DJ Senorita defying all the odds to stay at the top

Dar es Salaam. There was a time when female DJs were few and far between, and those that dared to make it in the field were seen as outcasts, it was a man’s world

While times have definitely changed, the rampant sexism in music means some of the industry’s most exciting DJs and producers aren’t getting their platform.

Just like elsewhere in the corporate world women are beginning to blossom in an industry highly saturated and associated with men, proving they can rise to the occasion to provide some of the best service that money can buy.

In Tanzania today though the situation remains almost unchanged, there is a young woman who is getting the audiences on their feet each time she is on the wheels of steel –DJ Senorita.

With quite her striking looks she could have settled for other fields that most women chose such as modeling and other beauty related fields but she settled for a job behind the mixer.

“My love for music pushed me towards this job, as a young girl while growing up we didn’t have any other means for entertainment apart from listening to the radio. As I grew up the love for music and specifically that of becoming a DJ was ingrained in me as I didn’t have a singing talent because I am a shy person,” she tells the Beat.

Having started her journey some six years ago into what many thought was a gamble DJ Senorita has shown that she is equally talented and ambitious, she had to overcome career challenges to become one of the most sought after DJ today.

“My journey started almost six years ago after watching various djs at the time such as DJ Fetty, DJ PQ and Peter Moe who inspired me to love the profession and I started pursuing it. After I was done with school I moved to Dar es Salaam to sharpen my skills on the decks,” she says.

The evolution of the digital era meant that women would have a shot as they wouldn’t have to lug cases of records around as the case was before.

While each success story has a unique track, there is no doubt that DJ Senorita has one thing in common with other successful DJ across the world—she is not afraid to ‘mix it up’!

She is passionate about what she does and willing to learn new trends in her industry while putting in some extra miles as well.

Observers say what sets these women apart is that they can be glamorous and change up their look, emphasize their femininity, fashion sense and sex appeal in a way obviously men can’t.

“Without taking anything away from her I think this gives a unique edge and something new and interesting to the game....Senorita exudes Girl Power!!!” remarks one reveller who has attended her shows.

But the early days were all that a bed of roses, not many were paying attention to what she was doing and some rubbished her off as one of those time wasters.

Her break through would eventually come when she was hired to perform at the Just Got Paid event which was held at Azura in Dar es Salaam with some big shots in attendance and she didn’t disappoint.

“There were some EA Radio executives in attendance and they loved what I was doing and they gave me my first radio gig and then I moved to my current employer Clouds Media Group. All I can say is that my first gig was very special,” she says.

Apart from the lack of recognition in the early days she had to make do with either hired or borrowed equipment something which made the already complicated situation even worse.

“Just like any other industry there are problems especially for someone who is just starting up, for example I didn’t have my own equipments and that was very hard until I saved up enough to buy up my own and they didn’t come cheap,” she says.

She has since grown to become a resident DJ at one of the leading night clubs in Dar es Salaam, she also gets gigs outside the country which she says pay more than local gigs.

“I am a resident DJ at Elements and I usually tour around East Africa especially Nairobi where they have invited me a couple of times as recent as February I have also played at a couple of countries in Asia most notably in Malaysia,” she says.

According to her the value of a DJ in Tanzania is yet to reach that of their counterparts abroad because many event organisers do not value DJs.

“They end up paying very little money compared to other places I have been outside the country or when they invite a foreign DJ which is quite unbelievable.”

In her job she deals with male compatriots and fans and she admits that they are not easy to deal with at all because many of them are yet to treat her as an equal.

“Men are competitive in nature and starting up it was hard for them to accept my mixing abilities and skills but I got used to it and after building working relationships with them it became easier and many more girls are picking up disc jockeying as a career so they are becoming a bit more receptive.”

But that is not all she has had to deal with especially those who will not take NO for an answer and can’t understand the fact that the only reason she is in a night club is because she has to work.

“Men are kind of troublesome as they think because I am a DJ then I am easily accessible and some of them usually overstep to the point of being stalkers and harassers but I take all these challenges in my stride because I have my stand as a woman,” she says.

Though it is job that is paying her bills she has some reservation on advising young girls to take it up as a career of choice.

“I wouldn’t really advise them unless they are passionate about it and have real love for music and still I would advise them to at least have a substantial level of education to fall back on,” she says.