The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi
He is jovial, hilarious, jubilant, ecstatic, amazing, amusing . . . all of them. That is BaTaps for you. His name is Dillon Sisimayi. He is a bundle of joy and loves radio like there is no tomorrow. If you listen to The Wake Up Call every morning and Dylanaire and Tinashe are on Diamond FM Radio…it is time to cheer up and start the day over the moon. If you do not, you either have a huge problem stuck on your throat or you have no sense of serious humour.
Born 29 years ago in the countryside, ‘‘down-town’’ Dora, Kambarami Village, Dillon attended Mhandambiri and Chirowakamwe Primary Schools in Mutare. He then went to Dangamvura High School and later University of Zimbabwe where for some problem beyond his control deferred his degree studies.
He found his way to DiamondFM after a successful audition and that was the beginning of fireworks on radio.
BaTaps revealed to The Weekender that he never looked forward to becoming a radio presenter in life. “Of course I loved radio as a young boy and particularly remember Kuverengwa Kwemabhuku on ZBC. I loved these literature bureau stories and thoroughly enjoyed them, following every twist and turn, particularly the jokes or sense of humour in Shona literature,” said Dillon.
“I believe that is where my sense of humour and love for story-telling was developed. I want people to listen to me on radio and for a moment just smile and enjoy themselves. I want them to know that life is too short to fight or sulk forever . . . and once they are tuned in, I turn them on and make them forget the ugliness of this world. Once that is done, my job is done.”
Is radio only about excitement, joy and fun BaTaps?
“No, no, no, Mr Mtisi! (laughs and adds) Waiyepo ere?
Bomber-Spot . . . Jacaranda . . . Karanganda Karanganda!
What does all this mean Dillon? Tell us. What is Bomber-Spot-Jacaranda?
And what is Karanganda Kranganda?
“Bomber–Spot is a spot in Hobhouse where I meet my township friends and followers. It is important to go to these places . . . around Kombis and touts and ordinary people. You learn a lot from them and it is healthy to associate with everyone. You learn a lot from them. You get to learn about their problems, their fears, their anxieties . . . all of it. They are great people and they have fascinating stories. I am one of them. And that makes me one with them,” he explained.
What is the secret of radio presenting Dillon? Is it possible to abuse radio?
“Karanganda! Iwe woshoora,” he said before he answers “Be yourself; do not copy or imitate anyone. Do not try to be someone different on radio. You are BaTaps, Tauranaye . . . period! Talk and behave like one. Everyone has a personality. Be that person and listeners will connect easily,” says the Karanganda celebrity. “Waiyepo ere?” he adds.
How did he team up with Tinashe? The pair is explosive on radio especially on The Wake Up Call.
Were they asked to team up or they volunteered to pair up?
“No, not at all. It was Lee Kay, the station manager, who discovered the potential magic in us doing things together on radio. This was during the auditions that eventually found both Tinashe and I at Diamond FM radio. He suggested we must pair in presentation. And what you hear today on radio is the result of his vision.”
There is no doubt the Dylanaire-Tinashe combination on Diamond FM is a force to reckon with. Many listeners simply love these guys.
They make radio such a delight and I promise to interview the two together soon. Watch the space! And do not miss this one!
We cannot end the story about the Dylanaire –Tinashe magic without mentioning that the installation of the robots at the Sakubva swimming pool intersection was the result of these two’s eye for community development and love for environmental management.
Who said radio presenters are only entertainers and lovers of fun? If Bing Cosy entertained audiences and gave them a lot to laugh about at the same time gave them real life-size lessons, Dylanaire-Tauranaye does the same on Diamond FM- perhaps even better. BaTaps for you!
Know Them Better is a radio programme aimed at giving you a complete picture of exactly who our radio presenters are; their interests and acumens, their fears and anxieties…and all of it. Remember each one of them has a real face and character. It is my pleasure to share this side of them with readers of The Manica Post, especially those who cannot access Diamond FM Radio. Those who can, please join me every Sunday noon-12:30pm.
Our radio presenters have massive numbers of followers and fans. You have a lot you can learn from these celebrities and perhaps some of them can even help you carve a career path for yourself.
If not, maybe they can motivate you to do what you want to do in life. Until next week when I feature another Diamond FM celebrity, Enjoy!
