02/08/2025
Part 8: Room 101, Sun FM & the Color Festivals
Look, Room 101 didn’t pop off overnight. Ii started it up with DJ Meek and the Legendary DJ Pelvis… Our first weekend looked like a restraining order from boredom—patrons just peering at each other, reluctant to make contact with the dance floor. But we weren’t in a rush. We’d built a killer playlist, one that would do the sorting for us—only the curious, the daring, the dance-floor explorers would survive it.
Slowly—but with precision—the place began to fill. Then came the crème de la crème: corporate execs who don’t normally set foot in clubs, but made ours feel like home. Why? Because while every other DJ regurgitates the same tired Top 40 hits their prospective dancers already have on their phones as ringtones, we dared to go deeper. You want ordinary? Turn up your flash drive. But we wanted elevated. Unexpected. Music that—somewhere between each drop—made you think: “Whoa, where did this come from?”
Most DJs are terrified of an empty floor, so they lather it up with chart-toppers and rinse repeats. But our philosophy? “Sell the alcohol” not from behind the bar—but behind the decks—via a score that takes the listener on a proper journey. Start sweet, build the tension, blow the roof off, and leave ’em buzzing until 4 a.m. (5 a.m. if we’re really cooking). Then if they want to come again Saturday, we’ll do it all over again—different tracklist, no repeats, no excuses.
Requests? Sure. But only if they play into that flow. Folks would stroll up mid‑set and demand the hottest tune—ignoring the mood, the buildup, the art of it all. Some even swore “everyone wants to dance to it”—as if they ran a survey and collectively responded. I’m cool with a cheeky request, but I’m not here to mix your favorite ringtone. If you insist on dessert before the main course, don’t expect to survive through the five‑course musical meal. I stick to my guns—and I build my own tribe that way.
Theo trusted us. Absolute autonomy over music. No boss telling us what to play—just pure DJ integrity. That trust? That’s why Room 101 worked.
On the Air: Sun FM’s “Party Anthems”
Every Friday and Saturday, 21:00–midnight, I turned Sun FM into a mobile club—no sweaty bodies required. I’d unleash the hottest tracks from around the globe, remix style—brand-new blends, exclusive edits, and stuff Shazam couldn’t even recognize fast enough.
Listeners called in numbers greater than any other show—because what we aired was something totally different.
Then, like a committed athlete, I’d literally jump off-air at midnight to take it to the club and keep the vibe going—and come back in on Sundays for a taste of the past with “Old Skool Encore.” A reservoir of golden oldies many DJs ignore—and each one’s a hit when you do it right.
The Color Festivals
My first Color Festival bleed into the calendar on August 1, 2016—my debut as a festival DJ in the Copperbelt. That first festival I was just there. The next two I got pulled in to help organize. By the 2018 edition we snagged Mi Casa from South Africa—game-changer territory. Then COVID hit and paused everything, but not me. The studio became my dojo. I sharpened remix skills, productions, scratch techniques, genre-bending sonics, tone‑play, wordplay—whatever it took to keep evolving.
DJing isn’t about settling. It’s about not standing still—ever. Look, if all I did was repeat what the last DJ did, who would hire me? My motto’s simple:
Why hire me if I’m just delivering your flash-drive playlist?
So yeah: Room 101, Sun FM, the Color Festivals—three acts, one through line. A rule I’ve lived by: Never play it safe. Play it right. Because safe isn’t memorable, it’s invisible.
To all the self‑styled request-makers: come to my set with your dessert—I’ll still serve you the five-course meal. Just hope you’ve got the stamina to dance through it.
To the execs and odd‑ball club‑shy souls who joined us anyway: you saw there was something different happening—and you came back for more. That’s the real magic.
I don’t just mix music. I mix moments. And if you leave the club thinking, “That was worth every drop of sweat and judgment,” then I’ve done my job.
And to anyone still playing your Flash‑drive playlist behind the decks: bless your heart. Keep at it. We’ll see you in the crowd—next time, trying to keep up.
And here are my parting shots…
What Happens When a DJ Walks into the Room (Or What Should Happen)
You don’t just press play—you design an entire night. The DJs that get re-booked or recommended again and again aren’t obvious. They’re intelligent. They read the room, build momentum, and shape moments.
Here’s a few remarks I have heard passed on not just about me but other djs as welll:
“They can read the room before the first track drops.” It’s more than technical finesse—it’s timing and flow. Smart DJs cue transitions that keep people leaning in, not checking their watches. That kind of subtle energy control turns “nice night” into “legendary night” —and that gets noticed .
“It wasn’t a playlist—I felt like they crafted a journey.” It’s one thing to play the hits; it’s another to weave them into connection. Great DJs bend genres, moods, and expectations so that each moment feels intentional, not thrown together. That versatility—and the courage to go beyond predictable beats—keeps floors full and rumors alive .
“Everyone left with a buzz—not just a hangover.” It’s why requests at strange moments are handled with care, energy builds are real—not jump cuts—and late-night feels earned, not forced. That kind of craftsmanship—and that floor still dancing at 4 a.m.? Promoters love that return on investment .
“They came with more than just tunes—everything else was seamless.” Pro-level DJs don’t just show up with music. They come equipped with reliable sound, backup plans, and respectful logistics. Their on-site professionalism is as important as their on-air polish
Why This Matters… (Silently)
Every successful event planner, club owner knows the DJ isn’t just background music. The right DJ becomes the thread that pulls the entire experience together—from lighting and timing, to mood and memory. When a go-getter shows up and delivers that quiet synergy, you don’t need to ask for them again—they often get invited back before you book a replacement.
In short: DJs who think beyond the headphones (care about concept, audience, prep, and polish) are the ones who outlast trends—not just fill dance floors.
Part 9 already being crafted… Meet you there…
