Late nights, early mornings, lots of hard work and a few knocks along the way resulted in a self-taught Port Elizabeth DJ scooping a prestigious national award and a chance to travel to Miami to showcase his talent.
Growing up in the northern areas, Reeza Human, aka DJ Reeza, 25, was always surrounded by music – either through family get-togethers or listening to his father, Clifford, playing music on a Sunday.
“I have always had a love for music.
“Once I started mixing two songs together I was basically hooked and just wanted to do more,” Human said from his West End home.
Eight years of hard work and perseverance finally paid off for the DJ, who battled it out against tough competition at the Viceroy Mayoka Mix DJ 2018 Championships held at Dockside in the Port Elizabeth harbour on November 24.
The search for SA’s top DJ began in March 2018 and saw 36 heats, with preliminary events hosted in five major regions in the country.
Five finalists from KwaZuluNatal, West and East Rand, Western Cape and Port Elizabeth fought for the title in front of judges, music lovers and local celebrities.
The judging panel included DJ Naked, Oskido and DJ Ganyani all overseen by SA’s own godfather of house, DJ Christos.
Human said it was an honour for him to be associated with a brand like Viceroy and that the title had opened many doors for him.
“As a DJ in Port Elizabeth there aren’t many opportunities for growth compared to the rest of the country.
“This title, with lots of hard work, could be the break a small-town DJ like myself has been waiting for.
“This platform now means that I get to travel more, and more people are able to enjoy what I do as much as I do.
“Having been judged by the biggest names in the South African music industry and them feeling that I am worthy of this title has truly humbled me,” Human said.
As part of his total prize valued at R120,000, Human will jet off to the Miami Music Conference in March 2019.
The week-long conference has been held since 1985 and sees all the big names in the music industry come together, including scouts and record labels.
“This has to be the most exciting of all. It will be my first international trip and hopefully not my last,” Human said.
As an all-round DJ who can easily feel comfortable in various genres, Human said that after starting off as a singlegenre DJ he had had to teach himself to be more versatile.
“Don’t ever limit your capabilities,” he said.
“Remember, your crowd’s reaction will show you how your set is going.
“You should always be able to accommodate your crowd no matter the age group.
“Once you have the ability to play all genres, your creativity levels are endless,” Human said.
An animal lover of note and owner of two pitbulls, Human said the only thing that really got to him was animal abuse and people who spoke badly about pitbulls.
“I don’t think I ever let anything other than that bother me,” he said.
“I do however absolutely hate being woken up so I think everyone who knows me well enough will say that’s about it.”