DJ Krowbar, or shall we say Mfalme, has come a long way since those humble beginnings in Nyeri. When he walked away with the EABL-sponsored Mfalme crown in December, he shocked the industry - no one thought a Christian DJ could win that competition. Well, he did, and he talked to us about the experience of his life.

Mwafrika.com: Alright, let’s start at the beginning. How did this Mfalme story begin?
DJ Krowbar:: The whole thing started when I watched the ad on TV, that these guys were looking for the hottest DJ. Immediately I saw it, I knew I wanted to do it, but the thought that it could actually be me was humbling and a tad scary.

M: Big decision there. How did you make it?
K: Of course one of the first things I did was talk to a few of my friends. Some said I should go for it, others were concerned that I might cause other people to trip, or God forbid, trip myself. I listened to all of them, but eventually, I decided I wanted to give it a try.

M: You entered the competition in your home town Nyeri, and not Nairobi. Was there any particular reason for that?
K: There were two. Firstly, I didn’t want the buzz that I was in the competition to get out early. I really wanted to lay low and keep out of the way, and make sure my potential competitors in Nairobi didn’t know how I was playing. The second reason was for my mum.

M: Was she for the idea of you entering the competition?
K: At first, she was a bit hesitant. I wanted to go qualify in Nyeri so that she could come see me play, since she lives there. It was amazing because she actually came to the club where the competition was, and really supported me. I won there and qualified for the semis easily.

M: The semis were not as easy?
K:The plan was that the qualifying DJs from Central would go battle it out with some from coast. So we went there for the semis. I must say that was the hardest part of the competition for me. I think the main issue was the fact that most people at the coast don’t know Gospel music, so working the crowd was really uphill for me. But eventually, I was one of the nine DJs who qualified for the finals. I didn’t get the number one spot I wanted, I was actually third!

M: Then came the finals...
K: Yea, so the finals came. The shock and amazement of seeing myself in the newspapers, billboards, flyers, everywhere, I wasn’t expecting that. The other thing about the finals is that I approached them with a very quiet attitude. I think I’d gone to the Coast with a bit of pride, and losing there just humbled me, and reminded me I couldn’t take anything for granted.

M: You had mad support from the crowd that night?
K: What really absolutely moved me were all the believers turning up at Carnivore to support me, my parents, relatives and friends turning up there. And the whole of K-Krew turning up in support, braving the cold and being told kwendeni huko – their support killed me man, I won’t lie!

M: How was the actual competition like?
K: Round 1 was intense, that was the most important one, because they needed to pick three out of the nine finalists for the second round. I gave it my all, and so did everyone else; in fact, although I had a good set, I knew the two other guys who qualified had done better than I in that round. That’s why I’m so thankful for what happened in round two; that turned things around completely.

M: How was the second round different?
K: The guest judge, DJ @War came and totally flipped things around, and said the competition was now a battle. That was in my eyes a huge favor, and I still believe that DJ was God-sent. Battle is my forte and when he changed the game, I knew I was ready for it.

M: What exactly is a battle and how is it different form the other types of DJ-ing?
K: There are many types of DJs – club, road show, radio and battle. A DJ battle is a ‘you dis me, I dis you’ set-up, and what matters there is what game you have on the turntables. I had planned that second set well, and I knew I had to show that I was a good DJ. To be truthful, I totally outshined the other two in this round.

M: But the competition went into a third round.
K: What happened with the judges is that they decided that since DJ Tibz was so good in round 1, and I was so good in round 2, we needed to go head-to-head in a final round. The truth is, I was totally blank – I had no idea what to showcase. I had local stuff lined up, but other that that, I was blank. And that’s the amazing thing, because I have no idea where all those tricks I did in the round came from, I believe it was just God. I want to say that Jesus fought for me, and I won that competition because of Christ, no other reason. In fact, until I see the video, I can’t even tell you how I did what!

M: One really important question. Industry watchers are already predicting a ‘marketing dilemma’ for Pilsner, the sponsors of the competition, what with having a brand ambassador who’s radically Gospel. How’s all that working out?
K: First, let me say that playing secular was never an option for me. I don’t even own any secular music, burnt all of it! When I got into the competition, I decided I was playing Gospel, and I was ready to be evicted for just that reason. As for the Pilsner guys, they were caught totally off-guard. They were not anticipating that a Christian DJ would win this competition. That said, we are yet to talk about it at length, but I’m just praying for wisdom. I believe I have stood for Christ, and He will guide this for me as well.

M: You think the competition made a statement?
K: Let me say, honestly, that the Mfalme DJ Competition was the most comprehensive DJ search, and it was totally free and fair. I mean, for a Christian DJ to win I, it must have been really free and fair! As for spiritual impact, I have friends and relatives who’ve told me, yaani, that since I won that competition, they’ve been thinking hard about their Christian walk, and getting more radical, you know? Christian DJs are now being listened to, people are taking them seriously. People have been drawn to Christ, and that’s what’s most important.

M: What next for DJ Mfalme?
K: Well, making the brand. You know, I was believing God for a turn-table this year, and look what He gave me! In fact, I’ve no intention of even changing the coloring or branding on that van…I’ll gig with it the way it is, that it shall ever be a testimony!

M: Thanks man!

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