DJ Webster certainly had made his mark in the music industry. Hailing from Mafikeng this multi-talented artist plays R'n B, hip hop, house, electro…any music genre you give him he will surely make any dance floor heat up. When commenting about his success in a highly competitive industry he said

Don’t do it for the money...do it for passion and money will follow you.....

So how would the man himself define his style? He validates playing so many styles because ‘DJing is about making people dance’. As a DJ he believes you need to be versatile and also be able to adapt to your crowds. He goes on to say ‘making your crowd happy can do wonders for future gigs as this will earn yourself the fellowship of fans by showing your skills’.

The music scene is under pressure to produce music for the masses, that’s where the money is for a record company to survive, and artists to put food on the table (and purchase mansions in Ibiza). We asked him if DJs these days have to compromise their own unique sound in order to be commercially viable, and if music released these days is a true representation. ‘Well, I always say don’t compromise quality for quantity. I would say a true talent and impression of a DJ is the mixing done behind the decks because a CD just informs people of the style of genre a DJ plays, and so much digital software is killing the true talent of DJing. A CD is like an ID Book that defines who you are in the music industry and which nation you fall under, The House Nation or The Hip Hop Nation’.

Ok that’s philosophical, and we have more:

Mr Spencer: What’s the unique element you bring to the music industry?
DJ Webster: Music to me is art....My Decks...The Paint Brush......My CD’s.....The paint.....The Dancing Crowd...The Picture I’ve painted.....I let my creativity flow when I’m  behind the decks...

 

DJing is not about the music, or the mixing, it’s about the experience you give the crowd.

Not only a fantastic DJ, he is also a producer and has released two of his own albums. : ‘Mafeking Bliss’ in 2008 and ‘My lifestyle’ in 2009 (both of USM Records d division of Sheer Music). Another album about to be released called “Another Bliss” which will feature genres like house, hip hop R ‘n B, pop, ambient, reggae and even chill. So why does he mixes genres on this album?
‘ This is an unmixed edition, it will have all my productions of all different genres. I think it’s time people hear what I’m capable of. I’ve learned not to limit myself’.

He has also made it to every producer’s dream and started his own record label DJ Webster Records. The label is currently releasing music from artists. DJ Mojere (who appeared on his CD ‘My Lifestyle’), DJ Kay-tu and also DJ Trix. He is excited about working with DH Mesta from Italy.

DJ Webster so talented he has been signed under a few labels too. With all this experience and knowledge, he can certainly understand all about being an up and coming DJ. We asked him if he had any advice for people trying to get there music out there.

 

 

‘It’s very difficult as competition is tough out there and these days, 8 out of 10 young people are DJs or want to be a DJ, so the marketing is growing very fast. It’s all about keeping ahead of everyone and the best way is the internet. There are so many good producers out there but they keep their talent to themselves because they are scared someone might steal their material. People won’t know you if you keep it to yourself.  Best advice is to make sample tracks, or short track and distribute. It’s amazing how Google can put you on the map, everyone is on social media like “Facebook”, “MySpace” and “Linkded In”. This is the best way to start. I was discovered online before my music career began.’

So DJ Webster hails from the North West province of South Africa, a small town called Mafikeng and now plays in the capital Johannesburg. We wondered how his music goes down in your own home town and how does the crowd compare to the big city?

My hometown is deep house orientated so it’s difficult to explore your talents as in a big city. As a DJ in a big city my playground is “Big” as well.

They say music is a universal language but if house is the only language you know in your city/town how will you communicate if you’re sent abroad? Music is not only house a nation on its own, you only limit yourself to what you know and what you don’t know is limitless.

 

By Andrea Steyn