01 Apr 2020

 All is not lost in the entertainment industry as local artistes are coming up with ways to retain their audience amidst the coronavirus outbreak. 

Like the saying tough times call for tough measures, government’s recent decision to adjust numbers of people at social gatherings and 30 days shutdown saw talented and innovative popular DJ Chrispin The Drummer together with his DJ friends, Hapex Guru, DJ Teaz and Isaac Molefinyane coming together to bring the party home and beyond as people were advised to stay home. 

The DJs with the support of companies such as Matchmakers Properties, Chrispizzy Laboratories and Maitiro Investments presented the Quarantine Live Sessions across all social media platforms. 

The live stream session kick-starts every Thursday evening with the cream of local DJs, both popular and upcoming.

Given the confinement that everyone has to adhere to coronavirus preventive measures, the show is a must watch with a following of over 69 000 viewers with over 22 000 engagements in just one week.  

The live stream features all music genres like House, Old School, Hip Hop and R&B among others for everyone’s entertainment. 

DJ Chrispin The Drummer said as the frontiers of entertainment, their role was educating and spreading messages with regard to COVID-19, adding that it was one medium that they could utilise to assist government in the fight. 

In one of the sets, Casper the DJ and Deelow are seen sending out and encouraging revellers to take precautionary measures, even demonstrating on the use of sanitizer before they crank up the tunes.DJ Chrispin indicated that despite few challenges such as being criticised by some members of the public, people loved the live stream as they commented with dancing and applauding emojis. 

“Despite the criticism when we launched the concept, we are not fazed,” stated Chrispin, adding that they also encountered a challenge with the bandwidth in order to produce good quality  sound, which he said was a priority for a good DJ set up gig.

Through the live stream, people who have been anxious and starting to feel depressed because they cannot go out and feeling sad can now have their spirits uplifted with live music.

 It is also a good idea to put aside the worries of the world for a while and let music recharge the mind as everyone dances along to the vibrant beats. 

The DJs use the home Internet and spare bedroom for the DJ setup. However, DJ Chrispin said with the lockdown continuing they would need a bigger space and resources to reach everyone. 

He said they would be engaging with relevant authorities on how they could be assisted as artists whilst they was a shutdown. 

DJ Chrispin also appealed to government to help the entertainment industry and come up with a coronavirus stimulus package and cushion the artists’ already distressed economic livelihoods.  ends