DJ_Burna on finding her sound, navigating Abuja’s nightlife and building a brand behind the decks

ABUJA is definitely my city. Wuse 2 is where my career really took shape, especially in music. The city gave me room to experiment, different crowds to learn from and enough opportunities to figure out what kind of DJ I wanted to become.

I had always loved music, but DJing made me realise there was another way of experiencing it. I remember watching my brother DJ at home and thinking, “This is actually fun. I can do this.” So I started learning. It wasn’t easy at first. Everything had to be figured out from scratch — how to approach a set, how to select records, how to transition between songs and, most importantly, how to read a room.

I started with school parties, friends and small events, making mixtapes and practising whenever I could. I was still finding my feet, but I was also having fun with it. By the time I graduated from the University of Abuja in 2018, I knew I wanted to take DJing seriously.

Abuja was the perfect place for that kind of experimentation. You can play to completely different crowds in the same city, and they will let you know very quickly if you are doing your job or not. You have to learn fast. You have to understand the room, know when to push a sound and when to pull back, and understand that being a good DJ is not simply about having good music.

For me, the art is in the connection. You can have the best playlist in the world, but if you cannot communicate with the crowd, something is missing. I became increasingly interested in the details — the transitions, the energy, the timing, the way one record can completely change the atmosphere in a room.

There also weren’t many female DJs around when I was starting out, so I had to find my own space in what was, and still is in many ways, a male-dominated industry. Sometimes I was treated as competition or underestimated simply because I was a woman. But those experiences pushed me to become better and more deliberate about my craft.

I stopped thinking only about getting the next gig and started thinking about what I was building. DJ_Burna had to become more than a person playing music. It had to become a sound, a personality and an experience.

That is also why I started creating my own events. POOL UP, my annual pool party, comes from the more playful, energetic side of my personality, while Space 99 is rooted in my love for R&B and Hip-Hop. They are different experiences, but both allow me to create the kind of environment I want to experience as a music lover.

One of the moments that really showed me how far the journey had come was at Obi’s House in Lagos. I was doing what I love, completely in my element, when Kai Cenat and Davido joined me on stage. Suddenly, the moment went viral. It brought a new audience to my work, but more importantly, it reminded me that you never really know where a set can take you.

Another moment came at a Heineken event when Tony Elumelu heard me play and sent for me afterwards. I had taken that particular gig for less than my usual budget, but it opened the door to several UBA events, which I still do today. That taught me something important about this industry: sometimes an opportunity is bigger than the money attached to it.

Over time, I’ve realised that being a DJ is also about building an identity. Music, fashion, confidence, aura and the way you carry yourself all become part of the experience. I want people to recognise DJ_Burna even before I touch the decks.

Abuja will always be the city that gave me my foundation, but travelling has expanded my understanding of the art. Experiencing different nightlife cultures, hearing different sounds and watching DJs in other cities has made me realise how much more there is to explore.

I’m now thinking beyond Abuja and Lagos. I’m thinking globally. I want DJ_Burna, also known as Big Smoke, to be a brand that can move between cities and cultures while still retaining its identity.

There have been difficult moments, of course. Clients have owed me money, opportunities have not always worked out, and the industry comes with its share of politics. But I’ve learnt not to let those things define the journey. I’ve learnt to build better systems, understand my value and, above all, keep improving. Because talent can get you into a room, but it is the craft that keeps you there. And I still have a lot of rooms I want to enter.