How To: Choose Between A Live Performer and a DJ
Separating Africans from music is impossible. From feverish dance steps to soul-wrenching dirges, music is the language of our hearts. It is the sound we create when words are simply not enough. What better accompaniment then could there be for a joyful gathering or event than music?
When organising a party, we need the food to be plentiful, the drinks to be chilled, and – and this cannot be emphasised enough – we need for the gbedu to enter body. We want people to pull their home training like agbada and dance till they’re sweaty and happy.
We want women to take off their heels and for all involved to pull those faces that look like the dancer is in pain but actually announces the arrival of a mean step.
The final destination is already known – Enjoyment Town. The question is: how do we get there? An exciting live performance or a master DJ?
Very few things can beat the energy of a live artiste. The atmosphere, the speakers, the thumping base, the connection between the artiste and the guests. A live performance gives you the opportunity to sample the same music you’ve played repeatedly, but by the artist in its real and natural form. When an event has an artiste who is blessed with the gift of drama and performance, you get an epic display and spectacle that even guests who can’t dance can enjoy.
If you’ve never been to a Nigerian party where an artiste has been called to perform, then I don’t know what you’re doing with your life. You don’t have to like Fuji to lose your mind when KWAM 1 is in full effect and is being ‘sprayed’ in multiple currencies. And your waist takes on a life of its own at an Eastern affair when Phyno takes the stage. And Mafikizolo and Vusi Nova in South Africa? Sublime. Live music – whether by a tribute band or the original artistes – is in a class all its own.
Kwam 1
London, UK. 28th August 2015. Mafikizolo Performing At Dance Afrique Concert. Photographed by Michael Tubes
The multi-talented, multitasking, multifaceted DJ is not to be sniffed at either, however. The essence of the DJ is to provide varied music to take the crowd to new heights of excitement and dance. A DJ might be specialised in one genre and still be able to play a wide variety of music within that range. You think one artiste can give you a solid ninety minutes of their best hits? Wait till a great DJ keeps you dancing till the sunrise!
Gone are the days when the DJ had to haul around boxes that contained a maximum of a thousand songs and had to hope he had enough tracks to close down the joint. Today’s DJs carry an average of five hundred gigabytes of music on a laptop, meaning if they are good at their craft, you will struggle to think of a track he doesn’t have on standby.
More than just playing music on a list or lining up songs with roughly the same beats per minute, a good DJ will display extensive knowledge of genres, music periods, selection and timing – the right time at a celebration to play a particular track, the tracks that seem to move this particular crowd and the tracks that seem to be killing the party. What constitutes oldies at a party? Is it Ini Kamoze’s ‘Here Comes The Hotstepper” or is it Kool & The Gang’s funky ‘Let’s Go Dancing’? A good DJ scans the room, feels its pulse and runs away with it.
Other factors such as duration of play (are a couple of hot verses from a song enough to keep the party jumping? Or can he get away with playing the full track?) and sensitivity to the mood of the guests helps a DJ create an outstanding, memorable night. A savvy DJ knows that when a guest requests Diamond Platnumz, he’s not asking for just one artiste but for the Eastern African feeling. And any DJ worth his salt knows to follow a request for Phyno with Flavour Nabania, Timaya and maybe even after the reggae play the blues. We give them Parte After Parte for the whole continent, but reserve Tesumole for the Marlians – it’s all in a day’s work for the DJ.
A good DJ will be more cost-effective than flying in Angelique Kidjo to grace your event, but might make more sense, depending on the note you’re trying to hit. Budget, flavour, guests and venue will all go into the final decision, but when you work with professionals, either option will ensure a jumping event. The important thing is to HAVE FUN!
Lastly, stay up to date with all you need to know about African music at SOA, right here.
Rachel Onamusi is the founder of VN Sync, a full-service digital agency with expertise in all aspects of digital media, with special focus on strategy development, implementation and facilitation. Her projects have ranged from marketing consulting, market research, corporate & personal brand management, product & campaign launch, media & publicity strategy development and management, to technology training and certification platforms’ management. An accomplished digital media strategist and growth facilitator for major corporate global brands, Ms. Onamusi’s extensive experience spans three continents and covers both private and public sector.
How To: Choose Between A Live Performer and a DJ
