DJ Big Driis Elba spinning in Soweto
British actor Idris Elba has impressed movie-goers across the world with his portrayal of former President Nelson Mandela in the much-lauded new biopic, but it's a little known fact that he is also a musician.
Idris Elba. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Elba is perhaps best known for his roles as drug kingpin Russell Stringer Bell in ‘The Wire’ and his award-winning portrayal of Detective John Luther in Luther, but he also has acting credits in high-profile films including Thor, Prometheus, and Pacific Rim.
The 41-year-old Londoner is a man of many talents, though, and regularly spins the decks as DJ Big Driis while also dabbling in hip hop and soul as a musician. And thanks to Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Ndaba, Johannesburg will have the rare opportunity to see Elba in action as DJ Big Driis when he plays a live set at Chaf Pozi in Soweto on Saturday.
Speaking to The Times, Ndaba explained how this exciting event came into fruition: “I met him a couple of weeks ago in Johannesburg and he said he was recording an album. I didn’t know he is a musician.
“He said he was looking to release it around January or February. So I asked him to do a gig here to let people here know he’s a musician, so [that] by the time the album is out he can do something bigger.”
Ndaba is managing director for the Rebel Soul events company, which will be hosting the gig, with general access and VIP tickets set to be sold at the door for R100 and R200 respectively.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Africa Rising Foundation, for which Ndaba acts as chairman.
– TeamTalk
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