‘There’re more advantages to being female DJ’

Frances Higgwe, better known as DJ Frizzie, is a female DJ making her mark in the entertainment industry. The graduate of environmental engineering, whose passion for music started at 16, says in this interview with Weekend Magazine that there are more advantages to being a female DJ than disadvantages. How does it feel being a […]

Frances Higgwe, better known as DJ Frizzie, is a female DJ making her mark in the entertainment industry. The graduate of environmental engineering, whose passion for music started at 16, says in this interview with Weekend Magazine that there are more advantages to being a female DJ than disadvantages.
How does it feel being a female DJ?
Frances Higgwe, aka DJ Frizzie: Being a female deejay is a privilege and truly an honour, as it takes lots of guts to stand up for what you believe in and have passion for. I see it as a platform for greater things to come, one that’s exciting and at the same time scary too. But in the end, I am proud to be called a female deejay.
WM: You are a graduate of environmental engineering, why the sharp twist towards deejaying?
DJ Frizzie: Well, it was never really a sharp twist. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been into music. Right from having the mobile cassette players and radios to having the ‘Discman’ as they called it then, that’s the mobile CD player and to iPods. I do remember in secondary school, my radio kept being  seized by the matron but I didn’t mind, I’d always buy more. So, the love has always been there, I didn’t just realise I’d like to pursue a career in it till my final year of studies. I don’t regret studying engineering; as a matter of fact, I am doing my Master’s now. I see myself as a dreamer. I believe one can have it all, both in music and the environmental studies aspect. In the end, I’d like to believe you only have to be able to discipline yourself to be able to balance the situation.
WM: Tell us how your journey to being a female DJ started and at what age did you start?
DJ Frizzie:  I was 16 when it all started; I had just finished secondary school. I never even knew the word deejay (I really don’t think I did) but I knew I had a knack for wanting to play songs without having a break in between. So I did stumble upon this DJ software at my cousin’s house, read about the software and it got my attention. So I asked to lend it, took it home, got it installed on a PC and that was it. But believe me, when I say I never dreamt of becoming or pursuing deejaying, I just knew I loved to deejay. Not until I got to work with UniPort FM and in my final year I took a bold step and decided to chase this passion of mine. I didn’t know how I was going do it but at least it was a step. The only thing I kept saying was I don’t wanna be that old woman sitting down in a rocking chair and wondering ‘what if.’ ‘They should have,’ ‘would have,’ ‘could have’…
WM: Did you attend a course for it of you taught yourself?
DJ Frizzie:  I never went for a course, it’s all self-taught. I’m one of those people who believe you can learn everything off the Internet and of course YouTube.
WM: What’s it like to be a female DJ in this male-dominated world? Do you ever experience sexism?
DJ Frizzie:  I’m pretty sure I haven’t experienced sexism. I’d rather say being a female DJ is more of an advantage than a disadvantage. All the male deejays I’ve come across always wanted to impact my life positively. Most times we practice together and share each of our tricks with each other. We all hear the saying ‘it’s a man’s world’ and women always try to argue otherwise but in my own words ‘Yes, it could be a man’s world but we women rule that supposed world’ because if you observe closely all that men do are for the ladies. So I’d say it is easier for a girl to stand out as a deejay, and with the grace of God too.
WM: Do you DJ in a dress and heels or do you wear something more comfortable?
DJ Frizzie:  It depends on the kind of event, most times you do have to look glamorous but even so I still try to be comfortable in the way I dress. If I’m on heels, I’d make sure they’re comfortable as I would be standing most of the time. The first time I was on heels and deejaying was quite amazing, as I didn’t know I would survive it and in fact, I’m really not a heels person.
WM: What are the challenges of being a female DJ?
DJ Frizzie:  There is the case of doubt, and not been taken seriously. Sometimes people feel because you are a female you might not be able to do the job properly as a male would. There’s also the case of security, or sexual harassment. I think the challenges are no different from what a normal female worker would face. But in all, the biggest challenge would be convincing your parents that this is what you want to do. And there’s also the fear of how are you going to also be a mother, wife and a deejay … story for another lifetime.
WM: Would you like to share with us the worst treatment you got as a female DJ from a male counterpart?
DJ Frizzie:  The worst I had gotten would be when I was on a flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt and I was conversing with one of the passengers and then mentioned I was a deejay and he started laughing. I also did encounter this when I moved to Lagos in 2013, from some other guy I came across in the estate lounge. I did ask him what’s on his mind and he said ‘Can anyone ever hire a female DJ?’ These were very embarrassing moments that can really shake you to the core, I mean someone laughing in your face, you can never understand except you experience it. But I’ve never gotten any ill-treatment from the male DJs though.
WM: Tell us about your first major gig as a DJ in front of a large crowd and did you feel confident about your deejaying skills and selections at that event?
DJ Frizzie: My first major gig was Mr. Nigeria 2011 winner, Deji Bakare’s popular reality TV show, ‘Deji Bakare Talent Search’ grand finale at the Silverbird galleria, which led to me playing for MC Shakara’s comedy event, and Seyi Law’s comedy concert and being featured on MTV Base’s club chart playlist. I remember seeing people from the top floors starring down and probably thinking that’s a girl deejaying, lo! But the crowd reaction was good. I did get lots of kudos. I was a bit nervous at first but I later got to enjoy my music and give in.
WM: Is it possible to choose for us your top three favorite tracks of all time and give as a short comment about the impact that those tracks had on your career?
DJ Frizzie: Top three favorite tracks of all time? Wow, that would be impossible. But I did love Britney Spears and Michael Jackson while growing up. I think they really impacted my choice of pop being my favorite genre of music.
WM: Does being a DJ pay?
DJ Frizzie:  Like any other business venture, it starts to pay with time. Yes, it pays but you have to work hard and be innovative in the way you sell yourself to the public. With time you earn bigger and better.
WM: Have you ever being criticised for being a female DJ?
DJ Frizzie:  No, I wouldn’t say so. Can’t think of a time I was.
WM: In a nutshell, what does it take to be a successful DJ?
DJ Frizzie:  To be a successful deejay, you need to have a good ear for identifying good music. Know how to read the crowd, and play the kind of music they would appreciate, not playing the ones you like, because it’s always about your audience. A DJ should never forget that.