BANK Raeez Kuhn
Bank Name: TymeBank
Branch Code: 678910
Account Number: 51008122272
Account Type: Current Account
On March 13, 1996 Raeez Kuhn was born. This should have marked the beginning of a happy life for this Sophiatown resident but he was born partially blind.
Just a couple of years later at the age of 4, a double tragedy struck. When his father died in a tragic accident the stress aggravated Eezo’s condition and he lost what little eyesight he still had. He says an operation was recommended, but his family didn’t have the money to pay for the procedure. They began fundraising but unfortunately, by the time the money had been raised it was already too late for the surgery; Raeez was now officially blind.
So began a life of struggle for the little boy. He spent time as a boarder at the School for the Blind in Durban. Where he was empowered and learned to use computers and to read and write, using a touch system called Braille. These skills opened up a whole new world for him. They also encouraged him to pursue his passion for music which he developed listening to the radio with his uncle! From the age of 10, Eezo began to dream of a career in music as a DJ. He decided to use his disability as a strength and named himself Eezo the Blind DJ. Most people thought that he was absolutely crazy; how could a blind person manage the decks, choose the tracks and mix the sounds? Impossible. But Eezo knew he would prove them wrong! By the age of 12 years-old he had taught himself how to play songs on the decks. Over the next 10 years he worked on his skill daily and slowly learnt how to beat match and mix. Eventually he began using a program called Virtual DJ and just a few years later he was able to mix on four decks and he began booking gigs.
In spite of his amazing achievements, Eezo has been ridiculed and taunted. His disability has been questioned and put to trial. This has only fed his hunger to achieve his goals.
“I had to learn to speak up for myself at a very young age,” he says. “It’s been a very tough journey at times.”
This enthusiastic, charismatic young DJ, who has a ready smile and an excellent way with words, is rearing to go, but unfortunately, he is stuck in a Catch 22 situation. Promoters are willing to give him gigs but he doesn’t have any equipment; and if he doesn’t have any equipment, he can’t earn the money he needs to buy the gear, so he can get the gigs.
But he is certain that this is just another obstacle that he will overcome, one way or another. Because if there is one lesson that Eezo wants others to know it’s this; “No matter what life throws at you, you can succeed if you have the right attitude and are determined and prepared to make the effort.
“It’s about where you put your focus. I believe everything is possible,” he concludes.
