MUMBAI: DJ Willy, a Mumbai based DJ, with a keen knowledge of technical and interactive skills both in his music and performances harked back to the time when people looked up to DJs very differently.
“There were not many families letting their children pursue music as their career, because of the vulnerability of the work and it’s uncertainty. Yes the 90’s era was for only live bands, musicians and not much regard was given for DJs at a function,” expressed DJ Willy who opened up in an interview with Radioandmusic.com.
He enunciated further, “It took time for the mindset of people to get into a transition of entertaining themselves through recorded music. That was the biggest challenge, I believe to have someone call you for their functions to perform for hours at a rock bottom price which then really did not matter.”
Willy grew up on a staple diet of the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, and Bill Haley and His Comets. Inspiration drew from his neighborhood full of musicians creating an urge to embark on his own career, at the budding age of 16.
Fresh out of school, Willy made it his goal to pursue his musical passion, breaking free of the social normalities and stigmas. “I was never much of a book guy,” He said while reminiscing upon his childhood memories with a grin.
Well Willy expressed in the 90’s there was not much scope in DJing, but the only way to step into this field was to associate yourself with sound professionals.
“I did just that getting a sense of how music was showcased to the audiences. Learning technicalities about sound function, DJ console. It was a part of the process. So yes assisting the handful DJs of the time was a great experience and so much to learn of building up music sense in you. I am fortunate to have seen the nuances of sound setup and the vast memory of music that one DJ needs to hold,” he added.
DJ Willy has a plethora of amazing memories of the early scene.
What followed were stints at Enigma at The Marriot and a residency at Poison, one of the most famous clubs in the city at that time, Club Royalty, where he wowed crowds and performed with international acts frequently. Now he is on his next game, and it will be bigger and larger than ever before.
Further Willy mentions he is in talks with one of the most prominent musicians, composer, songwriter, and singer Neeraj Shridhar aka Bombay Vikings.
Now with his legacy moving forward to a new endeavor, where does Willy see the scene headed? “Music is always cyclical. But I think perhaps EDM has run aground,” he says. Trap (a genre of music that uses multi-layered synthesizers, grimy and rhythmic snares; and heavy sub-bass lines) is the new thing, he feels.