DJ Fondo to release Fire Face VOL.1

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Thursday November 4, 2010 00:00

 

He would just enjoy watching DJs as they selected and mixed songs, sending revellers into a frenzy.  But 10 years down the line, the soft-spoken DJ is now a popular man among revellers who throng the popular Gaborone West club.

After realising his dream of one day becoming a DJ, Tshesebe has not stopped dreaming more and is about to realise another dream, as his first House album is about to hit the market. The album, entitled Fire Place Vol. 1, is slated for release in a week's time.  'We are just doing some finishing touches on the album.

All the songs are ready and what is left is only mastering,' he said.

Revellers who usually go to Grand West have had an opportunity to listen to some of the hits in the album. 

Tshesebe said the fans have already fallen in love with some of the tracks even before the album comes out. 

'There is a song dedicated to the tribe of Batswapong named, Tswapong Hills, produced by Kenny Mckenzo.  He also produced another one, Rosesman.  These have proved to be popular among revellers,' he said.

Showbiz managed to listen to some of the songs and in addition to Tswapong Hills and Rosesman, fans can look out for other tracks like Party Time and Chisa Fondo Fire, which should be among popular tracks during the Festive season.  Tshesebe said it is going to be a 13-track album, which encompasses different kinds of House music including Durban House, Ancestral House, Commercial House and Mellow Deep House.

'I have to emphasise that this album is 100 percent locally produced,' he said.  In the album, Tshesebe has worked with different studios including Clockworx, House University, Slatonic Records and X3 Mix.

He said his fans encouraged him to work on a music album.  'They always said I am one of the best resident DJs, but they wanted to see the brand growing and encouraged me to follow the route that many DJs who started as club DJs followed.'  He was inspired by two successful Botswana DJs, Skizo and DJ Fresh.  Skizo was one of the most popular Kwaito artists working with Kalawa Jazmee Records artists like Oscar Modlongwa, also known as Oskido, and Bruce Sebitlo, while DJ Fresh is now one of the most successful DJs in South Africa.  He said he decided to work on a House album since House music is the most dominant in the nightclubs.

Just like any other artist, working on this album presented some challenges.  Tshesebe said he had difficulty finding vocalists for this album.   'Sometimes I would find suitable vocalists, but they would eventually vanish and I would have to start looking for others all over again.  At some point I nearly gave up on this album, but some people encouraged me to keep my head up,' he said.

The album is financed by entertainment guru, Steve Rahman, who owns some of the popular nightclubs in the country, including the Grand West and Satchmos.  It has been 10 years since Tshesebe worked for Rahman as a resident DJ.  Besides Grand West, he also rocked night crawlers at the Ozone Club, which was also owned by Rahman.  He said as soon as the album hits the shelves, he would hit the road to promote it.

'I have already made plans to take a countrywide tour before travelling to neighbouring countries like Zambia, South Africa and Namibia to promote the album,' he said.