How I met president of Seychelles on the street –DJ Humility

Popular Nigerian disk jockey, Benedict Asagwu, who goes by the stage name DJ Humility, speaks with JOY MARCUS about his unforgettable trip to Seychelles.

When was the first time you travelled out of Nigeria?

The first time I travelled out of Nigeria was in 2006 and I was very overwhelmed. I went for a United Nations event in Sierra Leone. When I got back, I started travelling to other countries. Right now, I have been to about 25 countries. However, my most memorable travel experience was to Seychelles.

What are some of the fun memories you have of that trip?

The island is so clean and the people are different. When you see a person from Seychelles, you will instantly know. They have a different skin texture and colour. They are not white, neither are they black. And it is so amazing that the country is here in Africa. As of the time I went there, the island had not more than 120, 000 residents. It is a tourist island; so, people come there from different parts of the world to have a nice time. The first time I saw a deep blue sea was on the island. If you stand close to the water, you will think the fishes are so near but in reality, they are very far away. The water is so clean, and they attach so much importance to the tortoise. When you visit their night clubs, they play all kinds of songs, including Nigerian songs. They also observe a bit of Indian culture. Another thing that fascinated me about the island was that they are so free. I met their president, Danny Faure, on the road walking like an ordinary Seychellois. I spoke with him and we shook hands. Though his entourage was around him, they were not so close to him to the point that he wasn’t able to greet people. That’s unlike our president who usually has a lot of people around him.

Did you eat their local food?

I can’t remember because the first time I went there was for my friend, Cecil Hammond’s wedding. I went as a guest and disc jockey. After that occasion, I have been there about three times. It is a lovely place to go for vacation. Also, if you want to have a good time with your family, you can go there.

How would you describe their fashion sense?

They wear very colourful clothes. I think because they are surrounded by water, most of their attire is beach-like. They don’t dress formally. It is only tourists who dress seriously over there.

Did you shop while you were there?

Shopping over there is very expensive because you would have to pay in dollars. If you want to shop, you can do that in other countries but Seychelles is to enjoy yourself, eat good seafood and stay by the sea.  When you are there, you will feel relaxed because of the blue skies and fresh air.  When I was about returning to Nigeria, I became sad because I knew I was coming back to the hustling and bustling again. Though I love my country Nigeria, I just want things to change for the better.

as there any downside to the trip?

The first time I went there, I had a problem with my flight. I went from Lagos to Kenya before taking a flight to Seychelles. It was a bad experience. D’banj, the Adenugas and the Ben Murray Bruce family were also on the same flight. All of a sudden, we started hearing a funny noise. As we were still wondering what was going on, the pilot announced that the engine of the plane was bad so we wouldn’t be able to make it in time to the wedding venue. Everybody became very scared and I thought I would die. Thankfully, we were able to get back to Kenya three hours later with one fairly good engine. It wasn’t a pleasant experience at all.

Were Seychellois nice to you?

They were very nice to me. Everything about the country is tourism-oriented and for the first time in my life, I saw tortoises that were over 120 years old.

Which other countries would you like to visit?

That would be Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand. Though I have travelled to 25 countries, I have never been to Germany. I will be starting my tour in June, and I hope to go there. However, I don’t know the country I would like to revisit except my wife tells me.