DJ Lolo takes over the airwaves

CHARISMA, energy, vivaciousness and being yourself are just a few of the key ingredients you need to become a successful radio DJ. Just ask Londeka Shabane (a.k.a. DJ Lolo), one of the newest voices on the East Coast Radio (ECR) scene, who has all of these characteristics in abundance.

The former Danville Park Girls’ High School pupil recently chatted to Northglen News about never giving up, being a drama queen and being kicked out of class once for chatting too much.

“I love drama, I’m super outgoing, and most of my friends and family will tell you, I have loads of energy. As a kid I’d constantly practised monologues with my mother in the middle of the supermarket. She’d have to tell me to calm down a few times,” Shabane laughed.

“My teachers may describe me as stubborn but ambitious. I knew where I wanted to go, and how I got there was through God who had chosen my path.”

The 22-year-old, who studied a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (majoring in media and drama), said she knew her calling was to be behind a mic in a radio booth.

“Because UKZN didn’t have a radio station, I joined Radio DUT for the breakfast show. And I knew this was where I wanted to be. I then landed my own show at Mr Price radio, called ‘The Turn Up’,” she explained. “On radio the listener can’t see your face but have to feel your energy. Being bubbly is one thing, it’s another delivering your personality to thousands of people over the airwaves. You just have be natural and be yourself.

“When I got the job at ECR it took a while to sink it, but I was ecstatic. The best part about working for the local radio station is I get to be myself. I work with talented people and I’m constantly being challenged on so many levels. I feel I embody the ECR brand, I’m young and fun.”

Shabane currently has the Friday and Saturday night slot from 10pm to 2am. While she cites many DJs as her inspiration, no one has been more influential in her life than her mother.

“My mom worked as a domestic worker for most of her life, and still does. I’ve never met anyone more hard-working. She’s been my pillar of strength throughout my journey. Her goal in life was to make sure I got a good education. I remember telling her all about my hopes and dreams as we walked to school together. I want other young girls to know that anything is possible if you stay humble, ambitious and passionate.

“Now that I’m doing well I’ve asked my mom to stop working because I can support her. But she doesn’t want to, and that says a thousand words about the kind of person my mom is,” she said.

Follow DJ Lolo on Twitter (@BaBy_LoNdZ) or tune into her show every Friday and Saturday night.