Rolex
I met DJ Aludah when he was still a young lad fresh from honing his deejaying skills in Nairobi. You could tell from interacting with him that this was a man with the necessary vision and focus to take him places. And let’s not forget the skills kubanga when he went on those turntables, he made musical magic happen.
Four years down the road, he is still a young lad but he is no longer fresh. He has gone on to make a name for himself in the industry and is one of the most in-demand DJ’s around town. Aludah has picked up some accolades around the way and as I type this right now, he has been nominated for best East African DJ category in the African Global DJ Awards. We decided to link up with him and take a trip down memory lane. Read along and when you are done, click all those links and vote for the turntable terrorist.
For those who may not know you yet, how about a brief introduction?
DJ Aludah is a hardworking, fun-loving young guy that loves to entertain which I do best on two turntables and a mixer.
What led you to become a DJ? At what point did you decide that this is what you wanted to spend the rest of your life doing?
I didn’t decide to become a DJ, I didn’t choose to become a DJ, Deejaying chose me. I just put down 4 yrs as a Professional DJ.
As a DJ, you obviously have to play many genres of music. What is your personal taste in music? Do you have different music to help you through different situations?
I don’t listen to a particular genre of music, I listen to Songs. If it is a nice song I will have it on my iPod.
One of the problems I have with DJs is that all the pretty girls want to hang around them. What is your policy when it comes to groupies? Do you enjoy and count it as one of the perks of the job or do you gently tell them off?
I am a one girl man. I gotta say though I love groupies. They make the party!
Which DJ’s out there do you look up to for inspiration?
I look for inspiration in many different things like character, sounds and so on. But when I was starting up, I looked up to people like DJ Waxxy from South Africa and DJ Stylez from Kenya.
In your time as a DJ, what moments have stood out for you?
In 2010 I won the Ultimate DJ Competition in Uganda (Spin Master). I have shared a stage with P-Square, Sean Paul, Sean Kingston, Konshens, Akon, Wyclef and a number of other international artists.
You were recently nominated for best East African DJ category in the African Global DJ Awards, how did that feel for you?
It’s a GREAT feeling! Not only because I was nominated but mostly because this is evidence that my hard work is paying off.
How is the competition and what do you think are your chances of coming home with the award?
First, you’ve got to know that I already feel like a winner. My chances to bring the crown home are in 5D!! All I need is my East African and worldwide fans behind me. Just go to www.agda.co.za and vote for your boy and just like that the Award will be in our hands.
When you were starting out as a DJ, did you ever think you would take it this far?
This is just the beginning. I see greater things for Team Aludah.
Do you sell any of your mix-tapes, and if yes where can one find them?
Yes I do sell them, usually at my gigs. Yes, I am a hustler like that, hehe. And for the people overseas, make a booking and we shall have them delivered.
Who else in the industry here do you think is playing on the same level you are or even better than you?
Uganda has lots of talent but our biggest problem is how to sell that talent out there.
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now career-wise?
I see myself playing at the BET Awards, working on different projects with some undiscovered talent. I got lots in the pipeline and all I can say is watch this space.!
If someone wanted to catch you in action, are there any places where you play on a regular basis?
You can watch Channel O in the comfort of your home every day from 6-7 pm or tune in to 97FM Radio City every Friday 7-10 am and Saturday 6-8 pm. As for parties and events check out my twitter (@djaludah) and Facebook Page and you will know where to catch me live.
Any parting words of wisdom for those that look up to you for inspiration?
First I would like to thank my fans for the unconditional support and I am reminding them and all their clans to go to www.agda.co.za and get to voting for DJ Aludah in the category of Best East African DJ. And lastly, I want a good rave, check out my twitter(@djaludah) and Facebook Fan Page and there you go, YOU GOT IT!
UPDATE: To vote, go to http://www.agda.co.za/votenow.php and vote for Aludah in the Best East African DJ category. You are allowed to vote repeatedly after every 24 hours so put an alarm in your phone and set it to repeat every day.
You can also tweet “@Djaludah for #AGDAEASTDJ Cc @agdaawards” (Click to tweet!) in order to vote for Aludah. Let’s bring the award home people!
For those that might think this is woloks, we have added a gallery of the man busy being awesome. Click on the images to enlarge and when you have finished believing, vote again.
9 Comments