End of an era as Tito retires

Stevens Muendo

Mohamed Swaleh Hassan remembers that evening in 1977 when, as a 20-year-old, he donned a stylish pair of ‘pipe’ trousers and linen shirt off for his first discotheque assignment as DJ Tito.

This, complemented with his curly kit hairdo, was the hottest dressing trend then. And as a pioneer black DJ to spin at a Kenyan club, he had just found his way into the list of Mombasa celebrities.

Discotheques were still a new phenomenon then and attracted an exclusive base of tourists and the well-heeled. Turntables and long play (LP) records — the technology then — were also considered expensive equipment.

More than three decades later, DJ Tito has decided to quit life behind the turntables and hang his headphones.

"In the 1970s we had only two or three discotheques. I have watched the revolution in the club scene," he says. "When I came to Nairobi in 1983 on promotion from Mombasa’s Florida Disco, there was only one DJ in Nairobi. He was a German."

DJ Tito had been lured to the capital by the management of Mad House on Koinange Street, which opened in 1977. The club was searching for an experienced DJ and Tito’s five years spinning at the Coast qualified him as the only candidate.

"I had been the DJ at Banda Disco (South Coast) and Florida before the lucrative offer came. Back then, most of the revellers were tourists, and the club beat was purely soul music," he notes.

It is no wonder that after dedicated service in the Florida clubs, where he made a name as the oldest and most prolific DJ, the club’s management has decided to host a farewell party in his honour. What’s more, other legendary DJs will be in the house.

This is a rare event that will provide a chance for pioneers of the trade to come to celebrate and reflect on an industry they have seen grow from infancy to a multi-million venture.

The all night event will be held at Attitude Restaurant in Florida 2000, Nairobi, on April 4. Expected to attend are yesterday’s spin masters such as John Makosa (formerly of Beat House Disco), The Five Pragasa — Kelvin, Leroy, Criss, Toni and Babbz (formerly of Carnivore Restaurant) — Abdul Haq (formerly of Bubbles Club) and DJ Stone, DJ Alloys Gor Biro (Visions) and Kariz Kid Junior (Florida 2000) among others.

An Epoch

"This is like an end and beginning of an era. It is the passing of a generation. The digital era is here yet we are talking of DJs who used to spin turntables manually. We want to honour DJ Tito for having pioneered deejaying in Kenya," says John Katana, the Manager, Florida group of clubs. He adds that Florida Mombasa, started in 1961, is the oldest existing discotheque in East Africa. Then there is Mad House and Florida 2000. Katana describes these as the bedrock of East African showbiz and gives DJ Tito credit for their development.

"Back then, I would get latest LPs from tourists in exchange for the few local bands," says DJ Tito.

Veteran peers

He remembers DJ Paco Perez (of Boomerangs), the late Sweet Dave (of Visions) and DJ Jeff (now working in Holland), as some of the finest back then.

"Deejaying was real. We used to do things manually and only a dozen or so DJs could mix music. We now have things like CDs and VCDs, which have made it easy for DJs to get their work going all night," he quips.

So, how does deejaying compare, now and then?

"It’s hard to compare the new generation of DJs with the old ones. But I believe we were far better and more sensitive on the kind of music we played," says DJ Stone, who came to the scene in the late 1980s when disco was known for the famous 3am "shika shika" time (when slow music was played).

With time, soul music paved way for Benga and Lingala music, and soon clubs sprouted, cluttering the disco scene with more DJs and other genres of modern music such as hip-hop.

"We knew that technology was bound to change one day and we are paving way to the new generation of DJs to take over from us. Deejaying is a big industry now and those who are in it should treat it as a serious investment," says DJ Stone.