DJ Spinny marks 10 years

 Mestil Hotel on Nsambya Hill got some unlikely guests over the weekend. As DJ Spinny celebrated his 10th anniversary at work last Sunday, he was swarmed by a beevy of young women, their male agemates who looked confounded and the older guys who mostly remained at the edges of the dome, smiling throughout the night.

Dubbed “Spinny and Friends,” it was a star-studded event, from DJ Anselm and Selector Jay with their nostalgic old-school sets, to DJ Dash, Kash Pro, and Fem Deejay. It was a a rollercoaster of rhythm that spanned R&B, dancehall, and amapiano grooves.

Then came the moment everyone had waited for. As fireworks cracked across the sky at 11pm, DJ Spinny, born Joseph Kaliisa, took the stage opening up his set with the EDM version of Joshua Baraka’s Wrong Places. The crowd erupted, phones flashing as he launched into a flawless set that blended EDM, Afro-house, amapiano and dancehall.

But the night didn’t stop there, guest performers Jazzworx, Thukutela, and GL Ceejay from South Africa brought the house down with amapiano anthems like Tholukuthi (The Clap Song), Bengicela, Isaka and Mawhoo.

“Don Julio is proud to celebrate DJ Spinny’s ten-year journey and the culture he has helped shape,” said Judie Nandekya, Senior Brand Manager for Tequila and Rum, East Africa. “His story reflects passion and fine craftsmanship.”

The night drew Kampala’s crème de la crème socialites, mostly those that hang out at Mezo Noir, a popular hangout in Kololo, where Spinny is a resident DJ.