adminBongani Ndlovu/Simbarashe Mutizwa Showbiz Reporters
FOREIGN music and culture is still influencing the Bulawayo entertainment scene 30 years on as yesteryear and present day superstars still come from America, Jamaica, United Kingdom and South Africa, veteran DJs have said. According to the DJs who have been on the turntables since 1986, American, Jamaican and South African pop culture had the greatest influence on the local entertainment scene in the past and the situation has not changed much.The old time DJs believe nothing much has changed from their era of showbiz.
“There isn’t much difference in the way the youngsters nowadays are doings things, they are still in the venues that we used, still using the same turn tables that we were using and I have noticed that even the songs they are playing are just similar,” said Garry Staddon aka DJ Garry who started deejaying in 1986.
He said the only difference was that today the new school DJs were using technology such as laptops that have DJ mixing software.
“The other thing is that technology has made the trade a lot easier compared to the past when we used to struggle to get the songs to play and also find the machines to use.
“Nowadays the DJs can simply find the music that they want on the internet and simply pirate,” said DJ Garry.
He said the introduction of technology has made it easier for people to become DJs.
“The introduction of flashes and CDs nowadays has made everything easier compared to the early 80s and 90s when we used to struggle to lay our hands on a certain type of music,” said DJ Garry who has played at Stars and Garters (Club Forty 40), Granada Nite Club (Paparazzi) and Sun City at Compensation House.
If someone looks back at the late 80s and early 90s and the era of digitalisation from 2005 till present he or she can draw similarities in terms of dressing and music.
During the late 80s and early 90s club hits were by international artistes especially from America and Jamaica such as Lost Boyz, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, Shabba Ranks, Patra, R Kelly and Baby Face.
The veteran DJs said during the same period, local superstars such as Bhundu Boys, Zig Zag Band, Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo emerged and started churning out club bangers.
Nowadays DJs have traded the vinyl decks for laptops and songs from Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz, Wale and Jay Z, Oskido and DJ Clock are among the club bangers at different clubs.
The popularity of these international artistes was that they had a direct influence on what the youths in Bulawayo at that time saw as being cool in terms of fashion trends.
Haircuts such as box cuts, push backs, perm and the Jerry Curl were popular during the time.
American artistes such as LL Cool J, Colonel Abrams and Run DMC were leaders of fashion trends at that time as they wore dungarees, viscose shirts, gold chains, baggy pants and boots.
Another veteran DJ, Ignatious Ncube (DJ G Steele) said in terms of fashion a lot has changed over the years but it seems as if some of it is coming back.
“In the 90s it was so fashionable for one to have a hair cut known as box cut after the afros had made their mark.
“In terms of dressing, people would be seen putting on baggy pants since this was the new jack swing era and this era changed a lot in the fashion world as people were proud to be black,” he said.
G Steele who has played alongside Kimble Rogers from ZiFM, Otis “Da Flow” Frazer of Star FM and the Black Troupe DJs, fronted by Joe tha OG said night spots have changed their names over the years and when he started deejaying in 1989 he used to play at Raz Matzz club which is now called the The Lounge.
“Afternoon sessions used to be popular as a lot of young people would rush to fill up the clubs and some of the music that we used to play includes Ted Riley, Shine Head, Dass Effects and Effects, Fresh Prince, Heavy Dee, Shalama Des Band, Get burned,” he said .
G-Steele said locally the hit songs were by the Bhundu Boys, Chinx who had different types of beats, Thomas Mapfumo, Tuku, the Zig Zag Band and Ebony Sheik.
He said he and DJ Garry will soon introduce old school weekends dubbed Retro DJs at the Terrace Gardens, Selborne Hotel, for people to rewind to past times with classic hits.
“We have decided to come back to the game after a very long time. Both of us will be playing at Terrace Gardens at Selborne Hotel, where I will be playing old school tunes,” he said.
G-Steele has invited other old school DJs to join them in reviving their trade.
derick.khumalo