Sound sense

The scenario is quite different now. Indian DJs like Midival Punditz and Jalebee Cartel who play their own brand of music,regularly perform abroad,while also maintaining a steady stream of followers in India. Clubs such as the Blue Frog in Mumbai,Hard Rock Café in Mumbai,Pune,Delhi and Bangalore and Elevate and Shalom in Delhi,and festivals such as tonight’s Smirnoff Experience and the annual Sunburn Festival play host to these talents and give them the freedom to be themselves,rather than regurgitating ‘top of the pop’ hits.

The stage,in short,is set for official recognition of DJs as more than just ‘human juke boxes’,feels Vishal Shetty,DJ and founder of the erstwhile Mumbai club Fire N Ice. That’s why he teamed up with friend,and multimedia entrepreneur,Eddie Cruzet,to create the website MyFavDJ.in. Followers can vote there to find the best DJs in the country. Shetty says,“We hope this will bring together all such talent in the country in one directory and will be a good platform for emerging and lesser known artistes.”

Shetty feels that the fact that this is only the first such award or recognition in the country for DJs shows that until quite recently,DJs were not taken too seriously as artistes. Like Chinappa,he too says,“People thought DJs would play whatever was requested of them. Even clubs hired them only because they would play Bollywood or commercial music and thus bring in the crowds. It’s only now that these venues have begun encouraging DJs to produce and play their own music.”

This change in the DJ’s status came when people realised that their job is a lot more complicated than assumed. Neysa Mendes,an artiste manager and active follower of the electronica and house scene,explains,“DJs spend a lot of time creating their own music and also tracking new artists and songs from all around the world. There’s a lot of work and skill involved in this.” Arjun Vagale of Jalebee Cartel agrees. “When the scene was new,people just wanted to listen to what they were familiar with,so DJs didn’t have a choice but to play whatever was requested. But over the past few years,more and more people have been travelling abroad where they hear all kinds of new music. People have realised that DJs are uniquely positioned to introduce them to new sounds,” he says.

Gaurav Raina of the Midival Punditz adds that a DJ’s job is further complicated by the need to correctly assess a crowd’s mood and play accordingly. He adds,“I think that people are giving DJs more importance these days,because not only can they put their finger directly on the pulse of the crowd,but are instrumental in creating the mood and taking the party to new levels.” A good DJ,in short,is not just someone who can spin vinyl. Vagale says,“Technically,of course,it’s fairly easy to get the basics of DJ-ing. But you have to be an astute observer of crowd mood.” All said and done,though,there is still some way to go. The DJ awards,though a well-meant effort,is still more or less an online poll with no sponsor backing. “We just want to set the ball rolling and ensure that DJs get their due recognition and that the underdogs don’t suffer because everyone only wants celebrity DJs,” says Cruzet,“Maybe in the next couple of years,when the idea has really taken off,we’ll be able to do this on a bigger scale.”

Spin doctors
Midival Punditz:Among the earliest Indian DJs to win wide acclaim
Jalebee Cartel:Vibrant live performers,with an international following
Akbar Sami:Bollywood is part of his repertoire
Megha Kawale :Arguably,the most popular female DJ in the country
Nikhil Chinappa:The VJ is also one of the most in-demand DJs