MUMBAI: Ignorance about the profession and the art of DJing is stifling the growth of the industry which holds great promises. One of the country’s leading DJs, DJ Talreja feels this lack of knowledge has resulted in people falling to misconceptions about the line, getting cheated and DJs not getting the respect they deserve.
“Like all glam jobs, DJing requires a lot of hard work, dedication and contacts. Those who want to enter the profession have to work for free or a pittance till they learn the skills or get a break. It would surprise you how little they earn for a gig- Rs 1,500- Rs 2,000. Most of the DJs have to start by becoming assistants or vendors and try their hand with whatever little opportunity that come their way,” says Talreja.
Till they are established- when their names become a brand- no one gives much thought. Whether they play at a corporate event, mix a Bollywood song or make a party swing, DJs are generally ignored. For starters, many young people who come to a big city like Mumbai from smaller towns to take up DJing as a career don’t have a clue how to go about and often get conned by unscrupulous operators.
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To prevent newbies from getting ripped off Talreja has set up his PartyMap DJ Academy. The academy offers three short term courses in music production (four month course), Live DJing (two month course) and Software Basics- how to use a laptop.
“I have seen too many people coming from outside being cheated. There is no infrastructure and teachers are looting the students. What we teach are the basic of DJing and life- for instance how important education is in case they don’t make it. People think there is a lot of money in the DJ line. But it’s a dicey industry where even the top DJ doesn’t always know where his next gig is coming from,” states Talreja.
To be a good DJ you need certain qualities and talents. The thumb rule requires that the music should make the knees of the dancers bend. While the bass line and the kick are essential, what is paramount is the melody- one that party goers can take home. Then there is the packaging of the music and the DJ as a ‘brand’. Marketing oneself, photo shoots, dress sense and connections all play a part. Being a musician helps but is not a vital requirement.
DJs also need to keep in touch with the latest music, trends and equipment. Most DJs start with the Pioneer digital turntable, which starts at Rs 50,000 and can go up to Rs 2.5-three lakhs. For the top DJs, the set up consists of a laptop (I Mac Pro), USB and a controller.
“DJs need a lot of experience and to experiment to decide what kind of music and develop their style. You need to have good music and a good body language. I started learning on a turntable (vinyl) but that is not feasible now. If a needle breaks, that is going to cost you Rs 2,000 to replace it,” says Talreja.
But all is not gloom and doom for aspiring DJs. For those who enjoy and make it big, the rewards more than make up for the trouble.
“If you make your name as a DJ, you can survive on it for the next 25-30 years. The money can be good. I charge Rs four lakhs for a two-hour show during New Year abroad, and Rs one lakh for a normal show. There is a huge market abroad for Indian dance music,” points out Talreja.
Talreja, who has already mixed for 12 Bollywood soundtracks and is judging nationwide talent competitions like the Mirchi Mix DJ hunt is confident that the profession will find more takers despite the risks involved.
“There are lakhs of people joining this line. Today what we lack is exposure like television. If you ask housewives what DJs are, they might not know. But there will be a boom in the next five years,” Talreja states.
Next time you hit the dance floor, respect the DJ as you twist n shout. That’s what DJ Akhil Talreja wants people to do- pay more respect to the unsung ‘hero’ of the dance floor.
Talreja has reworked a number of Bollywood and international tracks that have spiced up dance floors around the world.
His movie projects include ‘De Dana Dan’, ‘Acid Factory’, ‘Hum Tum Aur Shabana’, ‘A Flat,’ ‘Jai Veeru’ among others and a Marathi film ‘Yedyanchi Jatra’ which had the hit song ‘Kata Rutla’ sung by Shreya Ghosal. He has also released three albums.
