DJ Christos
© Khotso Bantu Mahlangu
Music

Christos: The origins of a dance music Godfather

We profile one of the forefathers of the scene
Written by Mike Wallis
4 min readPublished on
If you asked any well-versed South African deep house fan who the Godfather of the movement is, you’d likely hear DJ Christos. His contributions to the industry through various different avenues have helped shape the path of current superstars and put the nation on the map as a deep house music destination. Whether behind the boards as a producer, behind the scenes as a label owner or front & centre as a DJ his ethos remains doing it “humbly, with love.”
I would work the whole month just to afford one record
DJ Christos
Originally from Johannesburg he was heavily influenced as a kid by the jazz music his father played at home. This fascination with music led to him working at a record store in Pretoria as early as 11, making tea to be able to afford his own records. “I would work the whole month just to afford one record." It was there he was exposed to a variety of different genres, falling in love with the more soulful, funkier sounding grooves.
Starting a record collection young also allowed him to start DJing in high school at house parties, honing a craft which would later get him a residency at one of Pretoria’s finest nightclubs: Jacquelines. During this time being a resident DJ meant playing all night, as long as 8 hours at a time. This challenge caused a mindset change and opened Christos up to playing a variety of music to ensure the environment didn’t get stale.
Holding down his first successful residency led to a bigger variety of gigs, going on to play at underground venues like Fourth World and Caesar's Palace. He would regularly hold down Thursday and Friday nights at Caesar's, his sound attracting a more multicultural crowd than the times were used to. This drawing of different cultures eventually lead to him leaving the gig due to mindset differences with the club management.
Although Christos appreciated the underground scene it was the townships where he felt the music, and his ability to select it was most appreciated. “There was a huge focus on the quality of the music back then. Taverns and shebeens would pride themselves on having the highest quality records played,” he says. Leaving his gig at Caesars allowed him to focus on playing the grooves he wanted, where he wanted. He notes Club Gemini in Pretoria as one of his fondest sonic playgrounds, the legendary club that earned a fierce reputation for the best house music around.
By this stage he had developed a strong reputation behind the decks and started to move into events. “We started on the ground level, playing around the medical varsity area in Pretoria and building from there,” he says when asked about the humble beginnings. “Before long we had parties with 5000 people attending.” Regardless of the numbers though, the focus remained firmly on the music that was being played, “whether there were 500 or 5000.”
What makes the origin of Christos’ story all the more remarkable was the time period during which this took place. The apartheid regime’s divisive and restrictive laws still weighed heavily upon society and cultural activities with a unified outlook were not the norm. For a young white individual to be playing music that catered largely to black audiences, in largely black spaces, was an act almost in defiance of the oppressive regime. “It definitely wasn’t white boy music,” he notes of his selections.
Number 1: Create. Number 2: Take it to the world
DJ Christos
A common thread throughout Christos' career, from making tea for records to his current status as beloved dance scene godfather, is his dedication to keeping it about the art. The success of this mindset is mirrored in the artists who have flourished under his mentorship, names like Kent, Euphonik/Themba and Black Coffee. When asked how he has kept this mindset so front of vision all these years he replies “Our approach has always been quite simple. Number 1: Create. Number 2: Take it to the world.”
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43 min

Rave and Resistance

Journey back to 1990s South Africa when dance music evolved from a collaboration of black and white artists.

English +8

Watch DJ Christos and other stalwarts of the South African dance music scene share the stories of the scene's birth in the new Red Bull Music documentary Rave & Resistance.

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Rave and Resistance

Journey back to 1990s South Africa when dance music evolved from a collaboration of black and white artists.

43 min
Watch Film