Aero Manyelo

This is a humble-beginnings tale. The tale of Eric Manyelo (Aero Manyelo/Dj Aero) or Moera, as he’s affectionately called at home. Born in Zebediela, Limpopo in 1987, his family relocated to Ivory Park, when he was at the tender age of 5. His passion for music can be traced back to the days when he used to steal his father’s radio and play at school functions. Having been introduced to music by his father, Aero’s sound can be categorized as “Deep” due to the Jazz influence he got from his father. Aero jumped ship from conventional schooling to pursue his love of music by enrolling at Johannesburg Central College. He completed his Matric there. His journey began when he got his first PC, which he used to produce tracks. He then made demos which made it to the doors of Soul Candi, BlackwHole Entertainment and House Afrika to name but a few. His first job was at a Woolworth’s warehouse where he used his earnings to raise funds for his studies. He studied Sound Engineering through Soul Candi and, as destiny would have it, Aero would soon receive a call from Soul Candi, offering him a bursary to study there in 2007. That’s not all Aero got in that year, he was also recognized by BlackwHole Entertainment; through which he released his first vinyl (EP, LP) called ‘Herbal Island’. The vinyl is a fuse of Electro and Minimal sounds. He officially started working with BlackwHole Entertainment in 2008 and got a chance to work on the BlackwHole album ‘On Another Level Remixes’. This gave Aero the opportunity of introducing his work in and outside the borders of the country while promoting the album. His unique sound can be heard at numerous clubs where he plays in most Provinces and even in Botswana. DJ Oskido heard Aero’s track ‘Mexican Girl’ and fell in love with it. He loved it so much; he featured it as a prominent track on his latest installment ‘Oskido’s House Grooves 7’. Aero has much reason to smile as ‘Mexican Girl’ holds the number 1 spot on the Yfm Hot 9@9 slot and is on high rotation. This talented young DJ is inspired by the likes of Boddhi Satva, Abicah Soul, Manoo Booka Shade, Sebo K, Black Coffee, Ame, Chris Lake, Ryan Murgatroyd, Dead Mau5, Oskido and DJ Christos among others. Seeing from his extensive range of influences, it’s no wonder Aero describes himself as an “All round DJ” who can play anything from Commercial to Afro,Tribal,Deep tech,Electro ,Minimal and Deep House sets. Many doors have been opened for this young man, one of the highlights being the opportunity he got to present at the South African Music Conference (SAMC) in 2008. Not only did he speak on the topic “Making your first hit” but Aero also got the chance to share his musical knowledge with, and seek inspiration from international and local DJs and producers alike. Aero was surprised to learn that international acts Manoo and Rocco knew the BlackwHole hit track ‘1000 Seconds’ which has also been remixed by German producer, King Roc. Building from that reputation, Aero has remixed a killer track for an act called Amadou & Mariam from Mali. The song, ‘Ce N’est Pas Bon’ is featured on their album “Welcome to Mali” which was released on French record label ‘Because Music’. Aero’s version of ‘Ce N’est Pas Bon’ is a fresh burst of African sounds fused perfectly with the sounds of House music. Aero believes in empowering talented up-and-coming DJs. “There’s no one way of making it into the music industry” he says “Even the guy who mops floors or delivers pizza at a record shop could become a DJ/Producer.DJ/Producer.

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