Jazzy Diadora was seven years old when he realised that he wanted to become a DJ. Too short to reach the sound deck, Diadora had to content himself with watching his uncle spin tracks at the local club in Pretoria. At just 14, his first gig was a kids’ matinee at the same venue. From there, he graduated from children’s parties to weddings and festivals. Today, he’s famed DJ Jazzy D on Jacaranda FM, serving up hit after hit. But life hasn’t all been one big party.
Over the years, Diadora’s had equipment stolen that took years to save up for. He’s learnt brutal lessons about the music business when he was manipulated out of the ownership of his master tracks. A car accident claimed the life of his best friend and left Diadora immobile. But it was the support of his community that got him through. They would cheer him on as he taught himself how to walk again, slowly increasing his daily steps around a block, then two, and beyond. They are also the reason he has experienced such success. “It was my family, friends, and neighbours who believed in me and would book me for events,” Diadora says.
Diadora’s share of hard knocks softened him. One Christmas Day years ago, he was approached by a hungry child who asked him for a meal. The sobering moment inspired Diadora to start Feed a Family, a food drive serving his township Eersterust and its surrounds. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his organisation distributed meals to over 93 500 people in a single day. “It’s so important for me to give back to the communities that created me,” Diadora says. As he perseveres to see transformation, Diadora has spun his community’s support into a life of uplifting others.
Footage by Jacaranda FM was used in the creation of this film.
