Boiler Room Rarotonga kicks off today at 3pm to a full-capacity crowd at Vaianas Bistro and Bar, but yesterday the DJs gave back to the Rarotonga community through their workshop at The Edgewater Resort.

Paula Low attends gigs around the world like the internationally acclaimed festival, Coachella.

She has been a long-time supporter of the event’s organiser, Lady Shaka, so she was thrilled to hear the DJ and dancer was bringing the party to our shores. 

“This is the first ever indigenous Boiler Room. I wanted to support and show Lady Shaka I’m so proud of her. Big events like this don’t really come to little places like Raro so I’m excited.”

Low is a small business owner and not a DJ herself, but she was keen to learn more about the process of creating a DJ set, especially with Pacific flair. 

“I resonate so much with what Lady Shaka does. She helps put indigenous people on the map.” 

Trey, Jamie and Tristan make up La Freak DJs based in Melbourne. They are in Rarotonga for a holiday and to attend the Boiler Room workshop and party. 

“We’re here to learn from all the DJs but especially K-Swizz. We like his scratching and it’s something we want to incorporate into our sets,” says Trey. 

Twenty-year-old Kalib Strickland aka K-Swizz (Aitutaki and Mauke) is world renowned for his title as the 10 times World DJ Champion and 2023 DMC World Champion. 

Music runs in his blood as his dad is New Zealand renowned artist DJ Reminise (Jacob Strickland). It was the young artist’s first time trying more traditional instruments: “We did Cook Islands drumming. I was pretty good too. And we learned how to play the uke.” 

“I’m excited and ready to show my skills to everyone here in Rarotonga.”

There is only one woman on the lineup tonight, Andytheheartthrob, who has ancestral links to Rarotonga and Mangaia. 

She loves to take crowds on a journey from day to night with her sound, using strong acapellas.

“It’s like a karanga that neutralises energy. It takes away the pressure of thinking you have to carry on where the previous DJ left off.”

She hopes to create acapellas in te reo Māori to use in her music. 

Event organiser Lady Shaka says she can’t wait for the night’s festivities, encouraging attendees to be on time and stay hydrated to make the most of the seven-hour event. 

“We’re gonna bring the culture to the Boiler Room.” 

The Boiler Room Rarotonga event will run from 3pm-10pm.