A superhero with a cape is how Afro-tech DJ and music maven Citizen Deep feels every time he plays a set.

Born Tivani Mkhombo, Citizen Deep has been producing music since he was 15 years old. He worked hard to garner a household name for himself.

The Soweto-born muso strongly believes that Afro-tech saved him from a directionless life which made him undoubtedly champion in a genre that is fast growing its global footprint.

In 2021, the 28-year-old DJ released his first solo studio album Arcade (A Rare Collection of Art Designed to Entertain), which features the likes of Thiwe, Bertia, Lizwi and Sir Trill.

He has since recently returned with the release of Arcade 2, which is a part of his trilogy album offering.

It features artists such as Nkosana Daughter and Afrotraction.  

Why house music? 

Since I was young, I have always wanted to do something that involves music. Be it mixing, producing or creating beats… I always had an interest in it.

How did you come up with the name Citizen Deep?

This name wasn't my first option. I had many names prior to Citizen Deep. At first, I thought of branding myself as Deep Citizen because my sound was deep but I was later advised by someone to flip it around for it to sound better, and so I did. 

Who exposed you to music? 

I started experimenting with sound at a very young age. I used to love banging to the beat on my primary school classroom windows. This is where I would practice and hone my beat-thumping skills.

Little did I know that by doing that, my passion for music would grow more in high school. This is where I met like-minded peers who were up-and-coming DJs in our neighbourhood.

We all had this dream of starting something in the music industry. So, we thought of a label and learnt how we’d market ourselves. In 2009 I was confident enough to put my music out and I’ve been at it ever since. 

Did you experience any challenges on your journey to the top? 

Yes, there were a few. Deep house isn't as commercialised in SA and that can be quite challenging. Having to grow my name took years but I was patient and I guess all of this was worth the wait.

What are your career highlights?

Definitely playing out of the country to places like Ibiza and Europe… I never knew music would take me this far. It's always such a surreal moment for me when I play overseas.

Another highlight was going on stage and receiving my award for Best House Single at the Mzansi, Kwaito and House Music Awards (MKHMA) last year, I thought I was being pranked but seeing everyone’s faces showed me how real that moment was. It felt so good to be recognised like that.  

How would you describe your sound?

Simply put, it's a sound that evokes and moves the soul. It's a mixture of smooth beats, hybrid melody and deep beats. I am from Soweto. My sound has a big amapiano, soul and dance house influence. I tend to merge all these sounds as I am highly influenced by the music that’s current and happening.  

Looking back at all your efforts to make it into the music industry, what are you most grateful for?

For sticking to a “hybrid” sound that’s only now gaining popularity and blazing up the dance floors. With my release of Arcade 2, I hope people will gravitate towards all my songs but I know they'll love the songs I feature DJ Terance and Afrotraction, and my single Umhlaba Wakho featuring Nkosazana Daughter and Azana.  

I hope house fans will get to experience the warm and homely feeling that I felt when crafting and making the album. 

seemelam@arena.africa