Welcome to "Stories from the Culture" (#SFTC), a blog series where we profile everyday people from around the globe to tell us how their culture enriches their human experience. These stories follow an interview format and except for spelling and some grammatical adjustments, none of their responses are edited in any way.
Today's Feature: Nicholas Afriyie aka DJ Shorty
What's your cultural background and which country are you currently based
African from Ghana but live in Toronto, Canada.
If you had a maximum of 5 sentences to describe yourself, how would you do it?
Been a Dj for over 20 years. Specialty in Ghanaian music, Afrobeats, Reggae, Dancehall, Hip-hop & R&B, Old Skool Funk and anything and everything that turns up the dance floor.
You chose DJing as a means of expressing yourself in the world. What is it about DJing that specifically appeals to you as a mode of expressing yourself?
Seeing people happy and letting go of everything on the dance floor brings great joy to my heart. And when the mix is on point and the beats are hitting my ear drums just makes my soul rejoice.
How connected would you say you are to your African heritage? And how does your heritage impact the way you move in the world?
I believe I'm fairly connected to my African heritage since I'm always trying to promote Ghana and Africa to the world through music. Back in the 90s it was not cool to be African but since the rise of Afrobeats and Amapiano it has help to make Africa attractive.
What’s one song you can listen to no matter what mood you’re in or what’s going on in life? (If you can pick just one being a DJ)
The one song that I listen to no matter what mood or what’s going on in life is by Daddy Lumba from Ghana. It’s called Aben Wo Ha. Its simple words are fire wherever I'm Djing.
How would you describe your personal fashion style?
My personal fashion style is comfortable but for corporate and weddings I usually wear nice button up shirt with a blazer.
What's your favourite clothing item that you own?
Favourite clothing item that I own is golf shirts with my DJ logo at the back.
What does it mean to you, to be culture rich?
Culture Rich to me means, being able to still preserve my Ghanaian language twi and also loving my music and traditions even though is easy to forget them.
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Thanks to DJ Shorty for chatting with us.
If you're based in Toronto and need a DJ for your event, we really encourage you to hit up his page.
At Culture Rich World (CRW), we aim to be more than just a luxury clothing company. We are committed to telling human stories, amplifying the voices of those in the diaspora and ultimately, promoting the sharing of culture across people groups.
To be featured in our "Stories from the Culture" #SFTC series, click here!