“Anyone can be a DJ but it’s understanding how to read a crowd and keeping them on the floor”
Who said a child can’t be a DJ? Here is proof that anyone regardless of their age can pursue any field they want if they have the drive and determination.
Meet 12-year-old Lawrence Anthony Paramanathan aka DJ Lollipop, the youngest disc jockey in the country who has been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) on 12 March 2022.
For the record, he spun for 90-minutes straight, incorporating three different mixing techniques using vinyl, digital vinyl, and Midi controller for 30 minutes each, respectively. (By the way, not many of them possess all three skills)
His father, Kenneth Ravi Paramanathan expressed that he is very proud of his son and with this amazing accomplishment, he had set a very challenging standard for the MBOR assessment criteria.
This young music enthusiast absorbed a range of genres such as disco, hip-hop and techno and he also enjoys the Bee Gees, Tina Turner, Donna Summer, and Michael Jackson.
Lawrence said it all started back in October 2020, when his father asked him if he wanted to pursue a disc jockey career like one of his friends Dave Ramana. Ramana runs the SoundKontrols DJ Academy in Petaling Jaya.
Lawrence who has always been an inquisitive person said yes to his father as he wanted to delve into something new and pick up a skill that isn’t easy.
Apparently, he discovered that he enjoyed the classes and he decided to keep at it after the beginner course he attended, progressing to advanced lessons that included remix production and turntablism which is an art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, effects, mixes and other creative noises and beats.
Never one to turn down a challenge, this young lad took it to Facebook and began doing live shows with Ramana. He was nervous during the first show and thought he would mess up the show but did great and impressed the crowd.
Out of all names, why “lollipop”?
The year 7 student from STARS International School explained when he was younger, he used to ask for lollipops from his grandma. During a show, she wrote out ‘DJ Lollipop’ in the comment section and he found it to be catchy and decided to go with it as his sobriquet name.
As the day goes, his skills and reputation grew through word of mouth and he started receiving requests to perform at birthday parties and weddings, as well as Deepavali and Christmas gatherings.
Lawrence is grateful to his parents and Ramana for introducing him to the world of deejaying and said he hopes to become a radio announcer while spinning music part-time in the future.
His mother, Alicia Maria Pereira stated that Lawrence used to be very restless and could never stay quiet but since he started deejaying, he has become very focused and more mature. Furthermore, being a DJ has made him feel more confident.
This supportive parent would spend quality time diving into the music world, compiling playlists for his son. They believe it is important to encourage children when it comes to their passions. “Do not force them into doing something that is your dream instead of theirs,” Alicia said.
We will root for you DJ Lollipop! Keep soaring on wings of eagles.
