Born and raised in the rural parts of Eastern Cape, South Africa, ‘DJ Linc’ is a female dance/house music club DJ who acquired her skills when she followed her love for music and enrolled for DJ lessons back in n 2008 at the ‘Soul Candi Institute of Music’ under the mentorship of the legendary ‘Clive Bean’ and as the saying goes…‘the rest is history’. This week ‘On The SpotLight’ we shift our attention and focus on the road travelled thus far by ‘Dj Linc’ as we also find out what she has instore for us.
ShoMag: Thank you for taking some time out for this ‘one on one’. First and foremost, who is ‘Dj Linc’ is and where is she from?
DJ Linc: ‘DJ Linc’ is a female house music dj, an entrepreneur and a mother, very family orientated. Currently based in Johannesburg but originally from a small town of Mount Frere (now Umzimvubu) in Eastern Cape.
ShoMag: How did the deejay name ‘Dj Linc’ come about and what made you to go for it?
DJ Linc: The name Linc is actually derived from two names. My daughter’s first two letters (Li) and my name’s first two letters (Nc).
For me, ‘a DJ is the link between people and music’. Whether you’re a radio or a mobile disc jockey, people must here new music from you. But I didn’t want to be just the normal “LINK”, therefore, I combined these two names and that’s how ‘LINC’ came about.
ShoMag: How did you get to be part of the ‘music industry’ and how has your ‘musical journey’ been so far? Was it something you always wanted to do and are you from a musical family?
DJ Linc: I cannot say I got to be in the industry by accident, but house music came as a surprise to my family who thought that if I do get into the industry I would be a gospel singer.
I used to sing and/or derive some sort of melody from any bible verse. I used to go to musical festivities and concerts from a very young age ‘though I would get a hiding every time I go to events from my parents’. I’m from a very strict and religious family, with my father being a priest and I still go to church.
‘The journey so far has been very challenging and if I was doing this for fame, I sure would have stopped a long time ago’. It took my parents almost eight years to finally accept my career. I call it a career now because, it is what puts food on the table, what clothes me, my daughter and puts her to school.
ShoMag: Out of all music genres and sub genres. What was it about ‘house music’ which made want to be part of that ‘movement’ and what is ‘house music’ to you?
DJ Linc: To answer this question, I’ll have to take you back a bit. When I was growing up, my parents were jamming to the likes of ‘Soul Brothers, Miriam Makeba, Busi Mhlongo, Yvonne Chakachaka, Hugh Masekela’….and being brought up from a poor family, ‘the only thing that kept us happy together was love and music’. We would laugh as my parents would show us how they used to dance in their times, holding hands.
It grew into me that ‘music is love’. No matter how poor we were, we were still the happiest. Then as I grew older, I learnt about afro jazz and one of my first CD’s was ‘Don Laka, Earnie Smith, Jimmy Dludlu and Bhudaza’. Later on, I had the likes of ‘Salif Keita, Angelique Kidjo and Kadja Nin’. I was amazed by their accent and the way they lay vocals. I remember while doing my first year at varisty, I lied to my parents that there’s a school trip to Cape town and I went there for an ‘Oliver Mtukudzi’ concert with my friends. I was only 17 then.
Then coming to Jozi years later and was introduced to the clubbing scene. Even then, my favourites were the deep house tracks, sing-alongs and classics. I remember my friends laughing at me when I couldn’t dance to the likes of ‘Malaika, Mafikizolo’ etc but would jump the first minute when the DJ cued ‘Alex Kidd – Love we had’. I even had goose bumps the first time I heard the song.
Then, through the clubbing and meeting different djs, I would know an incoming song while the dj is still mixing, so a lot of djs thought I was a dj already. When a lot of them heard that I’m just a music lover, they motivated me to be a dj and that’s when I enrolled at ‘Soul Candi Institute of Music’, back in 2008.
ShoMag: The music industry can be a bit of a hard one for most musicians who are trying to establish themselves. For you, what has been your ‘ultimate low’ through your musical journey and are there any lessons learnt from such experience?
DJ Linc: I’ve heard my fair share of lows but my ultimate low was when I was mugged at gun point and almost got raped while on my way to a gig that wasn’t even gonna pay. I lost almost everything there. When I say everything, I mean even the little respect I had for the human species, all was gone. ‘I felt empty, with no purpose to live again’. But somehow, I managed to pick up what was left of me, dust myself up and continue. I pushed even harder.
That very same year, I collaborated with the talented ‘Oluhle Ncube’, released two singles of my own and got approached by the then SABC1 drama ‘Zone 14’, for a theme song, though the deal didn’t go through.
ShoMag: Also, there must have been some ‘epic moments’ throughout your music career. What would you list as your ‘career highlight’ thus far?
DJ Linc: Wow. When I was approached by the Gauteng Department of Arts and Culture to be part of the South African delegate to ‘Seychelles International Carnival’. As if that wasn’t enough, when I got there, I was the only female dj and the only dj using the original djing equipment ie CDJs, out of more than 50 djs who were men and using computer software.
ShoMag: Having played in a number of venues both nationally and across our borders, which venue stands out for you the most and why?
DJ Linc: Not to be sarcastic or anything, but I find that ‘I’m well received across the borders than I am in my own country’, especially in Botswana, which I now call my second home because I’m booked in Botswana almost every quarter of the year and it’s usually 3-4 gigs there.
Even though, there are a few venues that have either helped grow my brand or welcomed me as an underground yet treated me like a celeb here in Mzansi. To mention just a few, ‘TJ Lounge (Matatiele – EC), Georgis Lounge (Welkom – FS), Club 18 (Volkrust – KZN), Nhlanhla Shisanyama (Qwaqwa – FS), Zef Faktori Lounge (Frankfort – FS) and Neighbourhood Shisanyama (Richards Bay – KZN)’.
ShoMag: Looking back at your ‘musical journey’, what would you list as your ‘biggest breakthrough’ thus far?
DJ Linc: Being officially enlisted among South African International DJs. It really is an honour that comes with hard work.
ShoMag: You are part of the ‘Female Dj Network’. What is the ‘Female Dj Network’ about and what is your involvement within it?
DJ Linc: ‘Female DJ Network’ is an organisation formed in 2015 aimed at uniting women in the entertainment industry and mostly to address the challenges we face as female djs in this male dominated industry. My involvement came about when some of the initiators ‘Zeejay and Buhle’ announced for an all-female dj photo shoot at Ghandi Square in August 2015. We met up and I told the ladies my plans and what I had in mind. Since then, they took me in as the Creative and Event organiser for all FDN events.
ShoMag: What are your plans for this year, are there any musical projects we need to look forward to from ‘Dj Linc’?
DJ Linc: This year, I had planned to raise awareness about a very talented musician by the name of ‘Mthandazo Gatya’ and later on do a collaboration with him. I’m glad to mention than the first part is done ‘I think’, which now we are working on a project together for my next single that will be released later in the year.
ShoMag: Any last words from ‘Dj Linc’’ and what would your message be to your fans out there?
DJ Linc: Nothing really out of the ordinary hey. Linc is more than just a DJ and the hustle never stops. Thank you all for always supporting me and coming to my events. ‘I appreciate every support, motivation and encouragement from all of you’.
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