Kyle “DJ Kyle” Bennett — a fifth former at Dinthill Technical High in Linstead, St Catherine — is the winner of this year’s staging of SunCity High School Disc Jock competition.

The final took place last Saturday on the roof of the Portmore Pines Plaza in St Catherine.

“One of my friends, Asani Jackson, who entered last year, was the person who told me about the competition. Therefore, I decided to enter and the experience was good. It was a lot of fun,” DJ Kyle told the Jamaica Observer.

DJ Kyle beat two other disc jocks for first place. The others were Foga Road High’s Dominic “DJ C-View” McLeod (who finished in second place) and Campion College’s Peter John “DJ PJ” McDermott (who placed third).

“I have always had a passion for music and this competition has helped to push my talent a whole lot. I also learned how to make better transitions with the musical selections and also to mix properly,” said 17-year-old DJ C-View, who is in the fifth form. He plans to pursue the career professionally.

DJ PJ said he saw the competition as a means of releasing creative energy.

“I just saw the competition as a good outlet to release some creative energy. There is no other like it in Jamaica and it also opened my eyes to a lot to different styles of creativity where playing music is concerned,” he said. “The overall experience was exhilarating, and with every step of the journey I realised that I was making progress. There were things that I didn’t know that I gained knowledge about.”

DJ PJ hopes to become a medical doctor and a professional chess player. He is currently in upper sixth form.

At Saturday’s event a wild card play-off featured DJ C-View, DJ Krazy C (Jose Marti Technical High), DJ Tucker Fresh (Eltham High), DJ Theo (Jonathan Grant High), DJ Flamez (St Catherine High) and DJ Skepo (Edwin Allen High). DJ C-View emerged winner and qualified for the grand final.

Additional entertainment came courtesy of comedian and vlogger Knockis and deejay Beez Hive.

The disc jocks were judged by a panel comprising former competitors in the SunCity High School DJ competition, including the YVA-winning DJ Antsman, DJ Mac, DJ Russ Buss and DJ Kevez. Sunjock Snow, Ricky Trooper and Witty Blacks were also judges.

The SunCity disc jock competition began in 2016, and runs from January to March each year. Some 16 schools entered this year, including DeCarteret College, Kingston College, Waterford High, Cumberland High, Clarendon College and Kellits High.