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At 80, she's the coolest DJ in the world!

March 28, 2019 08:33 IST

At 80, this Polish woman is still the life of the party -- quite literally!

Meet 80-year-old "DJ Wika" who stands behind the decks, mixing party music in a huge Warsaw club.

All photographs: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

DJ Wirginia Szmyt is Poland's oldest DJ, but her age doesn't stop her. Self-trained Wika has been DJ-ing for Polish retirees for two decades, earning widespread respect in the trade. In fact, she entertains about 1,000 people at the Hula Kula club, rocking it out with music across all genres -- from disco to rock to samba.
 

When one asks her if her age is a handicap, DJ Wika is quick to deny it. She says, "I do not fit the stereotype of an elderly person. I don’t see a reason why my age should determine my life norms."

Wika says she's well aware of the rejuvenating quality of music for the mind and body. “I used to work with young people and I kept this youthful outlook and youthful expectations … My message to youths is that your life does not end when you are 70. They would say ‘Miss Wika we are already 40, we are so old’. And I am twice as old as you and … I am not old, by no means.”

What about her choice of music? In her own words, DJ Wika finds every kind of music is beautiful. But she does explain that the one thing she doesn't like is when the music is played so loud one can't really distinguish the rhythm.

DJ Wika was quoted about her career option, “I don’t care if someone likes it or not that I am dancing or jumping behind the console, because I cannot play and stay still,” said Wika, raising her hands to clap with her audience. “When I play, I feel the melody, I feel the rhythm.”
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