By Aerusha Jenal Lalbahadur
Seventeen-year-old Radio Jock, Jival Ishwarlall, who co-hosts ‘Keeping up with the Teenagers’ on Impressions radio station, is always looking to lend a helping hand to those in need and hopes to one day travel the world in search new and exciting opportunities. The Solvista Secondary School learner, who has a passion for Bollywood music, is not one to shy away from the stage or the decks and wants other youths to be confident enough to follow their dreams. The Phoenix Tabloid recently caught up with the young RJ and sat on the couch with the jovial teenager to find out more about his life.
Phoenix Tabloid (PT): Tell us about yourself?
Jival Ishwarlall (JI): My name is Jival Ishwarlall and I am 17-years-old. I enjoy music, football, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, homemade food and I also like to read.I have a small family which includes my parents, sister, aunt, uncle and my grandparents.
PT: What do you love about your family?
JI: What I love about them is their sense of love and affection and the respect that they have for everyone, it teaches me a lot.
PT: Where do you reside? And for how long?
JI: I live at Rosehaven, Forest Haven Drive. We moved to Phoenix when I was four-years-old and we have been here for 13 years.
PT: Where are you attending high school and are you enjoying it?
JI: I am studying at Solvista Secondary School. It’s really surprising how fast time has gone, from Grade 8 to Grade 11. It has been a fun few years but now it’s time to put in the hard work and reap the benefits.
PT: What are your plans for the future?
JI: My plans for the future involve me travelling abroad in search of new opportunities and challenges, But if I stay, I know for sure that I won’t regret it.
PT: What drew you into the world of music and being a DJ?
JI: .For me music is about emotions and the type of music that you listen to can affect your emotions and luckily for me my family introduced Bollywood music to me from a young age. That is how my passion for music grew and now I understand and realise the beauty of it. Before coming to impressions I was introduced to DJ’ing by my uncle and thanks to him I have the little knowledge that I have on sound.
PT: If you could meet one person/celebrity dead or alive, who would it be and why?
JI: I would want to meet KSI. He is a YouTuber/rapper/boxer and even has his own beverage company ‘Prime Hydration’. His mentally is if you want something go through the struggle until you make it. And by the looks of it, it has worked.
PT: What’s your take on bullying in schools and what do you think should be done to curb this scourge?
JI: For me a bully is someone who wants evaluation from others and the way they get that is by hurting others. I feel that sometimes the punishment given by schools is not enough, schools should give more harsh punishments to them.
PT: When was your first gig as DJ and was it all that you had hoped for?
JI: My first gig as DJ wasn’t like how you would think it normally goes. My uncle decided to take me with him to help him out and next thing I knew I was his DJ, this was around five years ago.
PT: What are you passionate about?
JI: I’m passionate about helping others and just being my best self. The one thing that I strive for, before kicking the proverbial bucket, is being happy with what I have achieved and that is something that everyone should work towards.
PT: What is the one thing that you would like other people to be more aware of and why?
JI: Keeping our planet and surroundings clean. This is our home and only we can help slow down the pollution we started. If we can do our bit to keep where we go clean it’s only going to affect us positively.
PT: What are you known for?
JI: Thanks to my parents I’m known for being helpful but others know me for being the party starter, and now, the keeping up with the teens show with my co-host Dhiya Pitamber on Saturdays at 3 to 6pm.
PT: What music are you into?
JI Reggaeton and Bollywood music, not forgetting hard style aka gym music.
PT: Cardi B or Nicki Minaj and why?
JI Nicki Minaj, she is the queen of Rap.
PT: What do you do during your free time?
JI: My free time is mostly spent on TikTok and YouTube or listening to music but when I’m feeling sporty I like to have my alone time exercising or playing football in the backyard.
PT: Lastly, what is your advice for people who want to make their dream a reality?
JI: If you truly want to do something don’t look back and stick to it and don’t let anyone tell you that you are not going to make it push through the bad days and work hard but most importantly enjoy the process.
