×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

Musician & trend-setter DJ Doowap releases much-anticipated debut album

Doowap is also embarking on a global tour that will see her play in Ibiza, Paris and New York

DJ Doowap set to take over the world.
DJ Doowap set to take over the world.
Image: Supplied.

The sky is the limit for the musician and trend-setter DJ Doowap as she moves from strength to strength.

Real name Khetsiwe Morgan, she has released her much-anticipated debut album Izinja Zeb’suku and has embarked on a global tour that will see her play in Ibiza, Paris and New York. Originally from Swaziland, Doowap has become an influential figure within the SA landscape of fashion and music.

Her bass-driven music, inspired by underground scenes across the world, has remained innovative and genre-breaking since her days at YFM. The young, outspoken and disarmingly passionate DJ has played at the biggest clubs, fashion weeks, festivals and after-parties from Berlin, Switzerland to Paris. 

How did you get here?

I was a massive sportsperson, I did springboard diving for South Africa and that allowed me to tour the world and get the mentality of being very competitive and driven. I was the best in South Africa for like five years running and I still believe that nothing can get in my way. I moved to Montreal, Canada, to train there and then I moved to London to go to the Olympics. It was a mess up – I started going to underground clubs, drum and bass, garage; I was lost in the sauce. Diving became an afterthought and I fell in love with music. 

I studied sound-engineering in London, got depressed and then studied back in Johannesburg. I was frustrated that I didn’t have money so I started DJing on the side and my first show was in Roxy’s, Melville, and YFM called me the next day and I had a show for about two years and that really opened a lot of doors. I started taking DJing super seriously, playing a lot of gigs, getting sponsored, touring overseas and playing almost every local festival. 

I am a very visual person and fashion is a huge part of my identity. I imagine my style to exist in the metaverse, it's futuristic, it's untouchable, it’s always changing and always moving forward.

Image: Supplied.

Tell me about your album? 

I'm finally dropping my debut album after all these years. It is called Izinja Zeb’suku, dawgs of the night, it's dedicated to those in the shadows, the underground; most people don’t realise the massive, massive waves that we are making; we are game changers. The album is dedicated to the innovators, the ones inspired by hairstyles to clothes and sneakers. The sound is quiet, mid-tempo house, a lot of South African sub-genres like amapiano and gqom, pretty much everything that inspires me. It is a culmination of old-school sounds to the new ones. 

What can fans be excited for? 

We have crazy merchandise coming out, silk shirts with our own print, skateboards, bead-work – I am so excited about the whole experience. The tour stars next week (June 17) in Ibiza, then Paris Fashion Week, and then the States, and so many places in between. I've got a whole production team with me and a few crazy shows like Daily Paper and Pigalle, Sneakers and Stuff, I am very excited. The whole tour finishes in New York and I'm DJing for Soulection, which is a full circle moment as I used to play their stuff on YFM. When they reached out it was a very emotional moment and it's at one of the biggest venues, the Brooklyn Mirage. 

What have you learnt on this journey? 

To trust myself; I used to play UK stuff before it was mainstream, no one understood grime then, no one got it. I clearly have the sauce, I am an innovator and I need to trust myself. If I am guided by myself, I am going to reach the top. 

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.