DJ Sid - Coat of many Colours

Source : Kutlwano

Author : Mothusi Soloko

Location : Gaborone

Event : Interview

He sauntered into my office and ensconced himself on the chair with the simplicity that made me uncomfortable. A large African earring that would have looked perfect on a mature black woman dangled from his left ear while three silver bracelets sparkled from his wrists. With legs crossed and one elbow resting on the armchair to support the rest of the body which was tilted to the right, his finger nails revealed a red and black nail polish while both his thumb and small finger nails were kept long.

Dreadlocks stood erect on his head. To say this is veteran Dj Sid would perhaps be an unbelievable story. It is neither his prowess on the turntables that packs the dance floor with sweaty bodies, nor his natural skill for genre blending that caused a sudden surge of his popularity. Until Recently, Sydney Baitsile, otherwise popularly known as Dj Sid or Monnamogolo as he prefers to call himself, came across as a Dj of oddies.  First, a surge of excitement and incredulity raced through the packed hall at one of MyStar shows when Dj Sid entered the hall spotting golden tinted dreadlocks. Then there was this Nigerian outfit and while his face spotted three dots that Indian women normally paint on their foreheads, a set of rings littered his fingers. All that combined, made him the most trending artist in almost all social networks.

Incidentally, news of artists doing weird things to gain popularity is not a new phenomenon. We have heard of South African Brenda Fassie and the American Madonna. The question that arises then is whether Sid is one of those artists that may be willing to pay whatever prize for fame or is this just a fortuitous combination of circumstances. Whatever the case, Sid seems not to have never disappointed with whatever is in his bag of oddies.

News of his seemingly weird escapades continues to make rounds. Some think Sid could be going through a mental breakdown while others are already making insinuations that his behaviour is that of a man coming out of the closet. The rumor mill keeps on grinding and it got fiercer after the veteran Dj failed to snap back at these allegations during a telephone interview with one of the local radio stations. When the radio presenter asked Sid whether he was gay, he simply rertoted: “I don’t know”. The news immediately went viral on social media while MyStar viewership skyrocketed that weekend.

“Some people think I’m gay, even my cousin the other day called me and asked me about it,” says Sid.  The true picture, according to him, is that the allegations fall far short of the truth. “I just laugh off when people make those insinuations because I just do these things for fun,” he quips.

Sid says he has long stopped buying new clothes hence most of the attire he wears is from yesteryears.  “The buzz about my attire first started when I came to MyStar show wearing a certain old fashioned jersey. People started talking. Some of the clothes I wear are from my old wardrobe and people think they are funny but I enjoy it,” he enthuses.

Away from the limelight and controversy, Dj Sid is a man with a clear vision for the future and does not exhibit any signs of resting on his laurels. Having spent the past two decades of his career hoping from one radio station to another, Sid does not beat about the bush painting a vivid picture of a future he desires. With an online radio station called Sid FM playing only local music under his belt, the man dreams of owning a television show, another radio station and a nightclub that plays local and African music only. “In so much as doing what I like is concerned, my journey up to this far has been fulfilling but financially there has not been much gains but just doing what you like and making people happy is in itself a reward,” he says. The joy of unearthing big names such as Dj Fresh and Owen and having been a founding member of almost all local radio stations, is what keeps Sid going. Sid is still one of the hottest and the most favourite Dj around. ENDS