As the saying goes by George Herbert, “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”

Indeed! Today we have Inavito Achumi Shikhu, better known as, Jamie Shikhu, a young Music Producer & Disc Jockey from Nagaland, who is truly a testimony to the above statement! 

Roots & Leisure had a chat with the 23-year-old DJ & music producer, Inavito Achumi Shikhu, from Nagaland 

The young DJ started making music at the young age of 14. The journey began when he was presented with an iPad on his birthday on which he downloaded GarageBand (Apple’s Music Application). Like many already accomplished names in this business, this promising music icon-to-be had his humble beginnings. He started making Electro House music and the first thing he thought was that the music he was making ‘didn’t sound too bad at all’.

Next thing, he downloaded FL Studio mobile version to make sure he was actually capable of making ‘real music’. However, the app was limited and only good for unprofessional use. A friend passed him over the much needed music software, FL Studio 10 (PC version), which initially was a little more than he could handle yet his enthusiasm made it easier for him to take control of it gradually.

After a year or two he upgraded to FL Studio 12 and then began to do the ‘real thing’ as he likes to quote. From there onward, he went ahead with Dubstep. He was learning to DJ in 2015 which put him in a position of getting acquainted with other DJs – both locally and from different corners of the country. His official debut performance was birthed at ‘Upstairs’, a restro/hangout destination in Dimapur, Nagaland.

There’s no hard work without hardship for successful people and Inavito’s story is no different. He says,

“However, no one, not even my mom or dad appreciated it. They thought I was too young and the idea of me being a producer/DJ was just abominable. But somehow I never gave up even though it pained me to choose a path my parents didn’t approve of. Eventually with time, my parents did see my potential in music and ever since then, they have never stopped supporting me. Things got better eventually and I must say it was one of the happiest moments of my life. My friends on the other hand never stopped believing in me. I’ve got the best people around me. They’re the ones that kept me going when I felt like giving up. I’m thankful for them.”

Many a time we tend to find our true self within places, arts or books — our young boy today found himself in the sound of his own music.

“Music has changed my life forever. It’s my only source of healing, my place of comfort, my therapy. I was a Mr. Nobody until I found music. I’d never trade music for anything else. It’s part of my heart and soul.”

The young artist has only one thing to say at the end,

“People will mock you, insult you, laugh at your art or anything you do. You may feel worthless. You may feel like giving up and fall under depression. But use this as feedback to work even harder. Use them as a fuel for success. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT. GO LIVE YOUR DREAMS!”

Inavito hopes for nothing but to connect with people like himself around the globe and most importantly, he wishes for people to enjoy his music and feel it.

We wish Inavito all the very best in his future endeavours. Follow him on Instagram!