DJ WilSAF has made a huge impact in the time he’s been in the music industry, but its impact on him began when he was living in Sierra Leone and was a member of his Church choir. He was just nine years old.
DJ WilSAF’s given name is Wilmot Faulkner, and he inspired and entertained the church congregation with his sweet voice that eventually deepened into a baritone. This baritone sound became a fan favorite voice on the radio.
It was 1996 when Faulkner began his DJ career, employed as an On-Air Presenter and DJ for the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service at the time. Radio listeners were enthralled with his baritone voice. When involved with Wheels of Steel, he created the perfect mix of music to touch on every season, mood and occasion – music that inspired the station’s listeners.
This musical mashup led to the birth of his nickname, “The Master Selector.”
His level of creativity and talent led to the creation of various radio shows including the P&W Show hosted with Pat Sheriff on Saturdays, the Tuesday Lunchtime Jam and the Monday Night
“The Night Ride” show. He hosted talk shows and worked as the duty continuity announcer.
Faulkner Uses His Talent To Help During Wartime
Faulkner used his talent to give his listeners something more than just music to listen to; he wanted to give them hope during the country’s Revolutionary United Front Rebellion war. People suffering could call into the interactive phone-in talk show to talk about their loss and worries. He worked alongside the Economic Community of West African Monitoring Group and the Sierra Leone military to provide the latest war information.
Faulkner also helped to develop the Missing Persons’ Helpline, connecting family members that were torn apart during the war.
After his stint at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Cooperation, he was employed with the SKYY Radio 106.6 FM. Here, and after the war, he was able to spend time promoting the music industry in the country. At the time, the industry was going through a rebirthing period. Faulkner would play back-to-back local artists’ songs.
Faulkner would also host talk shows, providing new and established artists a way to introduce themselves to the national and international stages. He has worked with numerous stars including Daddy Saj, Steady Bongo, The Dry Eye Crew and the late Ahmed Janka Nabay. While helping these rising stars, he was able to spiral his own career upward, becoming a household name in the country’s music and entertainment industry.
After years of working in and out with the Sierra Leone radio stations and being one of the most successful, he relocated back to the UK where he became one of the country’s most coveted DJs. He has played for many well-known clubs including but not limited to HomeHouse London, Strawberry Moons, Penthouse No1 Leicester Sq. Proud 2 and Play Room and the Rainforest Café.
He’s also performed in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
Much More Than A DJ
Faulkner pursued other musical avenues beyond radio. In 2006, he created the entertainment company Smoke Entertainment and now own technological firm SELAKIFAU Limited; also called 5iveGem Inc., which focuses on information technology, mainstream media and entertainment. He also founded the 24/7-web radio station HotBox Radio now FusionSoundRadio.com, which plays an amalgamation of musical genres.Despite his vast empire and musical prowess, Faulkner is committed to helping his Sierra Leone community to build and rebuild, putting together various charity events for those in need. He still tries to connect with Super Morris, Kai Bockarie and Pat Sheriff – the very people who were his support and was always there for him when he first got into broadcasting.
It may be interesting to note that Faulkner didn’t always go by the name DJ WilSAF. About five years ago, the popular DJ changed his name from DJ Wil. His reasoning in doing so was to separate himself from other DJ Wil’s in the industry – for people to remember him. This has certainly happened in his favor!
