Lady-Shiks breaks through gender barriers while spinning the decks

WHILE some people might become DJs for money and fame, Dyondzo “Lady-Shiks” Shikwambani (21) of Makhuva village in Giyani, the first female DJ in the Mopani district, is doing it for the love of music.

Lady-Shiks, who holds a B.Sc degree in water services and sanitation says she loves music more than the career that she studied for.

“My heart is in music. I only went to study to please my mother, because she wanted me to be educated,” she says.

“I will not quit music even if I find a job in my area of expertise.”

She says her upbringing influenced her love for music at a young age.

“I grew up in a noisy environment. My father owned a tavern and my mother was a dancer for the HW Makhubele Band.

“Even if you did not love music, you had to listen to it every day in my house,” she says.

Although her DJ-ing career is still in its beginning stages, Lady-Shiks has already shared the stage with the likes of DJs Kent, Black Coffee, DaCapo, Problem Child and Aluku Rebels from the UK.

Asked about the challenges she faces as a female DJ, Lady-Shiks, who has a monthly slot on the Mix Down Avenue on Capricorn FM, says whenever she performs, she always has people coming over to check if she is okay as they do not believe that a woman can DJ.

“When people hear a track, there’s always an assumption that a man developed it.

“People believe that men have an evolutionary advantage which gives them a leg up to do anything technical. It is only after you perform that people realise you too can do it,” she says.

Lady-Shiks’ manager, Humpfrey “DJ Plug” Ngoveni, says her love for music is deeply-rooted.

“At one point after we had just met, she was thinking of quitting school just to focus on music,” he says.

“I talked her into staying in school until she completed her degree last year, and I’m glad she did it.”