How did your journey in music begin, and what were the biggest influences at the start of your career?
My life in art began in church from a very young age, around 8 or 9, when I took part in children's musicals. In 1989, together with my brother, I decided to form NSTAR, a hip hop group with a gospel essence, which was our distinctive mark. In 1994, we expanded the group by joining forces with Demy OG, Cem Paus and Deuce and, later, in 1997, with Da Davil, and we founded the group Auto Squad. We realised that we needed a DJ, and the one chosen was Damost. That is how my journey as a DJ began, in 1995. At that time, I had the support of DJ DarMix and DJ Mandito for the foundations of the tropical style, since initially I only played hip hop. My eternal international influence will always be DJ Premier, of Gang Starr.
Can you tell us about some of the collaborations with other artists that you consider the most impactful in your career so far?
I have done several collaborations, both on my albums and on those of other artists, such as Lizha James, Valdemiro José, Mr. Bow, Denny OG, Nstar, Dama do Bling, Mr. Kuka, DJ Ardilles and Ubakka, among many others! It is important to stress that a significant part of my success is down to the producer Mr. Dino, who is responsible for my biggest hits. What is more, I have shared the booth with the best DJs in Africa and beyond! I feel truly blessed.
Among your biggest hits, is there one you consider more special? Can you share the story behind that song?
On the market, I have several hits, such as "Waku Kuluka", "Pepetsa Remix" (with Dama do Bling), "Masseve" (with Ubakka) and "Katlha", which I consider my number one hit, produced by Mr. Dino and featuring the voice of Mr. Bow. This song has a funny story, as it came about during the recording of a track by Zav, when Mr. Bow, helping with the capture, asked her to press the big key on the keyboard to move forward, saying: "Just go katlha on the white bar of the keyboard!" Mr. Dino, the magician, captured that detail and created the song from the samples. Then Mr. Dino and I worked together on extending the samples, including the intro and the ending, and we put the track on the album "TomeNota Vol 1". I promoted it following local standards, and the hit is what it is to this day!
Throughout your career, what were the biggest challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
I faced several challenges, but the biggest was steering my work towards playing more Mozambican music, rather than music from other parts of the world. That happened in 2019. At first, I was heavily booed, until the public began to understand the importance of valuing our identity. As a result, whereas I used to do 100 shows a year at most, today the number has at least doubled.
What was it like to be a brand ambassador? How did it influence your image and career?
Being a brand ambassador is something that comes naturally to me. The first brand I represented was Pepsi, an international one, and I have not stopped since. I currently represent Multichoice (DStv), Gentlemans Barbershop, Ganda and Dr. Langa Consultório e Serviços de Saúde. I am also the CEO of TNi (TomeNota Investimentos), which is dedicated to the creation and production of corporate and social events, fairs and artist management, among other things.
What are your goals and plans for the future of your career? Is there a specific project you can give us a glimpse of?
Shortly, I will be launching my book, which is a biography and part of a social responsibility project. I intend to continue supporting Mozambican culture in all its aspects and to encourage young people never to give up on their dreams. I am committed to making the celebration of my 30 years in the business something truly memorable.
What message would you like to send to your fans and to the people who have followed your work over the years?
I rarely call them fans. To the supporters of DJ Damost, all I can say is that I am very grateful for the love they have placed in me, and I intend to keep doing the work that you entrust to me!
