MikaphoniQ spins her way to the top

LIMPOPO – Mikateko Ntabeni, known by many in the house music circles as MikaphoniQ, is a 24-year-old female DJ who aims to make her presence in the industry felt.

MikaphoniQ was born in Chavani village in the Vhembe District. This is where she discovered her love and talent for music.

“I grew up in a musical family in which my uncle collected all kinds of music we used to play at the tavern. My mother sang in the church choir at True Life Church in Elim so music formed a big part of our lives. It all started as a hobby, I didn’t really think it would be something I would end up doing professionally.”

She started playing house music in 2014. After she decided to enroll for a course specialising in music, she realised her goals of dominating this music genre in the country were within grasp. She finds inspiration from DJ Zinhle and DJ Cindo who are doing very well in this male-dominated industry. However, she found her mentor very close to home.

“DJ LadyShiks was the only female DJ I knew in Giyani when I started as a DJ and she introduced me to other DJs. She’s the one who groomed me,” she continues.

MikaphoniQ says her goal is to become a successful DJ in the province and to help young DJs realise their dreams. She also says in a male-dominated industry, the challenges include being viewed as only a pretty face and not being taken seriously. She went on to say she has overcome these challenges by being hardworking and by proving her critics wrong.

“It takes hard work, dedication, and knowing what you want to do. As soon as I played on the decks, I knew I wanted to do this. My advice would be to follow through on your dreams,” she concludes.