ZVISHAVANE – If people can enter professions by accident and then make it right to the top, one man who can brag about that is YAFM’s head of programming, Davis Mugadza.
He indeed became a DJ by accident but quickly rose through the ladder and he is undoubtedly one of the country’s most decorated and celebrated DJs.
Mugadza, who was working for Delta had his friend, Darlington Chamisa who wanted to be a DJ at the then Radio 3 but his car broke down and they decided to use his car to Pockets Hills for auditions in 1996.
“As we were waiting for my friend’s turn I just decided to also have a go at the mic and the rest is history so to speak. Unfortunately my friend did not make it,” said Mugadza then nicknamed the “Kool-moe-dee” by his legions of followers.
The one minute auditions which came after the top 20 show by Kudzi Marudza were conducted by Admire Taderera and Mugadza passed with flying colours and was told to report for work together with Witness Matema and Bridget Gavanga.
Mugadza told The Mirror that at that point in time there had been no new recruitments at the station after the departure of DJ Eunice Goto and others.
“On the first day at work I could hear my heart jumping on the microphone as I was so nervous to an extend that I could not even speak properly, but due to practise at home I eventually overcame the fear and nervousness,” he added.
In June 2015 he kissed goodbye to Power FM the station that gave him a name and joined YAFM in Zvishavane as head of programming although he does the morning show.
“Although at YAFM we started with green DJs, patience and hard work is paying off as most of them are now polished up and can do the work on their own,” said Dhiva Dollar.
He confessed that it was not an easy task to start a radio station especially in a very small town like Zvishavane but it had to be done against all odds.
He has also trained young DJs like Quintine Songola aka DJ Que, Audrey Ngwenya popularly known as Hot Property and Teriffic who specialises in ragga only.
The radio station has grown its tentacles to become regional and going as far as Shurugwi, Masvingo and Mberengwa.
“Our radio station is unique because we don’t use English but we speak the people’s language like Ndebele and Shona, we want them to own the station so to speak,” he added.
Mugadza, Gavanga and Tendai Chakanyuka were the pioneers of the 24hr shift that was introduced at Radio 3 then and that is the time they made their names.
In 2000 Radio 3 relocated to Gweru and some senior DJs were not happy with the move but Mugadza did not leave and he was promoted to executive producer in charge of programming.
In Gweru he was on air between 12am and 3am and the station became popular but business wise it was a disaster hence the relocation back to Harare in 2009.
The multi-award winning DJ is credited with transforming the morning show on Power FM from 2004 when he introduced two DJs for the show, Dr Zobha and Gavanga.
“The morning show was a game changer as it popularised Power FM beyond imagination with nearly every Kombi and cars would switch to the station in the morning and the response was immense even the switch would be jammed every morning.
The show would bring up topical social issues every day and listeners just fell in love with the concept,” said the Bulawayo born DJ who is now known as Dhiva Dollar in the mining town of Zvishavane where YAFM is based.
A number of DJs passed through his hands among them Tafadzwa Sikwilla, Rumbi Moyo, Butterfly Tariro Marapara and Ngoni Machingura
Mugadza was born in 1976 at Mpilo Hospital and went to Mckertain Primary school and Gifford High school before training as a diesel plant mechanic with Delta in Harare.
Soon after completing his apprenticeship he didn’t practise for long at Delta as he joined radio as a DJ.
Mugadza has won so many awards during his long carrier as a DJ among them being the Best Hip Hop DJ in 2012 and 2013. In 2012 he was chosen to be the DJ for Big Brother Africa eviction party in South Africa.
In 2103 he was invited to MTV Beach party in Mauritius as guest DJ and every year he is invited to play there as the organisers were impressed by the veteran DJ’s performance.-Mirror
