DJ Euphonik Interview
He has been included in the Mail & Guardian Top 300 young South African, at the age of 27, Dj Euphonik has already achieved much more than most of his peers. Born in Nelspruit but raised in Benoni, Dj Euphonik has been in the industry for more than a decade or rather half his life and he is still growing bigger everyday. Euphonik who is currently at the cutting edge of South Africa’s house music scene has just bagged himself a metro fm nomination for Best Compilation, the category he shares with the collaboration between himself and Dj Fresh (FeU)
In this interview, Euphonik chats about his journey in the music industry, hopes for the youth and what it means to be a young person in South Africa.
YV: Who is Dj Euphonik
DJ Euphonik : My real name is Themba Nkosi, I am a Dj, radio host, producer and Entrepreneur, I play music in small darker rooms, that is what I do.
YV: Tell us about your background
DJ Euphonik : I was born in Mpumalanga and then my parents moved to Benoni when I was like 2 years old.
YV: How long have you been a Dj?
DJ Euphonik : I started creating music when I was 11 years old, I did not even know what it meant to be a DJ so I had a cousin who was a DJ, and I went on to become a DJ officially at the age of 14.
YV: What makes Dj Euphonik unique?
DJ Euphonik : There is nothing that really makes me super unique, I just do what I love and love what I do all the time. If you spend every day of your life doing the same thing it is bound to be something.
YV: You are one of the few celebrities who are hardly in the news for wrong reasons, what keeps you grounded?
DJ Euphonik : I am not doing this to be famous. Unfortunately there are perks that come with it but I do this because I love what I am doing. I still hang around with people I grew up with, people who see me as Themba rather than Dj Euphonik.
YV: The music industry is a tough industry to be in and has many challenges, what challenges have you come across?
DJ Euphonik : Getting into music is easy but to maintain and keep focus once you are in is a totally different story. I always tell people not to put too much pressure on themselves. I don’t do anything unless I am totally comfortable with it.
YV: What obstacles do you think the youth are facing today?
DJ Euphonik : More than anything else, I think we have a huge identity crisis. We do not know how to deal with sudden change of environment. Yes we are not going to adjust overnight, slowly but surely we will get there. We are still trying to figure out who we are and where we come from and that is the most difficult thing. The youth also struggle with alcohol and HIV.
YV: Anything that can be done to overcome those challenges?
DJ Euphonik : Just be honest to yourself; do not try to hide who you are. Whatever background you come from no matter how poor it is you can get out of it.
YV: You are a Dj on 5fm, how do you use that platform to inspire the youth?
DJ Euphonik : I discuss a lot of issues that the youth deal with on a daily basis.
YV: Has your life changed since becoming famous?
DJ Euphonik : My life has not changed at all.
YV: Who do you look up to for inspiration?
DJ Euphonik : My parents, Dj Fresh, my business partners, everyone around me inspires me.
YV: Besides being a Dj and radio host, what other projects are you involved in?
DJ Euphonik : I’m shooting a programme called Club Culture that is going to air on SABC1, I’m busy with soul candy and I have also just dropped a new album called For the love of house 3rd Edition.
YV: What encouraging words do you have for the youth especially those looking for a career in Djing?
DJ Euphonik : Love what you do and do what you love.
