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See below for English translation
Ko te ngākau whiwhita o Dj Jay Kohunui ko te whakahaere i ngā tini kaupapa e hākoakoa ai te wairua o te hāpori.
"I tīmatangia ai a Next Level Entertainment i te tau e rua mano, e rua tekau mā tahi i tōku tāone ake, nōku e rua tekau o ngā tau e noho atu ana i Poihākena".
E ai ki tā Jay he tangata whai whakapapa ia ki a Ngāi Tuhoe me Ngāi Te Arawa.
"He ahakoa e tū kotahi nei ahau anake i tēnei wā, kai ngā tahataha anō ētehi o ōku hoa awhina'.
Tokowha o mātou ki te rōpu Inner City Hustle, ko ahau ( DJ Jay), ko Ngahere Tumata, ko Potaua Tuke ( DNA), ko Tony James (Te Palace).
"Koina tētehi o aku mahi i Poihākena he mahi waiata nā wai rā ka toko ake te whakaaro e tika ana kia kawea tonutia tēnei mahi ki konei, ko taku hiahia nui ki te tuku i tō tātou wairua ā waiata, ā toi , ā ahurea, ā rapunga whakaaro ki ngā hau e wha". Nā Jay anō ia i ako ki tana mahi kua niho roa ki tēnei ao, e rua tekau mā rima o ngā tau a ia e mahi i tana mahi nei.
"Ko te mātauranga kai ōku ringaringa nāku ake i ketuketu, nāku tonu i rangahau, hai pou-waiata, hai tangata whakahaere kaupapa me te aha noa atu, wheoi anō he tangata hinengaro atamai tēnei tangata e hoa mā". Me tāna kupu ki te iwi, kai te whakaritea e ia tētehi pāti-ā-whare nui whakaharahara ka tū ā te rārima e heke mai ana hai te rua tekau mā rua o Hūrae ki Rotorua Social Club.
I uaua i ētehi taimā nā te māuiui urutā, engari he waimarie nō rātou kai te whakahaerengia i tā rātou ake kamupene e kore ai e mate nui ana pēnā i ētehi atu.
"Waimaria ana he wāhi whakangāhau kē tō mātou e whai kaha ai ngā kaupapa, e hāngai pū ana ki ngā tikanga o te wā'. E ai ki a Jay, he rahi noa atu ngā pekanga ā pūtea nei e mana ai ēnei kaupapa.
"Nāku tonu te nuinga o ēnei huinga i nama ai – wheoi anō he noho puku nei ahau e hoki ana ngā whakaaro tērā pea kua kaha ake mē i tono pūtea hoki ahau, (ktk) Nā te mea kua rua tekau mā rima o ngā tau a Jay ki tēnei ao whakangāhau, hai tāna kua tutuki i a ia ngā whāinga paetata me ngā whāinga pae tawhito hoki.
"Kai te pupuritia e ahau tōku ake mana rangatiratanga. He whare e toru tekau mā rua huarahi whakaputanga waiata tōku, he mahi pūeru hoki tāku ko Box Fresh 89 te ingoa nāku tonu i whakarewa i te tau e rua mano, e rua tekau mā tahi".
Ko te taha ki te waiata ko te whāinga mātua ki a noho atu ia ki te takiwā ā rohe me te pae o te ao whānui tonu. "Ko te ao waiata, te puku o tōku ao me te waihanga waiata, me te rāweke waiata katoa tēnei te whakaeminga mai ki tēnei wā ake'.
— Na Raimona Inia i whakamaori</strong>
Local Dj Jay Kohunui's driving passion is to run events for locals to enjoy.
"I started Next Level Entertainment in 2012 here in my hometown after spending 20 years in Sydney doing the same thing," said Jay, who has hononga to Ngai Tuhoe and Te Arawa.
"N.L.E is just myself but I also have other people involved as well.
"Inner City Hustle is myself (DJ Jay), Ngahere Tumata, Potaua Tule (DNA) and Tony James (Te Palace) "I did a fair bit of DJing and promoting, in Sydney and the time felt right to do the same here.
"I want to bring our style of events for locals who have like minded tastes in music, graffiti arts, culture and philosophy."
Jay is self-taught and has been in the industry for more than 25 years. "Everything I know I taught myself — right through to being tour manager for international artists and friends who were also in the industry. I pick up things pretty quick."
Jay is promising the best 90s/00s House Party ever at Rotorua Social Club next Friday, July 22.
Covid made planning events pretty dicey over the past couple of years although everything was able to go ahead because Jay and company had their own venue.
"We were fortunate enough to have our venue where we were able to run our events in accordance to guidelines at the time."
So far as funding is concerned Jay says there are plenty of avenues that support these type of kaupapa.
"I myself have funded all of my events. Thinking about it now, getting funding would probably have made things a bit easier in lots of ways (lol)." Jay has been in the industry for more than 25 years so believes he has achieved his short and long-term goals.
"I'm my own boss I also have my own 32 track recording studio and clothing brand Box Fresh 89 which I launched in 2021."
In music, Jay's aim has always been to be involved on the regional and national scene as well as internationally. "Music has always been a part of my life specifically DJing so all of this is the result."