Her love for music has always been evident, the first thing that came out of her mouth must have sounded like an attempted beat box, the beginning of an amazing journey. Born with music flowing through her veins, her path was set before she even knew how to walk it.
Twenty somethin DJ Naida is a Harare based music phenom, multi talented with skills in djing, production, songwriting, dance and presenting. Her reputation has grown from strength to strength mainly based on her own steely determination to succeed and her tremendous talent.
“I’m doing this for everyone who has ever dared to dream.”
In primary she was represented her school in the marimba team, played the piano for school assemblies and was singing in the school choir. She continued with this in high school leading to a life changing discovery hip hop music and the poetic skill of rapping.
At 14 a studio was set up close to her home and her love for music lead her there. It was at that studio that she recorded her first song with her sister and a high school friend. By the time she was 18 she had recorded a few tracks and began venturing into Music Production producing a few tracks for artists who frequented the studio she was working with at the time.
in 2006 Dj NAida as she had become known headed to South Africa to pursue her studies attending the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University where she developed an interest in Djing. In 2008 A friend introduced her to local DJ Silo a club DJ in Port Elizabeth. Silo became her mentor her teaching her the basics of the art of DJing. With her background in production, it was relatively easy for her to grasp the fundamentals.
“ I refuse to give up on her dream even though my love for music has been tainted by industry egos, hustlers, fake promoters, opportunists and thieves”"
In 2008 she completed her degree and returned to Zimbabwe but returned to SA in 2009 to work as a Financial Planner for Standard Bank and promptly started DJing around in PE quickly developing a solid reputation around the city as one of the few female DJs in the city.
She returned to Zimbabwe late 2009 and found her way to Stars Night club where she played for a bit alongside D&L. In 2010 she took part in the “Clint, Al & Rax DJ Battle” as the only female participant and won further enhancing her reputation.
Dj Naida is currently working on a Mixtape entitled H.O.M.E (Heart Of ME) which is a CD comprising original compositions featuring some of Zimbabwe’s’ most talented artists! The Mixtape, which has a HipHop, Dancehall, Soul and House feel scheduled to be launched on the 25th of November at Alliance Francais in Harare.
“Being a female in a male dominated industry has its disadvantages. It has taken her a long time to be accepted as a DJ and a talented DJ at that. Most people write you off before anything is said or done” she says “but I refuse to give up on her dream even though my love for music has been tainted by industry egos, hustlers, fake promoters, opportunists and thieves” she poignantly goes on “I’m doing this for everyone who has ever dared to dream. The impossible is possible…”
Dj Naida is now known as Zimbabwe’s No.1 Female DJ and continues to blaze dance floors and radios nationwideand remains determined to change the face of Zimbabwean entertainment, one day at a time.
