DJ to use his skills to help orphans

The Tembisan aims to showcase and expose the positive contributions from the youth in building the community of Tembisa.

The Tembisan met with DJ Deeptone, who aims to use his skills as DJ to rebuild and renovate local orphanages.

Tembisan: Your fans know you as DJ Deeptone. What is your real name?

Deeptone: My real name is Kgodiso Komane.

Tembisan: Hearing your stage name “Deeptone”, one would assume you have a deep voice but you don’t. Where did you get the name?

Deeptone: DJ Dino Bravo gave me the name because of the music I was playing at the time – deep house and that was in 2011. I was only 16 years old at the time.

Tembisan: When did you start to DJ and who taught you to play?

Deeptone: I was taught by DJ USB in 2010 and that’s when I started to play. He influenced me. I used to go with him to his gigs and my passion and love for the music started there.

Tembisan: When was your first professional gig?

Deeptone: DJ USB had organised an event at Emperors Palace where I played alongside people like DJ Warras and DJ Whisky. I was the youngest DJ in the line-up. It was a mixed audience and I was very nervous but DJ USB calmed me down. The response was epic. The News Cafe manager noticed and he booked me for the next weekend.

Tembisan: What have you achieved so far in the music industry?

Deetone: In 2013 I entered a DJ competition called In Soul We Trust. It was a DJ competition and we competed live at the State Theatre in Pretoria. Out of 496 votes, I received 261 votes and as a result I was given an opportunity to record an electro track with the guys from In Soul We Trust. They played my one-hour MP3 mix on the In Soul We Trust online radio station.

Tembisan: How has that experience contributed to your career as a DJ?

Deeptone: The whole thing opened doors for me. I received an opportunity to work with an international events company called Uparty_SA. They also manage artists. Last year I played in Maputo, Mozambique, under HBJ events. It was the first time I left South Africa. I played for two hours each day over a two-day period. The first day was challenging but by the second day, it was a walk in the park. People in Mozambique asked for my numbers and some begged me to return.

Tembisan: You are planning to organise an event for charity. Tell us about it.

Deeptone: The event is called EduFest and is aimed at aiding improvements at schools and orphanages. My focus will be on orphanages. Often, on Mandela Day, celebrities and the public lend a helping hand to children’s homes. I decided to use my entertainment skills and connections to try and make the help provided to orphanages a continuous one.

Tembisan: What are you planning to do?

Deeptone: My focus will not be on food alone. It is pointless, for me, to give a once-off large quantity of food supply when that orphanage doesn’t even have a refrigerator to store the food. I want to focus on bigger and more essential things. I will be providing appliances, buildings and renovations. My aim is to use the EduFest proceeds to attain these things, build and renovate one orphanage a year. That will make us, as a community, feel better, knowing a child is properly sheltered and well fed. I know what is like to live in poverty.

Tembisan: Poverty is everyone’s problem. How can people help?

Deeptone: Any corporates, artists and members of the public interested in taking part in EduFest, are welcome to do so. This is a festival for a good cause, which ultimately leads to a better Tembisa. The main aim here is to change the mindset that Tembisa has orphans. For me, it takes the whole community to raise a child. There shouldn’t be any orphans because you and I must take the responsibility for our children.

To contribute or to take part in the EduFest, contact Jen Almendro on 076 766 7730 or Deeptone on 079 846 2559.