In conjunction with the upcoming one year anniversary of a record-breaking effort that saw the entry into the Malaysian Book of Records, MCDJ brings you the Independance 2020 re-stream on Mixcloud on Monday 2nd Aug 2021 at approximately 11.45 am onwards till the end of 202 hrs approximately.
2020 and now 2021 will always be remembered as the years of Covid 19, and it is no different in Malaysia as it is around the world. When we were hit by this pandemic, Malaysia’s businesses and economy shut down.
An industry many forget and take for granted, that continues to struggle, to this day still has not been given the green light to resume operations, is the nightlife industry. This ‘non-essential’ industry is one that contributes a healthy portion of revenue to Malaysia’s economy. One of the hardest-hit occupations in this industry, not just here in Malaysia but also globally, is Disc Jockeys or DJs.
But while we can see things looking up in certain other parts of the world, it's still not so much the case here. In the last 18 months, DJs have had zero income from non-existent gigs, from resident club DJs to weekly guest spots to canceled outdoor events and festivals.
Last August, a collective of DJs was formed to voice out the plight of these DJs in Malaysia. The #DjsJagaDJs initiative was birthed in mid-April 2020. These were once integral to the nightlife and events industry and now slowly being forgotten DJs have done what they can to keep the music playing for fans, mostly via online sessions on social media platforms.
And so came about the idea and eventually the successful attempt to break the record of the longest DJ live stream on the internet. Held between Friday 21 August 2020 at 8 pm and end with the finale set on Sunday 30 August 2020 at 10 pm and ending at 12 am to ring in Malaysia's Merdeka Day, it was subsequently ratified and recognized by the Malaysian Book of Records.
The record attempt was all-encompassing with 124 DJs and 17 MCs from the whole of Malaysia plus even Norway and Australia a part of this. From Penang to Ipoh to Melaka, from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, from the Klang Valley and from Kuantan, from Oslo and Canberra, we were well represented, broadcasting from their hometown studios in addition to the Kuala Lumpur broadcast. Listeners were spoilt for choice with music from all genre types to be played throughout the eleven days. Genre types include Retro, Open Format, Trap, Reggaeton, Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B, Funk, Neo-Funk, Latin Pop, Afro Latin, House, Handbag House, Disco House, Tech House, Techno, Progressive House, Trance, Minimal Techno, Melodic Techno, Bollywood and even Old School Tamil and Tamil Hits.
Want to relive that memory while we still wait for some light at the end of some tunnel? Tune in to Mixcloud on Monday or visit https://www.facebook.com/Independance2020 for details on the final showtime links and timing.
Set your alarms. It's a day and night broadcast and also because we are all STILL stuck in limbo after all this time.
