 'Soon I was able to perform at venues like Welcome Bar in Serowe where I am still called time and again to perform. DJs King and Bones who were regular performers at Welcome Bar became some of my greatest inspirations,' he said. DJ Franky Jay said that ever since then, he has become a regular feature at parties, clubs and competitions all over Serowe.
According to DJ Franky, he was encouraged by Kabelo Mothankana, better known as DJ King, to enter the second edition of Serowe Battle of the DJs last year and he reluctantly relented. He says the 2012 competition was the toughest he had ever entered as he was contesting against some of the best talents in the district. Although he was nervous during the showdown, he was declared the winner by the end of the day. Quizzed how he felt about his first win he said: 'I was not very happy because some of my rivals said that I had been favoured and that is why I won the competition.
'Instead of celebrating, I was greatly disappointed. I felt that I had to prove that I was indeed a champion, that is why I entered the competition again this year and won,' he said.
Soon after winning the Serowe Battle of the DJs 2013, he performed at an event that featured the likes of Atasaone Molemogi better known as ATI and athlete Nijel Amos.
DJ Franky Jay says that despite the stress that goes with trying to please his fans, he is never tempted to use any substance for inspiration. 'I am always sober when I perform because I want to give my fans the real me. There is no way substance abuse can help someone perform better,' he said.
The DJ pointed out that although like any other performer, he is always followed by groupies, but finds a way of avoiding them.
He advised his peers who want to be DJs to get an education so that they have something to fall back on when things go wrong. He said for one to survive as a DJ, he has to slave away for very little money. 'Being a full-time DJ is a real challenge because it means appearing in as many gigs as possible. I believe that for one to survive as a DJ, he has to have a full-time job and only get to perform after hours,' he said.
It remains to be seen if DJ Franky Jay is going to maintain his winning streak.