Heat House: DJEFF

About the experience

DJEFF is a renowned Portuguese/Angolan DJ/producer. Having shared the booths around the world with Louie Vega, Osunlade, Boddhi Satva, he has released 4 records through his own label, Kazukuta. Lisbon was the city that saw DJEFF born in 1984 and where paternal Cape Verde and maternal Angola came together. DJEFF brings us a sound often defined as “Afro Tech”. In 1999, he began to attend the matinees at Bauhaus, Estoril's historic club in Lisbon, while friends dance, DJEFF observes the DJ and the fascination is born. From here a journey begins - buy a mixer to mix with two Discmans; collects dance music and investigates styles and DJs - until he discovers Erick Morillo, that global reference of the art of mixing that would serve as an inspiration to DJEFF until today. He became the DJ for family parties and school parties, until in 2002 the opportunity arose to learn seriously with a more experienced DJ. However, his passion for music was complemented with the Graphic Arts and Design course in 2008, at the age of 24. It was also in that year that he made the decision to go to live in Luanda, in Angola. It is in the heat of Luanda that he begins his music production work, and, two years later, in 2010 he edits for Pandora Records his first original theme, a co-production with DJ Silyvi entitled “Canjika". Over time, DJEFF's original tracks and remixes start to gain traction and find support from several international artists: Louie Vega, Joe Claussell, Black Coffee among many others. In 2011, DJEFF edits his debut album, “Malembe Malembe”, in collaboration with Silyvi and creates his own publisher, Kazukuta Records, with the purpose of editing not only his music but also helping other artists to show his work to the world through the first electronic record label born in Angola. In 2013, “Soldier Ascension” is released, the second album of originals, with a soulful direction and a sound that incorporates African roots but mixes them with the house heard on tracks from around the world. It began to gain international recognition, largely due to the release of its second album "Soldier Ascension", which was played by and featured remixes from several DJs: Tony Humphries, Boddhi Satva, Mr V, among others. The support came from different quarters of the world house and included mentions by Tony Humphries, Rancido, Mr. V or Boddhi Satva, among others. In “fast forward” to 2017 after releasing the third original album “Gratitude”, live performances at events such as Watergate, Rex Club, Fabric, Lux, Boiler Room, MEO SW, SunceBeat and Djoon Experience; contributed to its rise and prominence within electronic music, nationally and internationally. In 2018, after editing three albums and playing in the best and most emblematic clubs around the world, he released “ZUGU ZUGU” through SPINNIN 'DEEPS. The theme is a hit with electronic music, with Pete Tong playing it on BBC Radio One and selecting it for “Pete Tong: Essential Selection (2018)”. British channel BT Sports also chose “Zugu Zugu” as the entry theme for player Paul Pogba in the football program dedicated to the Champions League. Among many others, the theme was also played by artists such as Major Lazer and Black Coffee.