Putting a twist on DJ'ing

By now you should know that DJ Castro, real name Uakengeza Seth Castro Ngoimue, is not your typical disc jockey and if you are a concert-goer you should have a clear picture that his sets are electrifying.
Michael Kayunde
When your father used to be a guitarist for the late music icon Jackson Kaujeua - a pioneer in the industry that you work in - you are pretty much damned to a career of living in his shadow, unless you are DJ Castro.

Initially his father wanted him to be a football player, but his music calling was louder. He started off as dancer and eventually took it up a notch and learnt how to operate a turntable, a skill he says allows him to live out his dreams every day.

“Even when I was a dancer I knew I could do more. I also did not want to be a dancer forever; I had to learn a skill that would ultimately make me my own boss one day. I am glad to have started out as a dancer, because I now incorporate some of those elements in my sets.”

DJ Castro believes he is one of the few DJs in the country who has made DJ'ing exciting again with his unique techniques.

When he is in the DJ booth, his goal is to give party people or concert-goers an unforgettable experience.

“I am not the type of DJ that just plays and mixes songs. I like connecting and having fun with the crowd. I am a game-changer and that is what makes me unique,” said DJ Castro

He was recently nominated in the favourite DJ category of the forthcoming Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion Awards (SYMLFA).

This is the second time in a row he is nominated in this category, and shared that the recognition means a lot to him and his brand.

“I was nominated last year and for me it means a lot because I am still a baby in the mainstream space, so to keep on being noticed by such an a big platform means I am doing the right thing.

“Winning this award would open doors for me. I am proud to be nominated once again and I hope people are voting for me,” he said.

Born in Windhoek and raised in Otjiwarongo, DJ Castro has been DJ'ing for about seven years now. Having mastered his skills on the turntable he announced to tjil that he is working on his first album. He added that the album is going to be a montage of various genres and is scheduled to be released on Sunday, 8 September.

“It helps that I am a DJ so in essence I am freer to try out different genres; at the moment I am working on a song where I am fusing AmaPiano and hip-hop. People should look out for that banger; it will make it to the album too,” he said.

Speaking on the rollout plan for the album, DJ Castro mentioned that he does not want to do the conventional avenues of marketing the music project, but will employ new strategies to distribute it. “I want to push my album differently; we may not even have physical CDs. My focus is to put strategies in place that are going to push digital sales.

“I am also working on getting sponsors on board to order removable flash memory sticks from China, that will have my name and face on them, so that we can sell the album on USB,” revealed DJ Castro.

He shared that some of the artists he is working on the album with include DJ KBoz, Sunny Boy and Pewa. With a few months left before it is released, the DJ maintains that the process of working on the album has been an eye-opener and overall learning experience.

“This process has helped to keep me focused. I am also highly motivated because I am working on this album with some of the artists who inspired me growing up. The energy is amazing. Creatively I am in a great space,” said DJ Castro.

MICHAEL KAYUNDE

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 221.30/OZ UP +1.40% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.07% | Zinc US$ 2 455.50/T UP 0% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.64/BBP UP +1.45% | Platinum US$ 907.62/OZ UP +1.42%