DBN Gogo Opens Up About How Lockdown Affected Her Career. DBN Gogo real name Mandisa Radebe had been trying to make it as a DJ for seven years. Today, she is one of the biggest DJs in the country, with multiple amapiano hits. She has also been nominated for the SA Amapiano Music Awards.
DBN Gogo, who studied law at university, got her friend to teach her how to DJ and it was all systems go from there. The star said lockdown affected and continued to affect artists, but it also opened doors for upcoming artists like herself who were granted an opportunity to showcase their talent on TV. She said she feels it took a pandemic to give her the big break she was looking for to blossom in the music industry.
“It’s striking that I can be nominated for doing something that I love. I think it’s weird that when you make music that’s moving people, you’re recognised for your contribution to that music. It’s special because when you get into the studio you don’t think about what might happen. I’ve always wanted to deejay, but I just didn’t know how to go about it, how to learn it. I was studying law but I realised that a conventional nine to five wasn’t going to work for me. I was in love with music generally. I used to sing, I was in ballet, I was a recorder and there were a lot of things around me that were centred around music,” she said.
She’s forever booked and busy even during the strict lockdown regulations. Though she said it was still challenging to be in the male-dominated industry, noting she would like more female DJs granted a fair chance to showcase their music talent. Her words of wisdom for aspiring DJ’s out there: “Start now, start today, practice, practice, practice it’s not going to be easy; you have to have a strong will and a strong spirit [as] people will try to break you down but you have to do it either way. The end goal is what is most important.”
