Wannabe DJs to bring down house

Thando Thabethe

Thando Thabethe

Published Jul 17, 2014

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WHEN you are in the club, sipping on your drink or showing off your dance moves, you rarely think of the effort the DJs put in on the decks.

From one song to the next, we all know a good DJ mixes it up into one seamless party medley. But do you ever stop to think what that DJ has to go through before he or she reaches the club?

The number of songs that they have to listen to in order to prepare just an hour for a good set is over- whelming. They have to check several things including whether the songs blend into each other, whether they are of the same genre and, most importantly, that they are hits.

It is a huge ask if you think about it, but when we are in a club setting or at a party, we rarely think of how much work is put in the DJ’s sets to make them work so that we have a good time.

Enter DJ Sphectacular and DJ Naves, a pair which frequently give dance lovers some of the best DJ sets in the country. After having been in the business for several years, they are some of the most experienced DJs out there. So it makes sense that the two form part of the judging panel on SABC1’s latest offering, 1’s and 2’s.

1’s and 2’s is a place where aspiring DJs will go to show off their skills and, hopefully, make a difference in their lives.

“You have to know what you are doing on the decks. Some people have several styles and it is only the ones who have exceptional skills that get some recognition,” said Thando Thabethe (pictured), who hosts the show.

She admitted that her knowledge when it came to DJ-ing skills was limited, but her sheer love of music was qualification enough for the job.

“I don’t know much about how DJs do their thing, but I know that I am a big fan of music so I will listen to whatever comes my way,” the host explained.

With DJ Sphectacular and DJ Naves holding her hand, Thabethe said that the experience so far had been amazing, to the point that she, too, was now considering becoming a DJ one day.

“I have a great relationship with the DJs and when they see how much I love music they encourage me to try a career in spinning the decks.

“Also, they picked up that I have an ear for what works and what doesn’t – a thing any good DJ should have,” she said.

If Thabethe did become a DJ, she would join the few female DJs who currently rock the airwaves. Looking at 1’s and 2’s, the host said it was encouraging to see some females enter the competition.

“We are looking for the most talented yet unknown DJs out there and since we have shot all the episodes, I am happy to say that we have had a considerable number of women who are taking part as well,” she said.

While they have some interesting talent lined up, Thabethe agreed that in some cases good talent was marred by nerves.

“It was sad to see that some very talented contestants did not make it purely because they were nervous,” she said.

DJs can mix in any genre, but in this case only one genre is acceptable: “This is predominantly a house music show and though some people brought samples of other genres, mostly house music is acceptable.”

• 1’s and 2’s premieres tonight at 7.30pm on SABC1.

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