Negative comments and incessant discouragement can dishearten many people and make them give up on a dream, but not Sonia Kayitesi. As one of Rwanda’s very few disc jockeys, she was tempted to throw in the towel, but she didn’t. Looking back on how she infiltrated the male-dominated industry, Kayitesi, commonly known as DJ Sonia, vividly remembers how everything played out for her. As a child, she didn’t think or dream of being a DJ one day, and back then, the idea of being a professional DJ, especially a girl, was ludicrous. But being around DJs somehow intrigued her, and she decided to give it a shot albeit for fun. She recalls DJ Lenzo, her brother’s friend, showing her the basics of the job, she enjoyed mixing music, mostly playing a song and bringing in another concurrently. How exciting, she thought! After about three weeks of practice, Kayitesi was among the many DJs that played at a Kimironko-based nightclub’s ‘silent disco’ in 2019. She notes that it was her first major gig and she couldn’t hold her anxiety. Seeing seasoned DJs almost gave her a panic attack, and she wondered what an amateur like herself was doing there. She felt she was in the wrong place and wanted to disappear into thin air. “The people seemed quite happy, having lots of fun, but at a certain point, I got confused, it was the first time I even used professional software. I must say, although I was sacred, it was an amazing experience. I drowned in mixed feelings,” she says. After about 30 minutes of mixing songs, Kayitesi says that her friends gave her positive feedback about her performance, and on that same night after the show, she got another gig as a house DJ at the same club. That was the moment she started her career as a DJ. However, she lived with her elder sister who was strict, and didn’t know how to break the news of her new night job to her because she was expected to be home early. Even when given permission to meet friends, they had to be female, she says. Kayitesi explains that sometimes she told lies just to go do her job. “I lied to her that I was meeting up with friends, but she was perturbed as to why I met them very late in the night. I had to give excuses often. Sometimes I could even sneak out of the house when she was asleep. I had to chase my hustle.” The 23-year-old notes it wasn’t rosy, particularly in the beginning. Playing as the house DJ for the first time, she was disappointed by the mood of the audience. “It was one of the worst moments of my life. I literally saw people’s morale sink the moment they set their eyes on me. They didn’t know me, and weren’t ready to even trust that I would do a great job. Some people even sat down—they were bored. That’s the time I thought maybe it wasn’t something for me. I wanted to quit,” she says. Kayitesi explains that having a good support system is very important because if it wasn’t for her friends’ motivation, she could have called it quits as the harsh comments from the public echoed in her ears. She points out that in Rwanda, when you’re upcoming, it may be hard to get support, which is why some talented youngsters have given up on their dreams. Kayitesi says that people forget that even the experts they fancy had a starting point, and if they didn’t get people to hold their hands, probably, they wouldn’t be famous today. She adds that some known female DJ was overheard saying that she (Kayitesi) would never make it because she looked naïve. But she toiled to prove her wrong. One of her friends told her to try at least five more times before giving up. Kayitesi notes that she approached her brother, who is also a professional DJ, and expressed her fears, but he heartened her to learn more about the job, which she did and has since become better. She gives credit to DJ Lenzo, DJ Olis, DJ Phil Peter, and DJ Anita Pendo, among others, as they all played a role in her success. Three months after the awkward club incident, she gained her confidence to play again. When Covid-19 hit in 2020, her budding career took a hit. However, she was invited to KC2 TV to participate in DJ battles. That was her first time to play music live on TV. This introduced her to a wider audience and paved way for other opportunities such as working for Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), among others. The DJ was also invited to do what she does best on Kenyan Citizen TV during night shows. For her, this is a very profitable job as she can have as many gigs as possible and has raised her standards, that way, she is able to play in cooperate places and earn more money. Kayitesi has also taken her skills beyond Rwanda to Kenya, Dubai, and Congo. She has a new project cooking that she prefers to unveil at the right time. Her dream is to be known internationally. The disc jockey is disturbed by people who perceive female DJs as sex workers. She believes that all DJs deserve respect as that’s the job that puts food on their tables. She also says that there are only two DJ schools in Rwanda and are pretty expensive, especially for vulnerable locals who may want to pursue a DJ career. Right now, the sister she feared to tell about her job is her number one fan. She (the sister) wondered how, when, and where Kayitesi had gained the skills. But she gave her approval. Kayitesi’s sister even styles her for various gigs. She anticipates starting a deejay academy to give more Rwandans a chance to gain skills in the domain. She hopes to see at least one of her future children follow in her footsteps.
