Chris Theko
Marc Anthony an American singer and song songwriter once said “Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life†That statement is what drives Kabelo Makubela who is popularly known as Mura de Dj in the entertainment circles.
In as much as this young sought-after Dj believes in following his passion, he also believes heavily in education because he says no one can give the knowledge that education can give and says he believes a person must have more than one source of income.
After completing his high school at Sefika High School already as one of the well-known upcoming Djs he decided he would further his studies while doing what he loves. He is currently pursuing his qualification in IT but already has certificate in cyber security essentials from Lerotholi Polytechnic.
The young and versatile Dj sat down with Newsday Arts this week to share his journey. He says he was only a child in grade seven when he realized his love for music and he would carry some sound box with him everywhere he would go.
“Even at school it would be in my school bag. Every time I had chores at home I would not be without my music close to me, at that time I listened to three genres hip hop, RnB and house music but my love was deep when it came to house music,†said the Dj.
“I started my journey in 2014, there was a neighbor who went by the name Dj Jally, he was older than me. Because he had a sound system and on weekends he would play at weddings and parties I became his source of music because as young as I was, I had gotten into downloading music every week,†Mura said.
“Later on he introduced me to an application called virtual dj and I would sometimes steal my sister’s laptop to use it for non-school related things but I would continue doing so and practicing as much as I could until I understood it†he reminisces.
He said Dj Jally began inviting him to the various weddings and other events he would be booked at which is where he got a chance to gradually play and practice what he had learned.
In 2015 one of the local radios (People’s Choice FM) hosted a Deejay’s competition where aspiring Djs would submit their mixes and two would go against each other. Mura won the competition for six consecutive months as he says this is the platform which opened a lot more doors for him and established him as one of the top Djs in Lesotho.
Mura said he has drawn a lot of inspiration from local Djs who have been doing this ahead of him such as Nine24 and Trybz “…because I would see them at every big event in the country and abroad. I am inspired by Dj PH,†he stated.
Mura was also part of the famous music competition dubbed ‘Vodacom Superstars’ he never went far in it though because he got knocked out in the first auditions however that did not deter him as he never stopped believing.
He said the highlight of his journey was being able to host his own events. On April 3, 2021 he hosted the by-far biggest pool party in Lesotho where he filled to capacity Victoria Poolside without an international artist and without any big sponsors.
The Dj said the biggest challenge of being a young Dj is that after being booked by some older promoters, they sometimes don’t pay booking fees, they sometimes use the young Djs and forget about them.
“That’s why I always encourage Djs and artists to host their own shows.
“The biggest challenge I have also encountered has been to work with people who discriminate against me but I was too focused,†the dj said.
Mura is so vested in investing in his craft as he says in his free time he listens to new music. He recently won the award for Dj of the year award at the Les Music Awards.