Dr Sid’s personal disc jockey, DJ Big N, born Nonso Temisan Ajufo, has a BSc in Psychology from UNILAG and an MBA from Coventry University UK. The turntable magician has been rocking the decks for a while. He was also the official DJ for the Miss Nigeria Pageant last year and The Miss Elite Nigeria Pageant as well as the official DJ for the MTN Corporate Elite 2013, which featured veteran artists such as Billy Ocean, Maxi Priest, Kool and the Gang, Tevin Campbell, Sisqo. The official DJ for the Nigerian Centenary Celebrations in Abuja who recently released his official ‘Mavin mixtape’ tells Adetutu Audu he is a divergent from the norm.
IT seems DJ is the in-thing now. Everybody wants to be one. What sets you apart?
For me, I am more like a doctor. It is like being a mechanic; you don’t just wake up one day to repair car. I put in a lot of hard work when people are sleeping. I wake up in the middle of the night, I am in my studio jamming. And because of the evolution in technology, you keep learning new things everyday and that has made things easier. People think DJ is just mixing two songs together. I think I go beyond that; it involves a lot of energy and calculations. You can mix two songs and people may not like it; it is going be a flop. Dj-ing is not just about mixing or cross fading songs, it goes way beyond that. Dj-ing is about calculation, transition, focus, energy, and most especially…your crowd. If you have got that on point, you probably don’t have a problem. It started when I was in London. I just decided to come back home and pursue my dream. I also love the fact that you can go to the club and get drinks without paying.
Which among your events will you rate as the best?
I was the DJ at Nigeria’s Centenary Celebrations in Abuja. I dished out the oldies. You see a lot of high profile people dancing. I played Rex Lawson, Eddy Okonta, Fatai Rolling Dollar. I was at Dangote’s 56th birthday too. I did classic Nigerian music for four hours at Dr. Sid’s wedding. If you are a DJ and you don’t surf the internet, you are not there yet. I take my job serious. I was also the official DJ for the Miss Nigeria Pageant last year and The Miss Elite Nigeria Pageant as well. The official DJ for the MTN Corporate Elite 2013, which featured veteran artists such as Billy Ocean, Maxi Priest, Kool and the Gang, Tevin Campbell, Sisqo. I was the official DJ for 2face Idibia’s traditional marriage in Akwa Ibom and also shared the stage with DJ Jimmy Jatt at his white wedding in Dubai.
Since your job involves mixing songs, how would you compare the old musicians and the new crop of musicians?
I see a revolution in Nigeria very soon where only content will sell because those without content won’t go far. In Angola now, you cannot sing a song that is not meaningful and sell. Now, all we hear is about booze and boobs. People who are in music for the wrong reasons will not go far. The one that sings for lyrics and content will be sorted out. DJ to me is a calling. It is bridging a gap and providing solutions to problems. I think outside the box. If I am at a gig where about 10 people are dancing and one person is sitting down gloomy, if I can get that one person to dance, I am good. Nigeria is at a stage where there are ways out for the youths. My own is that they should go to school. Not everybody wants to be a 419 or drug peddler or armed robber. Everybody in my family is educated; I have an MBA. My father is liberal, as a matter of fact, he bought my first equipment for me.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I love R&B and Reggae. I get my inspiration from meaningful songs. I got my gig with Dr. Sid’s Surulere song with a1989 song. And he was like, ‘guy, wow.’ He was surprised that I could achieve a great blend. You need to have a competitive advantage. I have a mobile karaoke I take around; once I listen and amplify it, I am good.
Despite all the sweet stories, what have been your challenges?
Stereotype. There is a stigma that people put on who doesn’t follow the norm. I am a divergent. I don’t believe in one straight answer to issues. I explore; it could be left, right or centre or it can be circle. I am supposed to be at a vendors’ meeting and someone called me and said ‘DJ, hurry up’ and I said excuse me. By the time I arrived at the venue with my Jeep and I introduced myself as the DJ, the lady was blushing and was trying to apologise. So you don’t look down on people. D-jing keeps your child off the street and off drugs. It is a way out from social vices. My dad once told me to be the best in whatever you do. Dress the way you want to be addressed. I no longer experience that, anyway. I position myself with big brands and big brand has conduct, they won’t talk to me anyhow. If I have a show abroad, they pay for the flight; but in Nigeria, they oppress one to amplify themselves.
Who influenced you early in life? The good, bad and the ugly.
Well, we had some bad older cousins when we were growing up. I started drinking at 16. I did it and let it go. You don’t do them again when you are a man. My dad too was a great influence. If my dad has one naira, he is ready to spend 99k on his children. He understands the principle of dialogue. My mom as well; my family as a whole. I come from a family where you will at one point or the other come in contact with music. My father lived in London for a long time. He is open to ideas. He just told me to make sure I finish from school, so that if all fails, I will have something to fall back on. I have a twin sister that works with an oil company. She is doing well for herself. To be honest with you, that is her life. I have chosen my own life.
You are in a business where ladies swim around you. How do you deal with them?
As I said, I had done all the bad things when I was young. It does not freak me. They are distractions because I know where I am going. Ladies want you for different reasons. Some because you are a DJ, or because they want free tickets to all the shows. It has ripple effect. Someone called me gay because I turned her down. A lot of girls come to me, some of them say they do music and along the line, I find out that they have never been to the studio.
