DJ Matts (R) chilling with Nicholas. Photo by Isaac Ssejjombwe
Focus: He started playing music 20 years ago, and among the things he is thankful for is paying his school fees. Bay Lounge’s DJ Matts shared his story with his fan Nicholas Sabuni.
What is your real name and why DJ Matts?
My real name is Mathew Wabera. Matts is a name I just concocted to shorten Mathew.
How would you describe your kind of job?
I’m both a radio and club DJ.
How long have you been deejaying?
I started when I was in A-Level. About 20 years ago.
So how old are you?
I’m 33 years old.
Does that mean you never completed your studies?
I did and it was because of deejaying. When I was at Jinja SS, I used to help a friend who owned a mobile disco called Regends and my wage Shs150,000 was what I used to pay my school fees. He would pay me Shs1,000 allowances. I worked for him until I finished school. When I came to Kampala, I started working for a mobile disco called Londmix.
Which places have you deejayed at?
From Londmix, I went to Mbarara and joined Vision Empire before becoming a DJ at Vision Voice. In 2012 when I returned to Kampala, I joined Broklyn bar. It was from there that I came to Bay Lounge. I also worked at many other clubs around the country.
Which DJs inspired you?
Alex Ndawula. I grew up wanting to be like him.
Who are your best artistes?
Navio and The Mith and in Africa I like Wiz Kid, Timaya and P Square. Then Chris Brown is my best worldwide.
What is your best music?
I love hip hop and Rn’B. This kind of music helps me relax and have a peace of mind.
What music moves the crowd in your view?
I’m a versatile DJ and whenever I play A Pass or Goodlyf music, the crowd goes wild. So I guess dancehall and afro beat works more for the crowd.
Are you married?
I’m not yet married but I have two children. One of them is in Senior Two and the other is four years old.
What do you do besides deejaying?
I did a course in electrical engineering, so once in a while I help fix things.
What are your hobbies?
I play football, listen to music and watch movies.
How do you find Ugandan music?
I rate it highly because it has developed overtime. These days, we play 60 per cent of Ugandan music unlike before when it was all about Nigeria and international music.
What challenges have you faced so far as a DJ?
DJs are regarded as failures, thugs who failed to make it in life and resorted to nightlife yet some DJs earn three times more than someone who works in a bank. The other challenge is that our equipment is so expensive.
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