Hassan Yunus

Hassan Ali, best known to his fans as DJ Hassan hosts a programme called The Source on Homeboy’z Radio and Homegrown on KBC TV. He is very close to his father Ali Hassan Mazoa, who has supported him since childhood. The peer counselor father however feels that his son needs to move up the ladder from just a DJ to an administrative level probably on the same line. Hassan and Ali spoke to Catherine Mukei. Ali Hassan Mazoa Hassan is our second born, his sister Amina who lives and works in Paris, France is the eldest, while our last born, Juma is a student at the Graffins College. Amina had been alone for three years and we were really looking forward to a second child. I prayed very hard that it would be a boy because our plans were to have only two children. His mother, Hindu and I were both inclined to entertainment. I used to play music in a band as a pastime whilst she was then the youngest actress in the KBC Vitimbi programme. Hassan’s favourite pastime between age two and three was to suck his thumb and while doing so, his free hand had to be touching either my face or the mums; whoever was nearest. As soon as he noticed one of us seated, he would sneak up quietly and before you knew it, you would feel his hand touching your face. As a norm we never used physical punishment on our children; instead we withdrew from them the things they liked whenever they did anything wrong to show them that we were unhappy with what they had done wrong. That really worked for us. When Hassan was born we got a book on bringing up children and we decided to refer to it whenever we could. My Aunt found out about the book and from that day onwards she referred to him as “Mtoto wa Kitabu” . We spent wonderful moments with Hassan when he was growing up. My work in the outdoors took us to many places all over Kenya and he was always part of it. From camping to rock climbing to hiking. Hassan was the youngest person to participate in the Outward Bound course at age nine. Hassan went to St Mary’s school in Nairobi and straight out of Kindergarten, he was already swimming for the school’s team in major competitions. He also grew to be one of the school’s best basketball players. Our philosophy as parents was and still is to allow the children to find their own level and to give all our encouragement and support to enable them to realise their potential. We have both been in the entertainment industry and it was therefore easy for us to accept his career choice and give our support. Hassan’s Deejaying journey started with a competition organised by the Homeboyz. We set up a room in the house for him to practise and I will never forget the sleepless nights we all had listening to him practising late into the night. We supported him all the way through the elimination rounds until the finals where he was declared third overall. We talk at least once every day. He will either call or I will. He comes home at least once a week to visit and we pop in whenever we are on his side of town. Hassan has had it fairly good in terms of his career, but now needs to plan to move to the next level. He has potential to grow to in the same industry from full-time Deejaying to administration. The life span of a top flight Deejay is the same as that of a top flight athlete, which is not very long and so one needs to think ahead all the time. Speaking for his mother, she wants him to get married sooner than later. Hassan Ali I am bang in the middle, between my elder bossy sister, Amina who lives in France and my kid brother Juma. I was born in Nairobi and grew up in Lavington, where I went to Mandari Kindergarten for my nursery school then to St Mary’s school which was just a walking distance from our house, then finished my O levels at The Aga Khan High School. My kid brother was and is still my ‘project’. I spoilt him and still do. I used to leave a piece of my lunch or bought something for him on my way home from school from my lunch money. My father was happy with my relations with my younger brother but kept on telling me off for spoiling him. During the holidays we used to mostly go camping and take long drives out of town. In fact, my father taught me how to swim, drive and all. I was suspended from school twice for skipping school to go clubbing. I also used to steal my dad’s car to go for my own escapades. I got into a lot of fights but like any tough father, if I came home crying because of being beaten, he would tell me to man up and fight my own fights. I was a really a sporty guy back then. In our school basketball team, I was a point guard and on top of that I was a house captain. I was also a member of the rugby and swimming teams. My father always encouraged me to participate in co-curricular activities since he is a sporty man as well. My parents have always had my back ever since I was a child. They’ve supported my career choice and that has steered me to where I am today. I have always been grateful that I have loving and understand