BUTARE’S NUMBER ONE DISC JOCKEY

DJ Fabrice is a Disc Jockey with Melo-Twist night club, Butare’s only night club. He talks to Sunday Times Bryan Kimenyi about his life’s journey in Djying and life. Have you been to Butare for a night out? If you have visited Melo Twist then I am sure you were dancing to his music. That’s DJ Fabrice, also known as Fabrice Uwizeye by all means Butare best DJ. No joke! He was born in 1986, in neighboring Burundi where he has also lived for the bigger part of his life, growing up, going to school and listening to music. But he says, “I consider myself to be an African more than a Burundian or Rwandese. As Africans we need more love other than division.” Some philosophy one might say, and a good one at that. As a kid he always wanted to be an entertainer no matter what it took. “Whenever I listened to radio and watched Television I only listened and watched music and everything to do with entertainment,” he confesses. He is now doing what he always wanted to do. Every person grows up with an ambition of being so and so. And there is no satisfaction like waking up one morning and finding out that you’ve got a job you always wanted to do. That’s when you know that dreams come true. And not all dreams come true; it’s a one in a million chance to get your dream car, manwoman, house, and for that matter job. He was initiated into djying by Bujumbura ’s finest and played in Bujumbura ’s finest clubs and bars. This wasn’t because of hanging around such prominent DJs like DJ Kareed of Club Toxic. “When I begun learning how to play music, I caught up so fast that I got a lot of admiration from most DJs in Town ( Bujumbura ).” That’s how he found his way in Rwanda- after being recommended by Melo Man of Melo Twist Night club in Butare. “He’d come to Bujumbura for the weekend and he happened to talk to me during my break in the club. When he told me of the possibility of working in Rwanda, I was quite hesitant but later I decided to give it a shot. I love the place (Butare)!” From afar, one may envy the 23 year old. Life may look good for him but he says that’s not entirely the case. He wants to join University next year for a Computer Science degree. He hopes it will help him upgrade his skills in the field of entertainment. He still lacks the funds to take him through the university but is not asking for aid. He is making the money to get him to Campus. Apart from playing music, he wants to make music- as in being an accomplished musician. “Entertainment being a large field, I want to do everything I feel interested in; music, music production, and acting. Everything requires both courage and patience. When the right time comes, I will be there,” he says with a lot of optimism. A big Hip-Hop and African music fan, he says, “…as a DJ, I have to play what the people want to dance to because I am an entertainer who does everything for the sake of seeing everyone happy.” On the Rwandan scene, he doesn’t think there are any DJs to admire, but acknowledges the seniority of DJ Kadeel. “I have not traveled a lot around Rwanda and particularly Kigali , but the little time I have been here, I have not seen anyone I can pick some skills from apart from DJ Kadeel,” he says. He advises fellow DJs to take every second they spend in the DJ’s box very serious and says, “Revelers judge every second we spend there and they will respect you for what you do.” Ends