”Your dreams are valid,” this was a quote brought home by Kenya’s hollywood star Lupita Nyong’o when she won an oscar for her role in the much acclaimed movie ”12 years a slave.”
This quote and many more inspiring quotes are what is pushing the boundaries for many including a 2 year old ambitious DJ who is causing waves in South Africa.
Oratilwe Hlongwane, otherwise known as DJ AJ. is only two years old, and has already become a sensation for his jaw dropping skills as a DJ.
So how did the little Oratilwe get to become a DJ ?
Sample his skills here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiMr3WyuNn0
It all began with his father Glen Hlongwane buying him an iPad before he was even born.
The iPad was loaded with educational apps to boost Oratilwe’s education. His father also downloaded a DJing app for himself. After excelling at the regular child development apps at only a year old, Oratilwe began playing with the DJ app.
Oratilwe then began to replicate the sounds he created on the DJ app using real DJing equipment.
The young boy is still learning to put together words but the toddler is already able to select and play music from a laptop.
His mother, Refiloe Marumo, credits his father’s decision to buy an iPad for his then unborn son.
At about a year old, DJ AJ learned how to manipulate the gadget. Not satisfied with number recognition games, he began to fiddle with his father’s DJ app.
The parents were blown away when their son, still in diapers, repeated what he had learned on the app on actual DJ equipment, playing with sound effects and bouncing between songs. A cellphone video of him playing went viral and now DJ AJ has nearly 25,000 Facebook fans.
His newfound fame has brought special appearances and sponsorship deals many older DJs dream of.
But celebrity has also brought some criticism as some accused his parents of abuse and profiting from their child’s precocious ability.
“I’m not going to exploit my kid,” said his father. DJ AJ’s parents will not allow him to play in clubs or at parties.
Hlongwane and Marumo are adamant that they will not force their son to be a DJ when he grows up, but say they believe his affinity for electronic equipment will probably decide his future.
