Ghana boasts of many impressive creatives with talent and drive to own the stage anywhere in the world. This bevy of talents have played an instrumental growth in placing the country as one of the entertainment capitals on the continent.

When the annals of Ghanaian Djs is written, one DJ Juicy wont be left out. Despite being relatively new on the scene, this DJ has played on multiple stages and events including Tidal Rave, Bhim Concert and for brands like Boomplay. We caught up with Dj Juicy to understand his craft and drive for music and spinning records.

Spark: Tell us a little about yourself? Where did you grow up, what type of family did you grow up in:

DJ Juicy: My Government name is Tobi Job Kwesi Tandoh. I was born to a Nigerian mother and a Ghanaian father. I was born in Ghana but I stayed in Lagos, Nigeria for sometime when I was a kid. I attended primary school at Kabore School in Ho, the capital of the Volta Region. I then went on to attend Bishop Herman Senior High School also in the Volta Region and then moved on to University of Ghana. I studied bachelor of science in political science and information studies which has helped me in my DJ career. I plan on furthering my education, I might do my masters in marketing to help improve my craft and maybe venture into music business

Spark: What inspired you to pursue a career in DJing, and how did you get your start in the industry?:

DJ Juicy: I stumbled on the DJ career when I was in level 300 at the university. I started as a campus DJ, playing in rooms when they had drink ups. I liked being a DJ and I also wanted to inspire other students to balance their skill, talent and passion together with education. Thankfully Kobby Fish who was an organiser in Elizabeth Sey hall put me on my first major gig. It was a concert sponsored by the Marie Stopes organisation. They had a sexual health education which came with a number of events and climaxed it with a concert.

Spark: Your energy on stage is electrifying. How do you maintain that level of enthusiasm during long sets?

DJ Juicy: I wanted to have a unique style that separates me from other DJs. I also wanted to engage the crowd a lot more because as a DJ you’re an entertainer. I didn’t just want to stand behind the controller and play the music. Also there’s a misconception about me out there, some people think I take in substances to help me perform and stay energetic and that’s not true. I just hydrate very well before going on stage.

Spark: Can you share the story behind your most memorable performance so far?:

I have a lot of great memories. Let me run you through a few highlights I can remember right now. After the Marie Stopes concert, Elorm Atoplay of twitchhouse discovered me and gave me another gig with the Indomie campus invasion. This concert was a big stepping stone for me because it was a campus tour and I had the privilege to play at University of Cape coast, KNUST and Legon. After this, I went on a campus tour myself and then Medical put me on his Welcome to Suotuom which gave me street credibility. Nana Dope put me on Shatta Wale’s freedom concert, the first edition at Accra Sports Stadium and got the opportunity to play at the second edition the following year also. I also got the opportunity to play at Stonebwoy’s 5th Edition Bhim concert. Guinness Accravaganza, Pent Hall Week and 3music events were also great performances for me.

Spark: You’re planning to start a podcast. What themes or topics do you intend to explore and how do you plan to differentiate it from others in the industry?

DJ Juicy: The Juicy podcast aims to talk about the entertainment and creative industry which involves DJs, artistes, dancers, photographers, graphic designers, MCs, producers, models, fashion designers etc. We will have blunt conversations talking about the systems working or lacking in the creative space, the struggles, the payment policies, the stereotypes and a lot more. I have shot two episodes, the first one is “Challenges creatives face” and the other one is “Respect for the job”. I want people out there to know about the creative space factually and not just have stereotypes in their heads. People tend to see creative jobs as a joke or non serious jobs and I want to change that notion.

Spark: What challenges have you faced in growing your career, and how have you overcome them?

DJ Juicy: Challenges come with the job, you have to embrace them and be determined to overcome them. When I started I didn’t have a controller so I took a risk, I used my school fees to buy the controller and later used the money I got from gigs to pay my fees. The financial challenges are there, I’m not under a label but I have a team who help me. Other times people have tried to sabotage me and dent my name but I prevailed in the end.

Spark: Tell us about your annual event. What makes it special, and what do you have planned for this year’s edition?

DJ Juicy: Juicy experience!!!!! Is very dear to my heart. It’s a high-energy DJ-only event in a sleek, futuristic nightclub setting, featuring a lineup of top music DJs, immersive light shows, and vibrant visual projections to create an unforgettable night of dancing and music. I want to promote diversity of DJs, there will be a bit of fashion in there and the night will be climaxed by me. I have already started a campus tour towards the event. I will continue with club tours, pop ups, regional tours and at the end of the year I will set a date in December for the main event; Juicy Experience live Concert.

Spark: What role do social media and digital platforms play in your career?

DJ Juicy: They play a major role in my career because I blew up on Instagram and after that I got a good amount of audience on my other social media platforms. I took a short online course in digital marketing after university which has also helped me a lot. Social media has really projected my craft and has gotten me a lot of gigs.

Spark: Can you share any interesting behind-the-scene moment from a show you attended?

DJ Juicy: there was one time it was my turn to play and the Dj before me who was already playing didn’t want to allow me to play, so I let him continue playing and then surprisingly the crowd started booing him and changing “we want DJ juicy” and the organizers had to tell him to disconnect so that I play and when I started playing the energy I received was mad.

Spark: What advice would you give to aspiring DJs looking to make a name for themselves in the industry?

DJ Juicy: I will tell them it’s not easy so they have to be spiritually strong and mentally focused. Also DJing in your room is different from Djing to a physical crowd. Performing on stage is very draining and it gets tiring sometimes but if you have passion for it, you can maneuver.

Spark: If you could create the perfect event or festival lineup, mention 5 musicians you’d want on your stage?

DJ Juicy: Black Sherif, David Guetta, Missy Elliott, Shatta Wale and Wizkid

“Exciting things are in the works—merch is coming soon, so don’t miss out!”

Follow DJ Juicy on his social media channels here