There was a time when gqom was the dominating sound in Mzansi, but now amapiano has been the number one genre shaking things up, something DJ Tira has no problem with. In an interview with The King’s Cast, hosted by Sphectacula and DJ Naves, he was asked if he thought amapiano would have the impact it has in the Durban dance scene.
DJ Tira’s thoughts on the evolution of music
DJ Tira responded, “No, the time we were rocking with the gqom sound, especially with Durban kwaito before gqom came in, I never thought there could [be] a sound that would come in and overtake us. But as much as there was kwaito, there was Durban kwaito, then gqom. You need to understand in life things change, people’s taste changes and people love different things.”
Embracing change and showing love
He continued, “You must show love because when we came in people left kwaito and supported us. So when piano comes in why are we going to hate piano? Because people gave us love when we came in, so nathi we must embrace piano and understand it, but also give it its space and we will continue doing our thing. It’s all about how you present your music.”
DJ Tira’s secret to longevity in the music industry
DJ Tira has been in the music industry for more than 23 years and he told news reporters he credits discipline as one of the main reasons for his longevity. “The focus and the discipline is important in the music industry and how you behave and how you treat yourself. Do you respect the industry? All those things play a role in your longevity as an artist in the industry. For me, discipline is important. The focus must always be there and also working with a lot of producers. I like to work with multiple producers as much as possible.”
Recent achievements
Tira recently won Best Kwaito and Best Music Video for his song Sikilidi at the Metro FM music awards.