Ngqabutho Mpofu is a DJ, an actor, chairman of Ignite Theatre Company, the founder of Jaiva and a lot more. In this podcast recorded in front of an audience, he tells us how he got into DJ-ing and Acting, about a beautiful moment on a roadside with two policemen and the big influences on his life so far.

Join us for another show recorded in front of a live audience in the Refuweegee shop in Byres Road Glasgow.

This show was produced in collaboration with the Universit of Glasgow UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts (RILA).

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Transcript

Kenneth Gordon  0:00 

Hello, I’m Ken Gordon. Welcome to the Refugee Voices Scotland Podcast produced in association with the University of Glasgow, UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts (RILA).

Welcome again to the Refuweegee shop in Byres Road in Glasgow for another lunchtime interview. Please be aware that at around 21 minutes in, there is what has become a regular feature in these podcasts, the sound of an emergency services vehicle going past, find out how to join us and be in our audience at the end.

Kenneth Gordon

Ngqabutho nja njab….

Ngqabutho Mpofu

Its the click

Kenneth Gordon 

I know … what I was trying to say is that you’re a DJ, an actor, chairman of Ignite Theatre, the founder of Jaiva. Yeah, plus, you’ve been an entrepreneur in your past.

Ngqabutho Mpofu  0:52  

Yeah.

Kenneth Gordon  0:52  

Okay. What’s on your mind

Ngqabutho Mpofu  0:56  

A lot of things, a lot of things

The most recent thing was me getting pissed off at my playlist playing a high BPM (Beats Per Minute) Afro-house when I’m driving to a podcast, so I wanted to listen to more jazz, Ethiopian jazz and the whole 15 minutes of my journey. I was listening to 125 BPM. So that was interesting and really annoying. But I got to listen to something soft walking down.

Kenneth Gordon  1:28  

That’s cool. Very nice. How did you get into DJing and acting?

Ngqabutho Mpofu  1:33  

I got into acting first when I moved to Glasgow, and that was literally by mistake. I went to church, Wellington Church, which is literally up the road from here, and I’m not religious, or anything but then I went because of my Mum.

I got into acting first when I moved to Glasgow, and that was literally by mistake. I went to church, Wellington Church, which is literally up the road from here, and I'm not religious, or anything but then I went because of my Mum.…Click To Tweet

I had just moved and it was something to do on a Sunday morning. So I went to church and then I met a lovely lady.