adminMelissa Mpofu Showbiz Editor
On August 23, one of the country’s talented DJs, Raydizz will be taking local music to a whole new level when he plays in Las Vegas, USA at the Miller DJ Mag Top 100 party.
The DJ (real name Rayhaan Jassat) was awarded the lifetime opportunity to play in Las Vegas after winning the Miller DJ SoundClash competition held in Harare in June. As part of his winning prizes, the DJ will represent the country at the five-day Miller Music World Tour which kicks off on August 22. He will also be an ambassador for the Miller brand in Zimbabwe from next month.
Raydizz will leave the country for Las Vegas on August 21, returning on August 28. He will battle it out for the World Miller Music DJ title on August 23, with 11 other DJs from Botswana, Swaziland, Argentina, South Korea, Colombia, Panama, Russia, Dominican Republic, Paraguay and two wildcards from Mexico.
While in America, Raydizz will have the opportunity to play at top nightclubs and rub shoulders with renowned DJs from that country.
The Zimbabwe-born DJ and designer who has become one of the country’s most popular producers and club DJs said he would promote local music in Las Vegas by including it on his set.
“The set which I’m planning to play at the party in Las Vegas will feature various local songs as I want to promote our music.
“I am really looking forward to my performance there as it will be my first time to perform on such stages. I hope the people there will like it,” he said.
Raydizz said winning the Zimbabwe Miller Genuine Draft Soundclash cemented his deejaying career and had opened doors for him to be recognised internationally. However, international recognition is not new to the Harare-based DJ as he was the first Zimbabwean to DJ on DStv’s popular reality show, Big Brother Africa in 2012. He never looked back ever since as he went on to share the stage with Nigerian superstars P Square, Ice Prince and D’Banj.
Raydizz, who is also an established fashion designer said he perfected his deejaying skills in the UK where he attained his art and design degree.
“When I was in the UK, I focused on my deejaying career and perfected my skills at house parties and small functions in Southampton.”
Upon his return to Zimbabwe in 2009, Raydizz connected with one of Zimbabwe’s most popular club DJs, Rax. The two worked closely together and formed a group Rax&Raydizz. The group was an instant hit and is still one of the country’s most sought after, playing at mainly uptown clubs and festivals such as Hifa and the Lion Lager Summer Beer festival.
Recently, Raydizz released a music video for hit track She Loving the Crew. The video premièred last month on the première of Coke On The Beat and Raydizz had the honour of being the first guest on the show since it stopped broadcasting in the early 90s.
derick.khumalo