Being a female in this industry is not easy: DJ Teri Miko

DJ Teri Miko from Ukraine says female disc jockeys have to go through a lot of struggle, but she doesn't blame men for it. Besides, she feels things are changing for the better.

"I am a DJ for the past eight years. It was a very long journey for me. From being a local hip hop DJ in a local pub in my country, it started this way, to where I am right now... There were a lot of struggles because being a female in this industry is not so easy," Miko told IANS on the sidelines of the ongoing Ola Sunburn 2017 here.

"I don't blame men for them (the struggles). I believe women have actually brought it upon themselves. But I am trying to break all this from the past eight years and I think I am doing a good job," she added.

Looking back at her journey, she said: "In India, I found my team. They spotted me on the stage and said 'This girl is different, we want to work with her.' The next step was creating my merchandise... Right now, we are doing everything possible to break the stereotypes around female DJs."

But are things changing?

"Things are definitely changing. I have seen a lot of girls who are not only doing a good job on the stage but I also saw girls who are killing it. This is how we create our surrounding with people who believe in you and who say that 'You are better than any other guy on the stage'."

Miko has carved a niche for herself by playing hard-hitting trap beats with electronic sounds. She has been a part of major festivals like Sunburn and VH1 Supersonic and has shared the stage with artistes like Marshmello, Slander and NIGHTMRE.

She enjoys a loyal fan following in India, and credits the people of India for pushing her to create "something new".

"I am so grateful to the country. You can't even imagine how grateful I am to the country and to the people who are coming for my gigs and supporting me so much. People of India are pushing me to evolve and to create something new."

Miko always includes a 'desi' song in her set as an appreciation for the crowd. For her performance at Ola Sunburn 2017, Miko added a Bollywood twist with "Silsila ye chaahat ka".

"I always play one desi track. It is an appreciation of the country and the culture. I think it is very important," she said.

At the moment, she is excited to work with an Indian rapper.

"I am going to Delhi soon for a studio session with an Indian rapper. I can't name him, but he is Punjabi," she said, adding that she wants to collaborate with Udyan Sagar aka DJ Nucleya.

(The writer's trip is at the invitation of Ola Sunburn organisers. Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)

--IANS

sug/rb/bg