Girls On Deck: Meet the DJs Re-Shaping Johannesburg Nightlife

Deniece Marz photographed by Ofentse Serobatse (@photofentse)

“These intersections of identity and tradition are at the heart of what it means to be 20-something in Joburg right now.”

uMagezangobisi means ‘the one who bathes in milk’ but also ‘the one who bathes in p*ssy juice’. It’s the DJ name that 23-year-old Linda Yeni chose for herself as a nod to both her Zulu and her queer cultures. These intersections of identity and tradition are at the heart of what it means to be 20-something in Joburg right now. The city is urban Africa exemplified. Pockets of wealth run as deep as pockets of poverty in the neighbourhoods of the inner city. In between these two extremes lies a bastion of African diversity and culture. Johannesburg has long been the cultural and economic centre of South Africa, with the hustling creatives of the country coming to this city looking to make it big. In recent years, the jazz, kwaito and house scenes that defined both the aesthetic and sound of urban Black South Africa have been diversified by both increasing immigration and by the mosaic of identities inhabiting the space. Nowhere is this new South African reality more evident than in Joburg. In the centre of the city lies the Kitcheners Carvey Bar in which many a DJ will reveal they got their first start. 

When Yeni played her first set as uMagezangobisi, she did it at Kitcheners to an audience of about 10 people. Originally from KwaMashu in Durban, Yeni developed a love of music from a young age, one that was rooted in versatility and community. Recalling her earliest memories of music, Yeni says “I had a father and uncle who really enjoyed singing. They would take their midday baths and just sing for hours. It was really nice. It felt like the time they could be vulnerable and expressive, you know…as n*ggas.” And vulnerability and expression are something that you hear throughout an uMagezangobisi set. Making the move to Joburg to pursue a degree, she found herself drawn to the city’s creative scene. Her first gig was P*ssy Party, a monthly event designed as an “incubator for femme and queer talent” at Kitcheners. She landed her spot on the lineup after a mix she made to empower herself following a tough breakup gained some traction. A couple of events later (including the latest installation of the  MakeMeFeel series), and uMagezangobisi is working with a more comfortable and solidified sound than ever. “Right now, I’m really into music that brings women to the dancefloor” Yeni muses. “Hot girl music, music that makes women feel good. Some of the lyrical content in popular music is violent and excludes us. I wanted something that gets women out there, music that I could play in my bedroom too.” Her list of hot girls has Brenda Fassie, Zodwa Wabuntu, Rihanna and Princess Vitarah all coming in high. 

““Right now, I’m really into music that brings women to the dancefloor. Hot girl music, music that makes women feel good.””

P*ssy Party was the same event that first gave 19-year-old Ponahalo Mojapelo her first break under the alias Pona Colada. When a booking manager for the bar tweeted that they were looking for someone to put on a playlist for the early timeslot, Mojapelo grabbed the opportunity. A year later, fresh after playing the latest installation of Feelgood Series (one of the cities most popular rooftop parties and her biggest gig yet) and recalling the event, she laughs: “my first set was empty. The pay was insanely low, but I couldn’t be mad… I was worth it at the time. I wouldn’t ever accept that pay now”. After taking time off from university, she has planted her roots firmly in the competitive creative scene, drawing inspiration from a long list of friends including her mentor Lelo What’s Good (a 2019 Afropunk headliner and curator of ‘Vogue Nights in Jozi’). “The international attention on this city has been great” she says, reflecting on her last year. “It’s definitely boosted morale and work ethic. There’s a sense of healthy competition amongst all of us here.”

Ponahalo Mojapelo photographed by Thabo Mthombeni (@downtownthabz)

Despite only having a year in the game, a Pona Colada mix has a distinct feel: blending trap, pop and underground sounds to get people on the dance floor. “I’m always writing down songs that I hear and that I like the sound of. My goal is to always have every person on the dance floor hear their favourite song” she says. In many ways, both women are playing both for the whole city and only for a select few. While doors no longer read “certain people only”, race, space and orientation are still intimately connected and many find themselves limited to the areas where people look, move and sound like them. This hits some harder than others. “Yeah…the bulk of events I play are queer parties, but I don’t think of that as a negative or limiting thing” says Mojapelo. “Queer or not, people party the same. I’m good to work in my community.” Yeni finds the boundaries (racial as well as class and sexuality-based) that still exist a little more challenging. “It definitely seems like I’m limited and invited to less opportunities. It’s hard to go outside of my community and play and be recognized as a real artist and not be paid a handful of beers instead of cash”. 

““Queer or not, people party the same. I’m good to work in my community.””

The boundaries that separate Johannesburg are also the very thing that forces artists to define and cultivate their strongest sense of self . If there is anyone who can make a claim to that kind of Joburg authenticity it would be DJ Sistamatik. Growing up in Hillbrow (one of the more notorious neighbourhoods of the city) and listening to a blend of Rick James, old school r&b and Wu-Tang, she got her start by sneaking into hip-hop matinees in Joburg’s metropolis that gave her access to DJ workshops with the established guard.

DJ Sistamatik photographed by Mana (@drfoodz)

It’s a love of hip-hop and music that she has passed down to her 5-year-old daughter Zoey, who can be found on her Instagram laying down a sensational ASAP Rocky cover. For Sistamatik, inspiration is existence. “I’m inspired by the things I see around me. The rawness of this city, the graffiti, the skate culture. There’s nothing that I love more than to see someone’s tag on a building or to have a story about this street corner and that one.”

Combine a love for the grit and grime of Joburg with a deep passion for hip-hop culture, and you can hear the faint tones of a Sistamatik set. In this phase of her career, she is using her name and talent to be a common denominator between the vast groups of people who enjoy her sound. “I try to bring intimacy to my events” she says. “Joburg is very cliquey, people here are not shy to side-line you if they feel you don’t fit. When I play, I want us to feel like we’re all here together experiencing this thing, and it doesn’t matter where you come from”. When reflecting on what being a female DJ is like, Sistamatik almost giggles “I never saw myself as a female DJ until others started saying it”. 

Deniece Marz, via Instagram

Deniece Marz can relate to that sentiment. “I always wanted to stand for legitimacy in my art outside of how I identify” she says. “I’ve always wanted what I do to speak for itself”. It has.

At 22 years old, Marz has an Afropunk, Redbull Music Festival and a Boiler Room show under her belt. After playing her first playlist at her brother’s house party, she began to take DJing seriously. That party was a standout night in a house where music was a staple. Her father was a jazz bassist, she got her early tastes of records by sneaking into her uncle’s music collection and that brother is prominent DJ Daev Martin. 

Recalling her first mix, Marz says “putting out mixes is a little like being a rapper. I needed to showcase my talent and have people hear that I do this for real”. Citing everything from Vashtie Kola, Joey Badass and her brother to “the sun outdoors” as inspiration, Marz’s sets employ a similar scope of vibrancy and eclectic energy. “It’s hard to pin down one genre because I’m such a fan of music in general. I play everything from hip-hop to electronic to house and deep tech.” Her ability to combine those multiple elements with her talent and technique has made one of the many creatives capitalizing on the current wave of international recognition Johannesburg is receiving: “It allows you to play better, definitely. All this attention is an opportunity for us to show what we have”. It’s also a moment in which, now more than ever, it’s important for these women to reflect as they move forward. “It’s important for us, as Black women in this industry, to acknowledge where we come from” Marz says. “But I try not to let that limit me. I use being a Black woman to my advantage, so when people think I can’t then it’s like, okay…let me show them”.