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Mamabearsteffs: 64 year-old DJ keeping her late son’s memory alive with every set
Joy ‘Mamabearsteffs’ Steffens found healing in music after her son Dylan lost his battle to a rare form of cancer at 22 years old.
Joy ‘Mamabearsteffs’ Steffens found healing in music after her son Dylan lost his battle to a rare form of Cancer at 22 years-old. Picture: mamabearsteffs/Instagram
It’s said that the strength of a mama bear is not measured in roars but in the quiet sacrifices made for her cubs.
Joy Steffens is the epitome of the aforementioned quote. Affectionately known as Mamabearsteffs, the 64 year-old took up the art of deejaying after the passing of her son, Dylan, who was an aspiring DJ and producer, to uniquely honour his desire and ambition for music.
“The immense healing I found after his passing when I listened to music took away the pain in my heart as a mom,” Mamabearsteffs told The Citizen.
Healing
Dylan was diagnosed with a very rare liver cancer and passed away at the age of 22 in 2016 before achieving his dreams in the music industry.
“He hadn’t started deejaying in front of crowds yet, but was just having fun and practicing with his friends who were deejays and when he was on his own at home (already diagnosed with cancer).”
Dylan had taken up the moniker DJSteffs which Mamabearsteffs is derived from. “This is why I call myself Mamabearsteffs – I am the Mamabear and he was steffs.”
Although her son hadn’t reached the big time, the late 22 year-old was already carving out a name for himself in the disc jockeying space.
“[He] did a mix on 5FM one night when Fix Moeti was still there. He didn’t even tell me and when I turned around in bed I heard her say ‘we have Djsteffs in the mix’,” Mamabearsteffs recalls laughing.
“I sat up in bed, listened with all ears, and then called him and asked what I just heard. He laughed and said ‘just a mix mom’…he was very humble,” she said.
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A music head
Mamabearsteffs has been an ardent music fan throughout her life but only went into deejaying after enrolling at the Pioneer Deejay School in 2018.
“I think I just needed time to process what had happened and in 2018 I did my first mix. It was titled First time for Everything“.
“I literally have slept with 5FM in my ears my whole life and one day I heard a soccer fan (who was on the radio) do a mix. I thought it was so cool and I also want to learn how to do it,” she shared.
A flood of emotions arrested her when she went into the institution.
“I literally broke down in tears and thought if only Dylan could be here to see this,” shared Mamabearsteffs.
“I felt an incredible sense of belonging and when I got to the deejay school situated inside this huge complex I realised this is what I needed to do to keep Dylan’s dream alive.”
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Your favorite DJ’s favorite
The sense of belonging has remained, and her mixing skills have improved with time. Such is the sense of belonging that she has been embraced by renowned players in the industry, saying she now knows most if not all the DJs.
“I have to say that I know almost every deejay in the industry as I always show my love for their talent on social media which I have always enjoyed, but don’t let it rule my life,” she said with the wisdom of a mother.
After she lost Dylan, Mamabearsteffs started doing mixes on various radio stations and this is when she got to know all the deejays.
“I have met the most amazing deejays and producers and due to my age they have shown me the most incredible respect and love with hugs which has warmed my heart so much. I always joke to say my bank account is empty but my soul is full.”
One of her favourite gigs in Shimza’s Kunye and mentions the DJ from Tembisa as one of her darlings in how Shimza treated her at one of the Kunye shows.
“He came to greet me and handed me a family band for access to the VIP area. It’s so cute too when I bump into someone and they say ‘oh my word, aren’t you gogo from Kunye? We love you.’”
Grammy award winning Black Coffee is someone that’s also shown her love in the past.
“My experience meeting Black Coffee for the first time was incredible and if my hands were ever trembling it was that day when he as deejaying in one of his stores,” confessed Mamabearsteffs, who also met Euphonik the same day.
“I have since met his mom when he deejayed at Fourways Mall. I just love going to support a DJ when they are playing at a festival or venue.”
“Chymasmusique is one of my favourite producers whom I met one evening at a ‘listening’ session in Sandton with producer Jazzuelle.”
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Passion for music
Her enthusiasm for disc jockeying isn’t a performative one, nor does is come off as a mid-life crisis. It’s an actual appreciation of the music and those who are great at mixing those ditties.
Such is her passion that she struggles to say which song and artists are her go-to for her sets; from the known DJ Fresh, ShonaSA, Dr Feel, Thandi Draai to Kenyan Afro House producer and DJ Saint Evo.
“I love finding other producers around the globe, but Enoo Napa, Da Capo, Lemon and Herb, Frigid Armadillo and Kususa and of many more that appear in my sets – there are too many to name.”
“It has been thanks to this journey of mine for Dylan that I managed to be this free spirited person. I certainly was named well by my parents – I don’t focus on being a Joy but it just comes naturally,” she said.
She scratches her disc-jockeying itch on weekends and focuses on her nine-to-five in the real estate industry during the week.
“But some nights I have to go home to practice my set or prepare for an upcoming gig. I am old school and prepare my whole set, set my cue points and then save it to my flash disk and off I go.”
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Her cancer journey
In the midst of her deejaying journey, Mamabearsteffs has had to deal with Melanoma, a kind of skin cancer.
“I played a lot of sport when I was young and did not always look after my skin which is very fair. Perhaps I put on sun block once and not again,” she shared.
“I had melanomas removed from both my arms, and a basal carcinoma from my neck. The doctors were amazing, and I am feeling good.”
She is due for a check-up in June, but will be spinning discs between now and then.
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