Meet DJ KT, Odisha’s Woman Disc Jockey!

Jajpur: A woman at the disc jockey (DJ) console table is not a common sight. Not surprisingly, when Kshirabdi Tanaya Jena, became one at a leading Bhubaneswar hotel, she set quite a few eyeballs rolling. 

Better known as ‘DJ KT’, she knew she was following the path less trodden when she decided to become a full time DJ. But that did not deter the girl from the Bari area of Jajpur district. 

Kshirabdi completed her engineering course and joined a Bengaluru-based company in 2017 but did not stay there for long. 

“Music has been a passion since childhood. In Bengaluru, I often used to go to pubs to watch DJs in action at the wheel. I would feel instantly drawn to them knowing that I could occupy that space as well. I could not control my urge for too long and finally quit my job to pursue my passion. As luck would have it, I have succeeded,” she said.

Kshirabdi started her career in Bengaluru itself and it was by no means a cakewalk. “I played at a club in Bengaluru and I could clearly see that the revellers were unhappy. However, I did not allow negativity to creep in and continued to work hard. The patience has paid off,” she said.

She has been working in Bhubaneswar for a year now and the first thing she learnt was to adapt to what people want. “I am all for electronic dance music (EDM) and techno. But people in Bhubaneswar like Hindi film music. So I am now mixing and matching those kinds of songs,” said Kshirabdi.

Like most middle class families, hers too, was against her decision to quit a ‘respectable’ job and try her hand at something which is completely new. “They used to dissuade me a lot. In their view, even now, a DJ is ‘one who plays songs during village weddings,” said Kshirabdi.

“My father still doesn’t really know my job profile and questions my new profession. Thankfully, my mother supports me,” said DJ KT. “At times I am even treated like a celebrity and that please me more,” she added.

The journey has not been an easy one both in Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar where instead of praising her talent, some people said she was getting contracts only due to her good looks. Not one to be discouraged, she carried on and reached where she wanted to.

Picture Courtesy: Kshirabdi Tanaya/Facebook