FIVE years after winning a music competition organised by music giants, Mi Casa, to remix their hit single, Nana, Bethelsdorp DJ brothers, Waven and Ruwayne Sebia, are still moving up in the industry – with exciting new opportunities coming their way daily.
The duo, known collectively as Jay Em, packed their bags and headed to Johannesburg after winning the competition, in an effort to make Nelson Mandela Bay, especially the northern areas, proud.
The brothers have been mentored by Mi Casa’s J’Something, and for 24-year-old Ruwayne, the younger of the two, life has become so much sweeter now that he is heading up the digital department at J’Something’s new restaurant in Sandton, called Artistry.
Waven (27) will be doing A&R (Artists and Repertoire) for one of Africa’s most iconic and legendary House Record Labels, Soul Candi. This means that he is now responsible for finding new artists.
“So far it has been nothing but amazing to be a part of these two massive brands. It all still feels altogether too good to be true,” said Waven.
“We definitely are blessed. If we have to look back to where we were five years ago and compare it to where we are now, it is truly amazing, and sometimes it feels like we are dreaming.
“We are so grateful for all the blessings and it’s crazy to think that it all started with music. J’Something is always pushing us to learn new skills, to explore new things, to always push the boundaries – and most importantly to always dream,” he said.
“J’Something is always teaching us something and sharing his knowledge with us, whether it’s about music, business or even life. The goal is to one day pass on what he has taught us and hopefully the next person will pass it on too, so that it will be a never-ending journey.”
When asked whether they are very homesick, Ruwayne added that they definitely miss home, their family and friends.
“Gqeberha will always be our home, especially the northern areas. We are always thinking of cool things to do in and for our city, and we are currently putting together some cool ideas for shows hosted by us in our home town.
“We try to visit as much as possible. We do miss a lot of family birthdays and weddings due to work, but our family is very understanding and still do support us in everything we do,” he said.
The two are getting ready to release new music and have even collaborated with an artist from the UK.
“We also have a song that’s about to be released soon with our big brother, J’Something. We love this song so much and really hope that our supporters will enjoy our new music and hope that they can hear the growth,” the duo said.
The release dates for the two new songs are provisionally towards the end of June and September this year.
