Call him one of the best Disc Jockeys in Nigeria and you may not be wrong. Despite having his base in the ancient city of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, Popoola Gafar Olatubosun aka Dj Gavpop who also doubles as the household Dj of Splash 105.5 FM Radio and official Dj of Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Oni of Ife, is no doubt a name to reckon with when talking about professional Djs. Gavpop reveals the secret of how he manages to carve a niche for himself in a chat with PMParrot’s OLUDOTUN AJIBOLA and OMOTOYOSI JESULEYE. He reveals how he starts his DJ career and what are his aspirations. Enjoy.
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our reader?
My name is Popoola Gafar Olatubosun, I am from Ibadan Oyo State. I attended St Johns Anglican Primary School, Molete Ibadan and Community Grammar School, Kudeti, Ibadan for my primary and secondary school education before I proceeded to The Polytechnic, Ibadan where I studied Banking and Finance. I am a graduate of Banking and Finance from the said institution and I did my National Youth Service Corps in Osun State House of Assembly in the year 2000.
How did you start this disc jockey business?
Thanks for the question. Music is in built for me because I grew up listening to good music through my elder brothers. They were musically oriented and this really influenced my journey into music and thank God for Dj Scratch who trained me to be a professional DJ.
You are a Graduate of Banking and Finance, So why disc jockeying as a profession?
I chose Disc Jockey business because I am very passionate about music and I am grateful to God for my choice of career. Though I am also business oriented because I used to sell stuffs way back in school, today, I get paid for my passion which is music and that makes me feel fulfilled in life .
What was your parents’ reaction at the beginning of your career?
It is true parents didn’t really support their children to venture into showbiz back then, because many of them saw it as time wastage, but I am so lucky to have my parents’ support from the early days of my career and that really helped me a lot.
What was the first experience like?
Wow… It was a crazy experience that I can never forget. On my first experience as a DJ, I was on my feet for about four hours and my legs were shaking like hell because that was strange for me and again after the show, the taxi driver that was supposed to pick me did not show up until like five hours later. I was tired, hungry and look unkempt and everybody was looking at me with pity.
Gavpop has become a household name among Nigerian Djs, how did you manage to attain this feat despite being based in Ibadan?
My brother that is God’s doing and with a dint of hard work. My being based in Ibadan does not mean you cannot be heard and known across the country. I am a fanatic of hard work and prayer and I know this helps me a lot.
Many artists believe one cannot get to the top of his or her career until he or she stays in Lagos, what is your take on this?
Though Lagos is the centre nerve of entertainment and the influence to make it big is there, but when you have good contents you can explode anywhere. Just make sure you are good at what you do and always leave room for improvement. Dreams can be achieved anywhere.
Tell us about DJ Gavpop academy?
The academy is a disc jockey school organized to help young and aspiring people that want to become professional DJs, and at the same time, it’s a way of creating job opportunity for young people. I have been able to train lots of people and I thank God many of them are doing fine both at home and abroad. Just of recent, one of my trainees made it to one of the most celebrated reality shows, ‘Big Brother Naija’ as the official household party Dj in South Africa and you can see Dj Toy proved himself. In fact, having Disc Jockey School is one of the greatest things I am enjoying because I feel fulfilled as I am impacting lives.
But don’t you think you need to impact people from other States apart from Oyo State?
Yes, we are coming up with inter-state Disc Jockey Training. The plans are ongoing. People have been calling for this all over the states and we are already set to do the needful. We are going to announce the commencement date very soon.
Professionally you will clock 20 years as a Dj, are you planning any elaborate celebration?
The plans are still underground. I promise, we are going to update the media when it is time.
Who are you looking up to as a role model in this Dj career ?
Maximum respect to all other DJ’s. The two people I am looking up to are DJ Jimmy Jatt and DJ Semight. Jimmy Jatt is almost 30 years on stage and he has remained unstoppable. It is not easy to be on top of one’s game for so long. I really like him and for DJ Semight, despite not being directly focussed on Disc Jockeying, he still made himself unstoppable in Ibadan. They are great men.
How many awards have you won for yourself?
Mehn… I can’t really remember all the awards I have won but those that I can recollect for now are, Nigeria International Award (NY), Nigeria Entertainment Award (Best Dj Award Africa Category), MAYA Award (Hall of Fame) Eminence Award, Nigeria Broadcasting Merit Award(Best DJ) Ibadan (Hall of Fame), Screams Award and many more.
What is your aspiration as a DJ?
My aspiration is to become an International DJ and be recognised across the world. Although, I am getting there gradually I was hosted in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and South Africa just of recent.
What are your do’s and don’t?
I love listening to music. All what I do is watching musical stations and I don’t take alcohol.
Your advice for those that are looking up to you?
They should be prayerful, hardworking and respect people. These three things go a long way.
