DJ Manni One of The Most Entertaining Afro Reggae Dancehall Selekta in Africa
Meet DJ Manni, one of the toughest and most entertaining Afro Reggae Dancehall Selekta in Africa. With over 290 Mixtapes which includes Artists Mixes, Ghana Reggae and Dancehall Mixes and Dancehall and Reggae Invasion Mixes, DJ Manni has carved himself a fine niche in the ever-growing and tech enhanced changes that are taking place in the Reggae and Dancehall scene, especially in Africa.
Having a Dad who was a DJ back in the days in London, Manni was bequeathed with the love of music, and also how to express it in a way other than singing. DJing for Manni became a way of life and a way of making a living. Even though his father was a DJ, it was a friend who taught him the ins and outs and actually made him realise that it could also be a long term career. And so he stopped playing football and started concentrating earnestly on DJing and improving his skills.
Hailing from the Gold Coast now known as Ghana, the second home of Mam Rita Marley, Manni finds himself surrounded by an insanely large amount of talent in the Reggae Dancehall scene. The 4 time Grammy Nominee Rocky Dawuni, The Internationally renowned SAMINI, The Conscious Blakk Rasta, The Collabo Kid Stonebwoy, The Controversial Shatta Wale, The humble Black Prophet, The Prolific Iwan Suhyini, The Top Selector King Lagazee and many more. He has in a direct or indirect way worked or crossed path with these giants. It’s no wonder that he has made over 2oo mixtapes, there is simply no lack of material and content when it comes to Reggae Music in his native country.
One of his strongest area, the one that makes him stand out from the rest, is his Artist Mixes. These mixes are a great source for uncovering new talent or getting to know the artist better through their music. He has got a knack of discovering and/or supporting up and coming and unknown talent and uses his Artist Mix to promote them. He never shies away from working with an unknown talent and putting out their music out there. It is also in the way he curates his playlist (tells a story) and his attention to detail that makes his mixes enjoyable. Hear this brilliance on Coskake Big Ape Mix.
He was doing Stonebwoy Mixes way back then before he became an internationally acclaimed artist. The Stonebwoy Bhimtapes (Stonebwoy fan club is Bhim Nation) helped to introduce Stonebwoy to an audience outside of Ghana (for ardent African Reggae aficionados). At the time when Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale were at logger heads and being the two major players in Ghana, DJ Manni would put out a Stonebwoy Bhimtape and would also put out a Shatta Wale Mix. These mixes would add up to the rivarly but DJ Manni stayed neutral, only taking the side of the music.
One of his favoured Artist Mix is the Lucky Dube: Afrikan Legend Mix which he made in 2019, and it is still the go-to mix for Lucky Dube, especially around his birthday or any commemoration of Lucky Dube. His Ras Kuuku Mix has got over 200 thousand streams. Other popular mixes include the Popcan 876 GUD Mixtape and the Skillibeng East Syde Mix which resonated well with the Dancehall fans.
DJ Manni has a love and hate relationship with his native land. One minute you will hear him tear down his country and fellow countrymen, and the next moment he is so full of praise and pride for his country (and its food and beautiful women). But one thing that he has consistently done since he started putting out mixes, was to promote his country’s Reggae and Dancehall talent with his GH Reggae Dancehall Mixes; now at Volume 24 which dropped in June 2024. These mixes give us an idea of what or who is relevant in Ghana, who are the players actively putting out music. It’s always a mix of young and old artists, a melting pot of the Reggae Dancehall scene in Ghana, If you ever need to know a bit about Reggae in Ghana, check out any of the GH Reggae Dancehall Mix by DJ Manni.
Manni is also not afraid of pushing boundaries, of finding innovative ways to use his DJing skills to earn his living. He has amassed quite a decent following and his Merch (DJ Manni T-shirts) are testament to his entrepreneurial know how. He is very open to work with people, who share the same vision as him, that of promiting Reggae music and Reggae Artists. When Iwan Suhyini dropped the 64 Battalion Riddim, arguably one of the biggest riddims in 2023, It was DJ Manni who put out the official Riddim Mix, working together with the producers of the riddim, and they doubled the reach. He is also very much aware of the international scene, up to date with what is current and what is not. He put out the Vybz Kartel Freedom Mix just a few days after Kartel’s release.
DJ Manni has been at it for the longest while, his mixes are played throughout Ghana in the remote villages, His fans often notify him when they hear his mix playing in the most unlikely places. He has played with Shatta Wale at Wembley Stadium in London. He is based in Ghana but travels to the UK now and then.
Emmanuel Kwadjo Denkyi, a son of a DJ, known to many as DJ Manni, a Disc Jockey and Radio host has definitely defied odds and left an indelible mark in the history of Reggae and Dancehall in Ghana. Compiling songs, preparing playlists and mixing are second nature to him. He is fun, jokes around a lot and takes his work seriously with an added touch of confidence. When asked to introduce himself, he replied:
I am the most entertaining DJ, I am The Baddest. Listen to My Mixtapes. ~ DJ Manni
Listen to his latest Mix, Reggae Invasion Volume 11 2024
