By Ayo Onikoyi

An American internationally acclaimed DJ, Alinton Brereton better known as DJ Anarchy who runs a show on America’s leading satellite radio — SiriusXM has predicted a bright future for Nigerian Afrobeats artists, saying the genre is such a feel-good vibe that has been widely accepted globally.

The DJ, who has interviewed many Nigerian artists like Omah Lay, Kel P etc and has opening a show for the “African Giant” Burna Boy says he has a huge respect for Nigerian artists on account of their work ethics, humility and commitment to the game.

DJ Anarchy, who is originally from Moruga in Trinidad and Tobago is also on Pitbull’s station called “Globalization” on Channel 13. He speaks with Ayo Onikoyi,  Vanguard’s Entertainment Editor via WhatsApp on a variety of issues concerning the game, the business, the challenges, sacrifices and most importantly, his encounter and association with Nigerian artists. Excerpt:

Why the name DJ Anarchy, Anarchy isn’t exactly a positive word?

I chose the name “DJ Anarchy” because when I was around 13 years of age, I would DJ at parties back home in Trinidad & Tobago and the crowd always said, “Yow, this lil kid mashing up de party” (mashing up means “turning up” in Trinidad lingo, lol). So, Anarchy means “chaos” but in this instance, it’s good, fun chaos aka “mashing up the party”.

Why disc jockeying and not singing or dancing?

I chose to become a DJ because I became fascinated from the very first time I actually touched real turntables and vinyl (back when I was 11). The texture and feel and all the moving parts blew my mind and captivated me.

Is it true that DJs don’t get the recognition and reward they deserve compared to music artists; whats your take on this?

Yes and No! Behind most hit records, there is a DJ involved in some way or form. I think the artist gets most of the recognition because they are actually the ones performing the songs or the face of it, as we say. But as of lately, we have been seeing a lot more DJs stepping into that artist lane and are now basking in the spotlight.

Can you tell us the low and high points of being a DJ?

I would say low points definitely are lack of sleep,  and sometimes missing family functions and events because you usually work on those same holidays. High points I would definitely having a weekly SiriusXM radio show with over 30 million + listeners, getting paid to travel the world and rock parties, just being on the big stage, turning up the crowd and doing what I love.

What are the qualities of a good DJ?

Qualities of a great DJ to me are being a “people person”, being humble, being able to communicate well with people. Having a degree of patience also. Also, I would say being able to read the crowd and feel their energy, being versatile and also having some technical skill like scratching to add that extra flare to your sets etc (I’m a bit biased because I’m a turntablist myself.

Many DJs are releasing albums, EPs, singles and mixtapes. What are your plans in this regard?

DJs releasing albums, singles, and EPs is a great idea. I’m all for it. As we mentioned earlier, this definitely helps the DJ gain the recognition they deserve. I, myself, have already released some singles and have some upcoming releases in the works with some very huge names in the music game from all different genres including Afrobeats & Amapiano.

Whats your opinion on the competition between Afrobeats and Amapiano and which do you think has evergreen values?

From my perspective, I don’t see competition between Afrobeats and Amapiano. I think they both complement each other very well and are both impacting the world in a major way.

What’s your Impression of the Nigerian music industry and its impacts on the world’s stage?

I’m very impressed and mind-blown by the work ethics of Nigerian artists and their music industry. It’s now to the point where anytime you hear about an Afrobeats artist you automatically assume that they are from Nigeria, lol. Their work ethic is also truly inspiring, knowing all the challenges and difficulties they have to overcome in order to “make it” in the music game (lack of electricity, poor internet service etc). Also shout out to all the other very talented artists from the different countries in Africa like Ghana, South Africa, etc.

Have you encountered any Nigerian artist and who has Impressed you the most and why?

I have actually encountered a lot of Nigerian artists on a weekly basis by interviewing them and premiering their music on my weekly SiriusXM radio show which has over 30 million + listeners. I also met some personally when they performed for shows in Houston (where I’m based). I would say that I’m really impressed by Omah Lay and Kel P because of how humble they are despite all the huge things they have accomplished in the music game.

More and more Nigerian artistes are eyeing the Grammy’s. What can help them in this regard?

Honestly, I see a bright future for Afrobeats in the GRAMMYs. We have already seen Afrobeats artists winning GRAMMYs. I’d say to Afrobeats artists just keep doing what they are already doing which is producing top quality feel-good music.

What do you think is the future of Afrobeat and can the genre die like some we have seen in the past?

I think that Afrobeats is going to be around for a very long time. It’s definitely that type of feel-good music that anyone can relate to no matter their age, ethnicity or geographical location.

Believe it or not, I actually interviewed an artist from Korea who made an Afrobeats cross-over song.

What are your most memorable and embarrassing experiences as an entertainer?

I think my most memorable moments thus far are being invited to attend the 64th GRAMMY Awards held in Las Vegas, opening up for Burna Boy in Detroit, DJing for and hanging out with Akon for a couple of days, and deejaying for Houston Texans.

Embarrassing moments would be sometimes DJ equipment malfunctions at big parties because the crowd automatically assumes that the DJ is the one messing up not the equipment.

What do Nigerian artists need to do to be more accepted In the US and across the world?

I think honestly Nigerian artists are already widely accepted across the world and in the USA. However, they need to connect with people like myself and also Richardine Bartee who does major PRs & marketing campaigns in the USA, so that way they can be on mainstream media outlets regularly. Also, I would say possibly doing more collaborations with USA artists.

What are your other interests in life and how is it related to your interest in the entertainment sphere?

I love cars, spending quality time with family, and giving back to my community. I love guiding young DJs coming up and inspiring and motivating them to reach for the stars. This pushes me to “go even harder” because now I know I have younger ones looking up to me.

What’s the craziest thing you have done as a DJ?

Definitely leaving my home country of Trinidad and Tobago to come to the USA to chase my musical dreams.  I moved to the USA back in 2015 (straight from Trinidad) with just one suitcase of clothing and my DJ mixer, without really knowing what the future would hold for me but I had faith and was willing to work hard to achieve my goals. And I guess it all worked out. Now, I’m on mainstream American radio and considered a highly respected international DJ. Sometimes in life, we have to take huge risks in order to achieve greatness. Always remember nothing huge was ever accomplished by being in your comfort zone.