One of the most valuable lessons DJ Zinhle has learned at the start of her music career is to always send the lift back down for others to come up.
This was taught to her by her mentor, music pioneer and radio jock, Oskido, very early in her career.
The multi-talented Mzansi celebrity shared this and much more in a recent interview with hosts Dineo Ranaka and Sol Phenduka on Kaya FM's 959 Breakfast show.
“It is something that I learned from Oskido. Oskido just felt that it was important for all of us, whoever has worked with him, to understand that we have to send the lift down for others to come up again. It’s something that I grew up with in music, so I just understand that that’s what you suppose to do when you in music.
Zinhle, who has been a DJ for 16 years now, says that although she has expanded her brand, being a DJ is what she is first and foremost.
“Music is my first love. I am all the other things I do, but I am a DJ... At the core of who I am, I am a DJ. I think being a DJ is cool. If you must know I’m a DJ, you going to know I’m a DJ... Like, I’m DJ Zinhle, whaaat!,” said the “Umilo” hitmaker.
Speaking about which era she enjoyed the most in her career, the “The Unexpected” reality TV star said she enjoyed the “deep-house” era.
“I don’t know what it was, maybe even the vinyl, the swag of it, it was the musicality of it... I started playing on vinyl, I still have vinyl at home, and I still play the music, but brother Zac was the one who introduced me to deep-house. It reminds me of the bond I have with my brother,” said Zinhle.
Moving to the topic of social media, Ranaka asked Zinhle to elaborate on her daughter Kiaro Forbe’s online presence and asked if her second daughter Asante would follow suite.
“Glammy (Lynn Forbes) is the one responsible, 100% responsible for Kairo’s account...Glammy has great plans for the child, and we support her, but Kairo doesn’t even know she has an Instagram account, she doesn’t know what it means, but she knows she will engage with the phone whenever there is work.
“I’ve tried to open an account for Asante, but I don’t even have the time. Kairo’s account is amazing. Asante’s is actually not amazing. Social media is a very weird space for me. I come from an era of Facebook, like when did we get here,” she laughed.
Regarding being vilified on social media and how she deals with sometimes topping Twitter trends, the “Ngisimamise” hitmaker said that over the years, she learned how to remove herself from things that don’t necessarily “need” her.
“I understand that level of influence comes with these things, but there is also a level of not allowing myself to be a victim. It’s attention-seeking for me, and I don’t like that attention. I have the responsibility to respond or handle things in the right way,” she said.
Watch the full interview here.
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