Today we’d like to introduce you to GURRU.
Hi GURRU, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Music has always been at the center of my life. I began playing piano at four years old and spent more than 15 years classically trained in piano, music history, and theory, along with traditional marimba for several years growing up. Growing up Shona and Xhosa, I was surrounded by rich musical and cultural traditions from an early age. Beyond my own training, I come from a family deeply connected to music: whether it was my parents and siblings introducing me to new sounds or iconic legends, uncles producing music, or cousins working as DJs and curators. Music was never just something we listened to; it was part of how we connected, celebrated, and expressed ourselves.
As I got older, DJing felt like a natural evolution of that foundation. It allowed me to combine my musical background with my love for discovering, sharing, and connecting people through music. Around the same time, I became increasingly fascinated by African electronic music, especially Amapiano, Afrohouse, 3-Step, Gqom, and the many subgenres emerging across the continent especially where I’m from. To me, those sounds feel like a bridge between the traditional Southern African music I grew up around and the contemporary house and dance music culture I was discovering in the United States.
What started as DJing eventually expanded into event curation and production. I realized I wasn’t just passionate about playing music, I was passionate about creating spaces where people could experience it together. Many of the artists, producers, and genres that have shaped modern music don’t always receive the same recognition as their global contemporaries, despite being true pioneers. I wanted to help change that by creating events that celebrate their artistry while introducing new audiences to the culture and stories behind the music.
Today, that vision has evolved into Ekhaya FM: a platform focused on bringing House and African electronic dance music artists, culture, and live experiences to Dallas. Whether someone is discovering these sounds for the first time or has loved them for years, my goal is to create moments that feel like home, build community, and celebrate the incredible musical legacy of the Black diaspora and the global south.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth roadm but I don’t think any meaningful journey ever is.
I’ve spent much of my life navigating spaces where I was often the exception rather than the norm. From piano competitions as a child, to studying mathematics in college, to building a career in finance and technology, I’ve frequently found myself as a Black woman in rooms that weren’t designed with me in mind.
DJing and event production have been no different.
Along the way I’ve faced plenty of skepticism whether about my abilities as a DJ, my knowledge of the music, or whether the events I was envisioning could actually succeed. There have been venues that didn’t understand the audience we were trying to serve, promoters who doubted the demand, and moments where the easier option would have been to scale back the vision.
What has kept me going is a genuine love for music and community. Whenever things get difficult, I come back to the reason I started in the first place: creating spaces where people can connect through culture, music, and shared experience. Seeing someone hear a song from home, discover a new artist, or find a sense of belonging at one of our events makes every challenge worthwhile.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that community is everything. The support system that has formed around these events, from attendees and artists to collaborators and friends, has been incredible. They don’t just believe in me; they believe in the vision of creating spaces where people feel seen, celebrated, and connected.
The road has had its bumps, but every challenge has reinforced why this work matters. The most rewarding moments come when people leave feeling like they found a piece of home and that’s what keeps me moving forward.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Ekhaya FM is a Dallas-based platform dedicated to celebrating house and African electronic dance music, artists, and culture through curated live experiences. While we work across multiple genres, our primary focus is African electronic music, particularly Amapiano, Afrohouse, 3-Step, Gqom, and other sounds emerging from Africa and the diaspora.
What makes Ekhaya FM unique is that we’re building experiences specifically for the Black diaspora and global south, while remaining accessible to anyone who loves great music. Our goal is to create spaces that feel familiar and authentic for people who grew up with these sounds, while also introducing new audiences to the culture, history, and artistry behind them.
We’re known for blending music, community, and cultural storytelling. Whether it’s a club night, day party, concert, or listening session, we approach every event with the intention of creating something memorable and meaningful — not simply hosting another party.
The accomplishment I’m most proud of so far is producing Vigro Deep’s Texas debut in Dallas earlier this year. Seeing hundreds of people come together to celebrate an artist whose music pioneered and shaped an entire genre was a profound moment and it reinforced that there is a real yearning for community and a nontraditional nightlife experience centered on Black electronic sounds right here in Dallas.
More than anything, I want people to know that Ekhaya FM is about creating a home for the music and the community around it. As these genres continue to grow globally, we want to ensure the artists, cultures, and pioneers who built them are celebrated and given the recognition they deserve, right here in Dallas.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I always describe myself as an extroverted nerd.
Growing up, I loved reading, problem-solving, and math so much that I eventually became a mathematician. At the same time, I was incredibly social, I loved meeting people, having conversations, hearing different perspectives, and being part of a community. I was definitely the kid who got moved around the classroom for talking too much while getting straight A’s.
I’ve always been curious about how things work, whether that’s music, cultures, people, systems, or ideas. Growing up Zimbabwean in the US, I was raised within three distinct and rich cultural traditions, and that upbringing gave me a deep appreciation for how music carries identity, memory, and belonging across generations. That curiosity eventually grew into a love for travel, music discovery, live events, and learning from people with completely different backgrounds and experiences.
One thing that has stayed consistent throughout my life is that I’ve always been an organizer and a disruptor. If I noticed someone being left out, a community that wasn’t being served, or an experience that I wished existed, my instinct was always to create it. I’ve never been particularly interested in maintaining the status quo just because that’s the way things have always been done.
Looking back, a lot of what I’m doing now -through DJing, event production, and Ekhaya FM – makes complete sense. It’s a combination of everything I’ve always loved: music, learning, bringing people together, and creating spaces where everyone feels like they belong.
I’ve always believed that the most interesting ideas, friendships, and opportunities come from unexpected places and that’s still how I try to approach life today.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: dj instagram : https://www.instagram.com/dj.gurru?utm_source=qr Ekhaya FM instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ekhayafm?utm_source=qr
