Global music sensation DJ Shalé has touched down in Cape Town and is amped to showcase her self-taught DJ skills at club TAO on Saturday, April 6.
The 31-year-old Jay Shalé shot to fame when she first shared her online DJ presence and grew her South African fan base via the internet.
Known for her infectious energy and love for music; DJ Shalé's journey began in 2016, and since then, she has captured hearts worldwide with her passion and charisma.
Originally from Germany and now a proud Texas Southern University alum, DJ Shalé made her mark with a viral 90s throwback mix.
She has opened for Jazzy Jeff, pioneered as the first front-facing DJ for the Atlanta Dream, and left her mark on international stages from New Zealand to Nigeria.
The vibrant DJ who calls the Mother City the home of her biggest South African fan base, is bringing her unique blend of beats and charisma to ‘Unlocked Rhythms’ with her live sets.
We caught up with DJ Shalé, who claimed Cape Town to be her highest supporters outside the US.
“I am so thankful, music is a universal language and I love how it brings people together.
“Ironically enough, based on data from my socials, Cape Town is the top and highest city outside of the US that supports me. I'm super excited to jam out with you guys!
“This show is going to probably be one of, if not, my absolute favourite, I can feel it already.”
She recalls her first ever public DJ set played.
“My first public set was about two weeks after I got my first DJ controller. Being self-taught, I reached out to my friends who knew promoters to see how I'd be able to get into the clubs - being that the club DJ was the only kind of DJ I was familiar with at the time.
“This was some years back and I can't remember in detail how I did, but I must've done well enough to be asked to come back again weekend after weekend,” she laughs.
And continues: “Since that set, one of the areas I feel I improved in most is my mic work. I used to stay far away from the microphone as that is a whole separate skill. I pride myself in how I now incorporate mic work with my DJing as it has elevated my sets a lot and I thoroughly enjoy crowd work during my sets.”
DJ Shalé is most popular for her intimate living room set ups which has fans and followers hooked on her sets. We asked her what goes into to producing the quality sets.
“I was very intentional when it came to filming my sets like this. I've always wanted it to feel like we were just all hanging out in a home, enjoying great music together. My set has changed over the years as I've moved into different places, but right now when I livestream, it's in my in-home studio. I've also recently recorded some sets out of a friend's restaurant and plan on changing up the scenery from time to time. I film, edit, and record everything by myself.
“The editing process depends on what I have going on that week and how long of a set I do. For my mini mash-ups, I can record, film and edit in about 15-20 minutes. For my longer full mixes it depends on how long the actual set is. I usually shoot the day before, sometimes the day of, and sometimes I bulk content. It depends on the week.”
She also recently got engaged to her partner; the three-time Grammy nominated singer Asiahn Bryan, 36.
The couple got engaged in a double proposal. Asiahn proposed to Shalé in November last year and then in January, Shalé proposed to Asiahn, and obviously it was a yes from both sides.
“It already feels like we have married all the time anyway, so the only thing would be the legalities of course and a piece of paper. No wedding date yet, we are just enjoying our engagement.”
Says Shalé: “She is a three-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, voice-over actress as well as a TV/film actress. We both value time spent together but understand that careers are a top priority as well. She is with me on this trip as she has some downtime in between her bookings, so it's amazing being able to explore a new country together.
“When I can tag along to her gigs I do the same as well. We share a calendar so we are always in the loop with when things are coming up for each other, and we prioritise supporting each other in all ways. So if we can physically be there as well, we will do that.”
The couple has been enjoying sights in the Mother City and head to Johannesburg today (April 5) for her gig at Poppy’s in Crestway, and then back to Cape Town for her gig on Saturday (6 April) at Club TAO.