Foundation DJ and radio Program Director Dion da Butcha, hails from the island of Nassa, Bahamas. During this episode discover the inspiration behind Dion’s three decade long career, how he started and how he helped shape the sound of radio in the Bahamas.
The year is 1991 and in a dark room at Compass Point Recording Studios, Grammy Award winning artist, Dj Jazzy Jeff takes a break from recording his second album with The Fresh Prince and is giving lessons to a sponge. These lessons become daily marathon practice sessions and before long growth.
Three months later at the Mix Master Contest held at “The Palace Nightclub,” the winner is Dion “Da Butcha.” This victory sparked a ten year win streak and he retired from Dj Battles undefeated. He put his earnings from Battles into buying a home studio and produced an album called “Bits and Pieces 91” which became a huge seller and he began to tour the Bahamas, Canada, North and South America, Cuba and Jamaica to promote it. After the tour, he became the resident Dj at “The Coliseum/Zoo” Nightclub, the largest, hippest Club in the Bahamas and was visited by a group of “men in suits” They turned out to be the brain-trust of the first privately owned radio station in the country, they recruited him and made him the first Dj to mix live on the Bahamian Airwaves with a show called “The Thunderstorm” on 100 Jamz. Before long, he was put in charge of programming the station, which became and remains the most successful in Bahamian history. Further radio shows followed, including the “Free Ride at Five” and “Eat to the Beat” which all became audience favorites.
Still feeling the Promotions bug from the years on the road, he put together the investment group which birthed “JAMZFEST” a concert series that ran from 1997-2000 and brought some of the biggest acts in the world to town including, Dru Hill, Keith Sweat, LL Cool J,
Boyz II Men, Beenie Man, Wyclef Jean, Baby Cham and Puff Daddy.
Always a busybody, the 2005 Dj of The Year, coached the country’s team which won 2006 and
2007 Heineken “Green Synergy” competitions, was a cover story for E-life magazine and
pitchman for Climax Energy before producing Albums, Back In Time, Birdseye, Tropical Flava and
Hanky Panky which yielded chart-topping songs for artists such as “Sammi Starr, Cecile, DJ Chronic and M-Deez.
Despite his increasing mainstream popularity, he undoubtedly possesses a unique style, coupled
with a dedicated work ethic and o p e n – m i n d e d n e s s t o experimentation with many types of music. Many of his performances are very impressive and nights partying with “Da Butcha” are never forgotten.
