Sidney Baitsile
23 November 2007
Gaborone — DJ Skizo aka David Molosi is respected for his skill at naturally blending Afro styles with House music for funky results. His stab at house music always stands out brilliantly.
David Molosi aka Ski's latest CD, DJ Ski vs Big Dawg is reported to be selling briskly at local Game stores, Kgalagadi Music World and Musica. The album, which was launched recently at Phakalane's Fashion Lounge, marks the return of Africa's house guru to the world of deejaying. He also continues to set trends in the house music world. As put by Loas World Records, Dj Ski aka David Molosi, Afro Blue, David Skizo, Skizo, is a legendary producer/Dj on the modern African music fraternity. He is respected for his skill at naturally blending Afro styles with House music for funky results. His stab at house music always stands out brilliantly. High school was where Skizo started deejaying at parties, creating his own style. After high school, he went to Howard University in the United States of America (US), where he came into contact with new sounds, people and atmosphere that influenced him in new and different ways.
Puff Daddy attended the same school where he (Skizo) also came in contact with house music at the legendary Roxy night club. It is also here that he first delved into production with his college mates and released an album called Stylz From the Mecca. The seeds of production were sown in Ski from then onwards. It was during the late 80s when Ski stepped off a plane at Sir Seretse Khama Airport in possession of a precious cargo that would change Southern Africa forever. Skizo was carrying a bag full of vinyl that was going to uplift masses and feed the needy. Most folks were then listening to all sorts of South African bubblegum music, UK pop or on the fringes B-boys were listening to Hip-hop in its earliest forms.
Everybody realised something new had arrived, for every time the needle dropped on the wax, the party would ignite with DJ Ski at the wheels of steel.
It is fair to credit Ski with being one of the visionaries to bring house music to Southern Africa. All the young cats need to know this because this man has never been credited with having revolutionised the Southern African scene by bringing house music into the mix. That music was the root of basically popular dance music.
Dj Ski has played toe-to-toe with the current house giants, Oskido, Christos, Fresh, DaVinci, and club legends from Botswana, Cosmo, Dolfus, Eddie Ed and Kinetic P from as early as 1993. He also hosted one of radio's house mix shows in Southern Africa at RB2 in the early 90s.
To further illustrate the level of experience in this field, the incumbent is one of the leading and most sought after music producers in the region with an extensive list of productions and collaborations with artists such as Mdu, Thebe, Bongo Maffin, Tkzee, Sbu, BOP, Trompies, Tribal Monks, Brown Sugar, T.H.A.B.O, Lister Boleseng, Machesa, Lesh, DJ Fistaz, Alaska, Street Gang, Puna, to name a few. Over the years, Ski has been commissioned to do production work for Sony Music, Columbia, Universal, EMI and Kalawa Jazmee Records.
DJ Ski remixed the legendary Keith Thompson's Africa in yo veins under the pseudonym Afro Blue and has some of his releases on compilation in the German and US markets.
The DJ bug never died and this year, DJ Ski collaborates with DJ Fresh for an epic release of a real and unapologetic house album. Ski's house is house in its FRESH original form
To many, Big Dawg is aka Thato Sikwane aka DJ Fresh. The name Big Dawg was bestowed upon Fresh by a YFM listener of his nine years ago and it has refused to go away since then. Big dawg has over 15 house albums under his belt. Big Dawg has shared the DJ booth with a number of internationals including Little Louie Vega, Frankie Knuckles, Armand Van Helden, Jazzy Jeff, Hoxton Whores, Terry Hunter and Dominic Spreadlove and played in Southport in 2000 and at the legendary Paxha in Ibiza in 2001, 2005 & 2007.
Earlier in 2002, Fresh was among a team of South African DJs who performed at the Masters At Work party at the Miami Winter Music Conference.
Big Dawg's first ever taste of music production netted him a hit in the track Commi Si Comm Sa, which appeared on Mzanzi House, and was also picked up by UK label Slip & Slide for international release. Although never too eager to delve into production, Big Dawg's few forays into this domain has netted various hits, amongst these: Stay Real & Amazing, both featuring his wife Thabiso; Afro Samba featuring Gugu Shezi; which was picked up by Captain Morgan Spiced Gold as their 2005 festive season theme; and the poetic Goddess featuring Kutlo. Having threatened to work together for over 5 years now, DJ Ski vs Big Dawg has been a long time coming.
Almost two months prior to release, and already Why Do You Come Here, a thumping interpretation of the Joan Armatrading hit was blazing the airwaves from Metro FM, to YFM, to Ukhozi and Durban Youth Radio. It reached number 1 on the UniVen FM local Top 40 on the last Friday of September. "I'll be there" featuring Thabiso Sikwane, is a groovy track with haunting strings and melody and already receiving licence requests from abroad. In the words of DJ Sammy Rock from Cyber Jamz Radio in Miami, I'll be there is a hot deep track. I really like this track. If deep is what you need, then Thabiso on I'll be there is it. Baltimore producer and Dj pope on the other hand had this to say, "Fresh, this track's HOTTT, you definitely have my full support on this". Sister T sounds great on that hot tune, nice one", said DJ Cleo.
Keep The Fires Burning" features Lulu9Zonke's sister, who happens to be blazing the airwaves right now) and is as Disco and Classic as they come. Dwayne Taylor, head of A&R at Paradax Records in L.A., had this to say about this disco monster, "A great resurrection of a disco classic!". This track already has 3 licence requests from abroad.
Beautiful Sounds features both Zonke and Lulu and is guaranteed soulful dance floor filler, what with Bruce Sebitlo from Kalawa, co-producing the track. DJ Ski vs Big Dawg is a true labour of love from these two house icons, and the 13 tracks on this album will bare true testimony to this.
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