Urban Music People (UMP) Festival continues to show its vibrancy ahead of its three-day feast dubbed ‘The Evolution’ in October as it has announced that three female DJs will play headliners.
The three DJs are Amtanga The DJ, La Perle The DJ and DJ Bubblegum.
The three DJs received the highest number of votes in a public social media vote conducted by UMP Festival organisers, Chitoliro Productionz.
The festival’s spokesperson Marie Thom said Thursday that they were happy to have female DJs starring at the festival as headliners as part of raising the bar for women creatives.
“UMP is an inclusive festival and, so, we would like to have all the talents on board and performed by male and female artists. Chitoliro Productionz is in a 50:50 campaign initiative and this is why we opened a public vote on social media to give power to the people to select female DJs,” Thom said.
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The move also comes barely a week after UMP Festival organisers announced that this year’s event will crown the Miss UMP.
Amtanga The DJ has since said she is excited to be part of the performers at the UMP Festival this year.
“I am happy to be part of this big event. Being a female DJ and to get such recommendations from people, it is a source of motivation and I do not take it for granted. I will make sure I give out my all during the festival and will not disappoint,” she said.
The former member of urban music group Nyasa Queens, Amtanga The DJ, said her passion in music prompted her to start doing DJ lessons inspired by DJ Zinhle and Uncle Waffles, among others.
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DJ Bubblegum could not hide her excitement, saying she was geared to offer a matchless act.
“Cape Maclear is one of my favourite places; so, I cannot wait to be there. I am looking forward to performing at such a beautiful, culturally vibrant and, yet, hidden gem,” she said.
DJ Bubblegum said as a DJ who has been in the industry for a while now, she applauded UMP Festival for including female DJs on the lineup.
“I would like to acknowledge the inclusivity of more female DJs at the festival. It shows a lot of growth and more bravery from women to take up spaces in areas that are male dominated,” she said.
The DJ, who has performed at a number of top events including Tumaini Festival, said music has always been part of her life.
“My father was a DJ and owned equipment. He is the one who taught me, and my three sisters, the trade,” she said.
She started deejaying professionally in 2017.
On her part, La Perle The DJ hailed people for voting for her to be part of UMP Festival.
“I call myself lucky to be voted by the public as one of the female DJs to perform at UMP Festival because there are many female DJs in the country who are doing well,” she said.
The Dzaleka Refugee Camp-based DJ, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, said she was looking forward to sharing the stage with other DJs and artists at the festival.
In 2021 she won the UMP Best Up and Coming Female DJ award.
UMP Festival will be held at Cape Maclear in Mangochi from October 25 to 28.
