23 May 2022

President's Day music competition is an opportunity for budding artists to  showcase their talent and market themselves.

Giving a keynote address during the Southern region competition for Disk Jockeys (DJs) in Lobatse on Saturday Lobatse mayor, Mr Essop Pandor encouraged artists to participate in the competition.

“You should treat music as a business and use it to employ yourselves and make income, especially at this time when there is shortage of jobs,” said the mayor.

DJ Jika from Lobatse  won the Southern region competition, which had attracted around 35 DJs. The region comprises all areas in the Kweneng, Kgatleng, South East and Southern districts.

After a marathon contest which lasted more than seven hours, DJ Jika, real name Obakeng Ditlhobolo, from Lobatse was adjudged to be the winner with an overall score of 92 per cent.

DJ Jika said it was a dream to have won the Southern region competition and qualified for the President's Day Contemporary Music finals which would be held in Francistown.

“My hard work and dedication has made this achievement possible. I loved music even before I became a DJ. I prepared my set well day and night and my introduction was very different from other contestants. I am very impressed with what I have done,” said DJ Jika. 

He said he was confident of winning even though the competition was tough. He said he had worked hard to improve his craft since he started being DJ seven years ago and would go to the finals confident of doing well.

“What I want is to make Lobatse proud. As you know that Lobatse is regarded as a ghost town, we need to turn things around and make the place big again,” said DJ Jika.

Onkemetse Kgatiso from Tlokweng got position two with a 91 per cent score, while Kopano Gasenna, aka DJ Scorpion from Kanye got third position with a score of 90 per cent.

Judges pointed that they considered things like mixing, stage performance, engagement, introduction and usage of sets to grade contestants.

Principal Programmes Officer in the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Gender and Culture, Mr Alfred Ditsele said the competition was a platform to unearth and develop the contemporary music talent in this country. ends