The New Kid On The Decks

She’s only six but give her headphones and a mixing console and Sophia will blow your socks off!

- Kim Abrahams

Her fingers dance nimbly over the buttons and knobs, tweaking and twisting them as the doof-doof of the beats envelop her. She’s calm and confident, and moves with the self assurance of a veteran DJ – but she’s been on the decks for only about two years.

At just six years old, it appears young Sophia Petersen is a prodigy. She’s sitting between her parents for her videocall interview with YOU from her family home in Athlone, Cape Town, and she’s now rather shy.

Her mom, Sharna (36) gently attempts to coax Sophia into explaining why she loves music, but the Grade 1 learner buries her face under her arm. “She loves entertaining people but she doesn’t like it when the spotlight is on her,” Sharna says with a laugh.

Sophia has been dubbed Cape Town’s youngest female DJ after her remix of the insanely popular kids’ song Baby Shark was played at almost every local party. The original version of the catchy tune went viral in 2018, racking up more than 1,6 billion views on YouTube.

Sophia’s version of the single became her trademark, says her dad Ian (37) – who’s also a DJ – and it was her opening track whenever she performed. Sophia only needs to be handed a set of headphones and a mixing deck, and the quiet little girl quickly morphs into a confident and focused entertainer.

“The best part of being a DJ is seeing people enjoy my music,” Sophia eventually says. “I love seeing people enjoy it.”

Her daughter has always loved music, Sharna adds. “She’d always joke that she danced in my tummy while I was pregnant with her.”