There aren’t as many clubs as there are DJs in the city, complains city-based DJ Rabbeqa. “And even at the few clubs here, the opportunity to play goes to some of the more senior DJs,” she explains. So the fact that she’s a woman DJ battling it out in a predominantly male-dominated industry is not the first problem she and her female counterparts face. “There are some newer male DJs who are also struggling to find gigs because of the number of clubs here in Chennai,” says Rabbeqa, who performed in the city recently.
But this situation doesn’t necessarily put to rest the reality that the number of female DJs in Chennai is definitely much lesser compared to other cities like Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore.“When I started out in 2005, it was just me and another girl. Right now, there might be four or five other girls who have taken up DJing. In fact, I think I might be the senior most female DJ in the city right now,” claims the 28-year-old, who learnt the ropes of DJing from a friend.
But on the bright side, Rabbeqa says there is a definite increase in the number of girls who are willing to get behind the console these days. “It’s definitely a good sign, but many of them play because they feel it’s ‘cool’.
They learn the basics from a DJ school and sometimes play just for the heck of it,” she says, “There’s definitely a difference between learning the basics and putting it to use effectively. It will be nice if they showed more interest in DJing as an art form.”
The thing about DJing, especially when it comes to women, is that there is a misguided notion that there is no job security in the business after a certain point. But DJing is not just about knowing how to mix and match and there is a lot more to it, Rabbeqa, who is known for her ‘janta music’, insists. “You’ll have to learn to setup and use your equipment. There is the option of going the digital way and music production. You could bring out an album,” she lists. “If you know all these elements, there are definitely other options apart from playing at gigs,” she says before clarifying that DJing has always been just a passion for her. “It’s never been my profession. I’m planning to study MBA soon,” she says.
Rabbeqa also thinks it’s important to add that acceptance from their male colleagues has been an area of concern for female DJs. “They definitely don’t accept most women DJs as professionals,” she rues. “But I’ve been lucky that way. Most male DJs have accepted me as a DJ, but that’s not what the problem really is,” she says before she goes on to explain, “It’s the ‘let’s give her an opportunity’ mentality that’s lacking in them.”
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