Former DJ, Azigiza Jnr has called for the establishment of a union for DJs to help build the profession and weed out the chaff.

Azigiza Jnr, now a pastor, believes that such a union will strengthen the industry and also give respect to the craft.

The former host of Joy Beach Jam on Joy FM made the call in an interview with Joy Prime at the 2017 edition of the Ghana DJ Awards at the Silver Star Tower in Accra last Saturday.

At the awards, the former DJ received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his enormous contribution to the growth of DJing in the country.

Born Victor Kpakpo Addo Jnr and now known as Pastor Azigiza, he showed off some of his back-in-the-day skills at the awards night.

Speaking to Ibrahim Ben-Bako after receiving his award, an emotional Azigiza Jnr confessed that his little display on stage brought back fond memories.

“It brought memories of the beginning, memories of hard work, memories when people didn’t respect the art and the work of DJs,” he said.

He admitted that DJs now enjoy some level of respect but believes that, “it can still be better that is why I was advocating for a serious DJs union where if you don’t meet certain criteria or whatever it is, you can never be a part of it.”

“DJing a serious business that is respected all over the world, the time has come for us to like repackage ourselves,” the former DJ added.

Azigiza Jnr blamed the increasing mediocrity in the industry on modernity but said the DJs union will cure it.

“The challenge here is that everybody can get a software, everybody can load a laptop and everybody can play a song. In our time, it was manual. Now it is digital so things have changed but all the same, once the union comes to play, we will then have to streamline who we call a DJ,” he said.

Asked if he will support any move to help establish a DJs union, he responded in the affirmative.

“I will do it with all my heart,” he said.

He said not even his current status as a pastor will stop him from supporting a move to build a union for DJs because “we can actually shape some young ones to become great DJs.”  

Azigiza Jnr worked at Joy FM from 1995 to 2000 and apart from the Joy Beach Jam, he hosted the Guinness Top 20, Speak Easy and Francophone Time.