Partying is something South Africans do very well.
From street bashes to festivals, chillas sessions to house parties, we enjoy celebrating and raging to the rhythms of the night.
These shindigs however usually rely on a core of people or an individual or two who take on the responsibilities of organisisng these events and one of them is Junior Lavie.
The Durban based club promoter and event’s organiser has been in this field for the better part of 15 years and he has grown from strength to strength, cementing his place in this industry after a lengthy period under the tutelage of another famed Durban party starter in Kgolo Da Guru. Junior has been able to step out from beyond the shadow of his vaunted mentor and claim his own spot as one of the more enterprising events planners in Durban and the country.
Recently he has enjoyed a burst of events that he has thrown for celebrities like Cassper Nyovest and Nasty C for their African Throne event at Moses Mabhida, which was marred by the weather.
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“The African Throne World Tour by Cassper and Nasty C was a bit challenging because of the number of other shows the artists were dealing with before coming to Dubane, however we pushed enough activations to get the numbers we expected then the rain ruined everything as our superstars were about to go on stage. Sorry to everyone that came out in numbers, the mixing deck got damaged by the rain. We were forced to cancel. Durban and it’s unpredictable weather once again.”
He has also done some work around an event for rapper A-Reece and one of the hardest working people in local show business, DJ Shimza. Junior is reaching out to Drum after just landing in Europe where he is to have a hand in planning a few events.
“We are taking the African party culture to Oslo, Norway. Lots of Africans in Oslo have to travel miles away to party like at home,” the charismatic 36-year-old says.
This can be a taxing industry and having a good team around you is paramount.
“It’s going back to basics; you must have a strong ground team to pull it off. Luckily, I have a family there. My siblings are in college so it’s easy to create a database.”
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He believes that being South African has given him an edge in terms of organising events. “It’s one country that knows how to party responsibly compared to all the places I have been, 'Sohamba ngo7' is a new trend I need to start there. Durban people never leave the club before sunrise.”
This is a time of exploration.
“It will take time penetrate into the international market but I believe in myself,” he states.
These recent events are part of a sprint that will see him and a few of the other famed promoters from South Africa’s playground hail more festivals and events to the region that was at one stage regarded as the party capital of the country.
“One thing I have noticed is that Durban is hungry for festivals. Something my brother Dogg DBN and I working towards.
“The greatest part about all these events is having to identify the market for each brand and their sound. Like when we sold out Shimza’s show, I couldn’t believe seeing so many hardcore Techno house lovers. Then A-Reece with his fans and of course Cass and Nasty the total opposite of his.”
This might be an industry with a certain type of allure to it and you might even consider pursuing a career in this silo. Junior offers a few words of encouragement. “Firstly you need to understand the artist’s target market and then create a list of fun activities to set the event apart from clubs and other basic events. Festivals shouldn’t just be about DJs and performances.”
Ensuring that everyone is safe at his events is of the utmost importance and always forms a large part of any plans to host an event.
“The safety of our people is the most crucial part and making sure the service is great. By God’s grace I want to create a strong bridge between myself and promoters in other countries. It will help us grow Durban's young talents.”
This will surely be the first of many trips abroad and a string of other local events will have the Junior Lavie stamp of approval on them. The goal for the future is fueled by his passion and desire to be the best at what he does.
“I am junior Lavie, one of the most trusted party planners in African, do you get it? People love partying with me, chief.”
