Antony Murithi aka DJ Finnal aka The Finisher is a young talented man who is driven by love and passion for music. The mixmaster shares his experiences with Mwangi Alberto.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in Embu, 26 years ago. I started school there, but later moved to Meru together with my family.

Life there was very different since I had to live the village life and learning how to speak the Meru language for easy communication with everyone.

At first I had a lot of challenges since my Kimeru was mixed with Kiembu and when I talked with other children they would make fun of me, but I later conquered that challenge.

What type of a boy were you growing up?

I was a quiet and hardworking boy who was always close to his mum, but funny enough I always got myself into fights with my mum due to spending a lot of time listening to music on radio and most of the times forgetting to switch it off before sleeping.

Remember we didn’t have electricity in the village back then, so you can imagine how that would drain the batteries.

It got to a point where my parents decided to never replace the batteries for me and I had to work as a young boy to save and buy the radio batteries for myself.

Did you have an interest in deejaying from back then?

Yes, I have always loved music since I was young, but I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to become a musician or deejay.

When I got into high school, I discovered that I was also a very good actor, but one day during the entertainment session, a laptop was brought in the hall and since a few guys knew how to play music using the Virtual DJ, we decided to mix as deejays do.

I was the last guy to perform and everyone fell in love with how I did it and that’s how I got DJ Finnal came about. 

Who or what inspired you into becoming aDJ?

Listening to DJs do radio shows and watching them on TV really inspired me.

I fell in love with the fact that a deejay would play music and still talk on radio; deejays on TV would also play music and still interact with the viewers. This got me hooked.

Did you attend formal deejaying training or how did you learn the craft?

I tried talking to a few deejays that I knew, so that they would train me, but they all gave excuses.

My father also never approved of me being a deejay, so he couldn’t pay fees for me to join a deejaying academy. However, my mum had no problem with me following my passion, but she could not afford to pay the fees.

So, I had to work really hard and save to afford to join one, and after some years of sacrifice, I managed to join Supremacy Deejays Academy to learn the craft.

How was it becoming a pro?

Becoming a professional DJ wasn’t easy for me since I had no one to hold my hand. I had to learn everything on my own and push myself to where I am today.

I have gone through a lot of challenges, but since I have always known what I want, I have been able to overcome everything.

Apart from being a deejay I am also a professional graphic designer and this helps me make extra income.

As a DJ, how has been the experience during the Covid-19 crisis?

It has been tough; shows and events have been minimal since many companies cancelled them. Nightclubs have not been making much sales like before and all of this directly affects us deejays.

I am lucky enough to be working in two radio stations, Milele FM and Meru FM. So, I thank God that I’ve still been working.

Who do you look up to in your deejaying career?

DJ Joe Mfalme is my role model. I love how focused he is, and he has proven to everyone that deejaying is a career just like any other.

What are your aspirations as a creative artist?

Building a brand that is well established and one that can comfortably deliver both locally and internationally.

I don’t like putting myself in a box or a comfort zone, so I still have dreams to venture into other areas such as acting.

I believe being in the creative industry opens a lot of opportunities for someone, and that’s why I have dreams of representing my country in international and global events.

I was born to do this and I am never going to stop till I achieve all my dreams.