Dynamic duo of siblings from the city

The brother and sister of Nigerian origin, whose home is Hyderabad, show their best in music and fashion as both of them are medical professionals

Justice Chima Ikeh, a DJ and a music producer whose tracks you can hear on Spotify along with his sister Dr Josephine Antoan Ikeh, who is a developing  model takes immense pride in standing out! The siblings, born and brought up in Hyderabad are the master of their own destinies and take pride in being an element of mixed-race. Their father is in the business of clothing items while mom is a homemaker. The family has  roots in Abuja, Nigeria.

Justice, who has also represented Telangana in lawn tennis and is an international basketball player is currently pursuing his dream of being a DJ with the stage name as XII.XI. His recently held shows at clubs and party circles like Cowboys & Angels, Hylife Brewing Company, YET The bar next door and 10 Downing Street which attracted huge numbers of audience. On being asked on the current scenario of DJs in the city, he says, “You receive an average response as DJ artist. Audience needs to have an understanding about electronic music. Rather than being a professional, it requires you to be passionate like DJ Afrojack.” Apart from being a DJ, he also produces music as a hobby and is keen to learn about the musical structure which in turn helps him nourish ideas to construct hard-hitting music! “I am being supported by various artists like ‘Dropbusterz’, ‘Zenworld’, etc., and released his new track ‘Anything’ on Spotify in January with 2.6k reach,” adds this 22-year-old.

There have been times when this resident of Maithri Enclave, Yapral has been a victim of trolling, yet he never let that limit his success. Energetic music tends to differentiate him from others as an independent artist as he looks forward for more creative exposure from all over the world. Justice is currently pursuing his studies in medicine from Kursk State Medical University, Russia. On the other hand, we have Josephine, Josephine is a graduate from Orenburg State Medical University, Russia and is a model who walked the ramp for the first time ever in 2018 for at Forum Sujana Mall! Describing her first photoshoot with Maria Kofanova, she says, “I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin at first, yet I wanted to shatter several barriers related to Afro-Asian models.

With Maria comforting me, I gracefully handled the photoshoot and was successful in creating a spark!” On being asked as to who does she seeks inspiration from, this medical graduate adds, “My mother has guided me through the dark times of my life. I desire being a strong-headed woman like her to overcome the hurdles of life. She taught me that black is beautiful!” Revealing there is no such secret to a successful photoshoot, Josephine tells us that sometimes posing for a photoshoot can get annoying due to the constant glares you receive, flashy studio lights, heavy make-up, repetitive postures, etc. making you more nervous. To loosen herself, she listens to relaxing music and communicates with her peers on set.  “Modelling is a form of art, those days are gone when aspirants used to depend on their luck to get spotted.

It takes hell-bent discipline, effort and perseverance to be a supermodel. I would suggest my fellow entrants from Hyderabad to develop their skills, practice posing and build a killer portfolio!” adds this 23-year-old. Growing up in India was tough for these siblings, yes they have faced discrimination although they didn’t let that affect them in any manner. They never let their dreams die and created abundant opportunities for themselves. They continue to express their love for Africa and relate it to the diverse culture of Hyderabad, “Once you understand the heart of Africa there’s no looking back. We have always felt at home in Hyderabad as there are large number of residents from our country over here and I have also slowly adapted to the Nawabi lifestyle.”

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