DJ Doowap knows all about the paucity of appreciation here at home, despite being given star-treatment when performing outside the country. “The hospitality was amazing. They made me feel like royalty, they had visuals inside the club with my name all over,” DJ Doowap tells The Citizen about how she was treated on a recent outing.
The multitalented artist whose real name is Khetsiwe Morgan just returned to South Africa after headlining dance music festival Zoo in Jakarta, Indonesia over the weekend. She arrived in the Asian country on Thursday and her gig was on Friday but she had to get on a flight back home on Saturday because she needs to prepare for another gig this weekend. “I couldn’t stay long there because I have to prepare for my trip to Germany this weekend,” the colourful artist says.
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Not feeling love from home
This is Doowap’s tenth year as a DJ and she was one of the first DJs to include choreography in her DJ sets that get the audience involved. Despite being a forward-thinking artist who is appreciated by the international community, she doesn’t feel the same warmth from her fellow South Africans. “Ja, a lot of people don’t get me. Every woman dancer is now DJing. I’m grateful that people are biting [copying] my style,” concedes the artist.
“I hear people congratulating me about my growth but these are the same people who don’t book me for gigs,” says Doowap.
She has performed on the Afropunk Brooklyn stage and the one here in Joburg and she was included to the line-up last year when US based record label and online radio Soulection hosted their biggest concert in New York. “My career blew up last year. I had about 17 international shows,” says Doowap.
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Creating opportunity
She says her set at the festival in Indonesia was made up of Amapiano, Afrobeats and some of her own songs. Whenever Doowap performs in another country, she always makes sure to use at least two dancers from that Republic. “I always try and hire two dancers from that country. I found two dancers from Jakarta. We sent them Amapiano choreography before the show and they got it,” says Doowap.
Her upcoming gig in Germany this weekend is in Frankfurt, at Pine & Ginger festival-the festival is Afrobeat and Amapiano themed. “I’m telling you they are maximizing on Amapiano and Afrobeat out there.”
Marriage
She recently got married to the love of her love of seven years but she’s not ready to mother kids just yet. “People are asking when am I having a baby and I tell them ‘not anytime soon…’” says Doowap bursting into laughter.
She’s planning on releasing her much anticipated album this year after having released single in the last few years. “My album is basically ready. It’s a mix of Kwaito, Amapiano and Bacardi.”
Some of her upcoming shows include a gig in Dubai and another in the Netherlands at Mysteryland, which is one of the longest running music festivals in the world.
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