An equal combination of charm and flawless grooming gives us, Ibrahim Muaz, also known as, DJ Batstar. Born into a low middle class family he did not grow up with much, but always had pockets filled with gratitude for all that his parents provided him with. However, after putting a hold on his education at 7th grade Ibrahim Muaz spent a fair share of his life doing “odd job here and there”, until he “found (his) opportunity in DJing”.

Like every other kid down the block DJ Batstar had his head in the clouds with a pipedream of being an entertainer. Surrounded by music from mainstream artists such as; Prodigy, Daftpunk and Tiesto, he could have never imagined the path that awaited him. On the contrary, there was one obstacle in his way; no matter how many DJ guide books Ibrahmin Muaz read only one thing can turn him into “DJ Batstar”, and that is the unattainable DJ gear.

To be a DJ one must own rare equipment which is “very expensive to get a hold of”, but when the time and opportunity came it was no surprise DJ Batstar was prepared; “One day a friend of mine Ahmed Imran AKA DJ IMBO, lent his DJ controller and taught me and my best friend some techniques, tips and tricks on how to get started on DJing. Since then I’ve been learning new techniques from other DJ’s and from the internet. I was ready to take it to the next step so I saved up some money to get my own controller (DJ gear) and the rest was history.”

Disc Jockey Culture

DJs have been around since the early 1930’s mixing recorded soundtracks within the walls of tiny radio shacks to popular nightclubs. It all started with creating cocktails from old Jazz at a dance party in Otley, England. Nevertheless, in the modern age we live in the most favored and common genre used by DJs have took a sharp turn to; Techno, hip-hop, house and Electronic music. A DJ in simple words must be the life of the party, and therefore they have numerous responsibilities. When asked what it meant to be a DJ, Muaz emphasized that “a DJ is person who sets the mood and vibe to any venue through mixing together different music already produced by other artists. Sometimes even manipulating two songs to create something new on the fly or pre meditated”.

Unfortunately, the hype within the DJ culture only reached Maldives in the 90’s, and even though countless years have passed the DJ community has yet to grow in our small nation. As DJ Batstar highlighted; “we don’t have a dedicated platform for us DJ’s to perform to the masses”. In addition, most concerts are held in resort Islands for tourists and even then “there still very little acknowledgement from the local community for the local DJs”.

Life as a DJ

You might have heard DJ Batstar’s craft on several occasions if you live in Maldives, as he has played in every venue there is to play in. From house parties and Disco’s to award ceremonies and National sporting events, the man has done it all. While earning his name and respect in the DJ world, he admits one cannot say “it’s the perfect career”, however “all the positive feedback on almost (his) all gigs” prove that it is indeed worth the struggle.

Moreover, for any local musician, entrepreneur or artist with an urge to create or make a living with their gift, it is quite challenging especially in Maldives due to the limited resources and opportunities at hand. This may be true, yet only to an extent; DJ Batstar has full confidence in the concept of “creating our own opportunities”, especially when society tells us there are none.

“creating our own opportunities”

Even the COVID-19 Pandemic could not stop DJ Batstar from seizing the moment and keeping his fans amused like any true entertainer would; “I did a live DJ set on my Facebook page during lockdown, I must say I am still shocked by the reactions and great comments about it from my followers and even random people. I am really grateful for that”.

DJ Batstar is driven by a significant career objective to “become well renowned in this industry both nationally and internationally, and hopefully produce (his) own music”. With a cluster of people who have faith in him and admire his work, one can say this goal will certainly be achieved in the near future.