Mthokozisi Khathi (born August 24, 1976), professionally known by his stage name DJ Tira, is a South African DJ,

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

and

Kwaito Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music that features the use of African sounds and samples. Kwaito songs occur at a slower tempo range than other styles of h ...

artist. He helped popularize the Gqom music genre. Khathi won the Smirnoff SA DJ Knockout competition in 2000 and released the compilation album ''Real Makoya'' in 2001. He is a member of the South African musical group, Durbans Finest. Tira signed a record deal with Kalawa Jazmee in 2005 and established his own record label Afrotaiment in 2007. His debut album ''Ezase Afro Vol:1'' (2008), was a commercial success. Tira's fourth album ''21 Years Of DJ Tira'' (2020) was certified platinum by the

Recording Industry of South Africa Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA) is a trade association representing the interests of major and independent record labels of South Africa. Located in Randburg, RISA is responsible for running the annual South African Music Awards (SAMA ...

(RiSA). The album includes chart-topping singles "Nguwe" and "Uyandazi". His fifth studio album, ''Rockstar Forever'' (2021), debuted number 1 on the iTunes chart. Khathi was a guest judge on the television talent show ''1's and 2's'' (2021).

Early life

Khathi was born in KwaHlabisa Village, KwaZulu-Natal, and his family relocated to

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

in 1979. Khathi attended Mlokothwa High School and enrolled at the

University of Natal The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-N ...

now known as

UKZN The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a university with five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville. ...

in 1995, studying

human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ...

Career

Khathi developed an interest in being a DJ while he was at university, when he started playing as a DJ in 1996. Around 2001, he released his first record named ''Real Makoya'', which is a compilation album with DJ Khabzela. In 2005, he was signed a record deal with Kalawa Jazzmee. He formed a group named Tzozo En Professor and later formed Durbans Finest together with DJ Sox which also was under

Kalawa Jazmee Records Kalawa Jazmee Records is an independent record label based in South Africa. The label is known for its contribution to the development of the Kwaito genre of music in South Africa. Artists * Oskido * Professor * Mandla Mofokeng * Trompies ...

. Tira and Sox together released a series compilation albums named ''Durbans Finest''. In 2007, he launched his recording studio Afrotainment and signed DJ Cndo as the first artist on his record label. Since he was working at his own production, he became a

music producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

. Later the same year DJ Tira signed

kwaito Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music that features the use of African sounds and samples. Kwaito songs occur at a slower tempo range than other styles of h ...

group

Big Nuz Big Nuz was a South African Kwaito trio from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, founded in 2002. The group was composed of three members known by their stage names Mampintsha, R Mashesha, and Danger. History 2003–2006: Early years The founding membe ...

after they relocated from

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...

. In 2008, DJ Tira as a featured artist appeared on two tracks on urban radio charts and music shops charts alongside of

's "Ubala Lolo" and DJ Clock's "Mahamba Yedwa". In 2008, he released his first solo project under his

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

named ''Ezase Afro Vol:1''. The album is supported by the

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

of Bricks, Daddy, Big Nuz and Joocy of Afrosoul. ''Ezase Afro Vol:1'' became a hit

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

and sold more than 20 000 copies. In March 2019, his single "Amachankura" featuring TNS was released as the lead single from an upcoming studio album. In July 2019, the second single "Thank You Mr DJ" featuring Joocy was released. Tira released ''Ikhenani'' on September 13, 2019. ''Ikhenani'' won Best Kwaito Album at the 26th ceremony of South African Music Awards. On August 24, 2020, his fourth studio album ''21 Years of DJ Tira'' was released in South Africa, celebrating a 21 years in music industry. The album was certified platinum by the Recording industry of South Africa (RiSA). In March 2021, he co-hosted season 6 of the SABC 1 talent show competition, ''1's and 2's''. On June 25, 2021, his fifth studio album ''Rockstar Forever'' was released in South Africa. The album features the Q Twins,

Makhadzi Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona (born June 30, 1996), known by her stage name Makhadzi, is a South African singer. Born and raised in Ha-Mashamba, Limpopo, her career began at the age of 12 as dancer prior pursuing a music career as a singer, while she ...

, Western Boyz, Jumbo, Prince Bulo, Biza Wethu, Mampintsha, Joocy, Ntencane, Proffesor, Beast, Worst Behaviour, Dladla Mshunqisi, BlaQRythm, Mtebza & Khazozo. ''Rockstar Forever'' rank number 1 on iTunes charts South Africa.

Personal life

DJ Tira is married to Gugu Khathi and they have two sons and one daughter. DJ Tira and his wife hosted a Umabo (traditional Zulu ceremony) at his home in KwaHlabisa, KwaZulu-Natal.

Discography

List of studio albums

Compilation albums

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tira, DJ Living people Musicians from Durban People from KwaZulu-Natal South African musicians 1976 births South African record producers South African DJs