Tshwane-based House music DJ and also producer Sthamzen is making it big in the music industry.
This is evidenced by the fact that on 21 September this year he won the Best DJ category at the Music, Arts and Media Awards ceremony held at the Victory Theatre in Joburg.
This was the fifth installment of the annual awards.
Sthamzen told Tshwane Talks that he specialises in deep house, afro house, afro tech and soulful house at the moment.
“I was very excited and still am at the moment about winning the Best DJ Award,” he said.
“During the voting period I had to make sure I push harder to claim the award as I wanted it with all my heart and it means a lot to me as a DJ who has been in the business for ten years now,” enthused Sthamzen.
“I have always loved music from a young age though all along I had never thought that I would be a professional music artist, but now I have come to realise that it’s made for me and that I have the talent required to make it big in the music industry,” he said.
Sthamzen said he started exploring his DJ profession while he was still in High School.
He revealed that though he doesn’t have family members or relatives who are musicians like him, his youngest uncle and mother are music lovers and that’s where he thinks he inherited his talent for music.
He grew up admiring Kwaito star Mdu Masilela because as a young boy he was a Kwaito music fan.
Presently he is inspired by musicians like DA Capo, Black Coffee, Vinny Da Vinci and DJ Kent.
“My parents had different views about my career choice, my mom supported me always and still does, but my father who passed away in 2021 was against the idea of me becoming a musician because of the negative lifestyles of some musicians,” explained Sthamzen.
He said his father simply wanted him to be an academic and get a “proper job” but before he passed on, he had accepted and seen that I love music and that I have the talent to make it big,” he said.
Sthamzen was actually born Thamsanqa Mehlomakhulu 28 years ago in Sebokeng township in the Valley area, but currently lives in Danville, Tshwane.
In his spare time Sthamzen works as a football coach and actually obtained a Caf D coaching license in 2023.
He is also a graduate of Internal Auditing and has a bachelor’s degree in this regard, which he obtained from Vaal University of Technology.
His manager, Precious Tiisetso Khambule is proud of working with an artist like Sthamzen, this as he is determined about his career and knows what he is doing.
“As his manager my aim is to expand and strengthen his fan base and get him more gigs, this as I believe that he is the next Black Coffee of this era,” enthused Khambule.