DJ Excalibah

DJ Excalibah (Matthew Xia) is a polymath genius, an unbelievable role model whose message is that you can achieve, and compete with the best, no matter where you come from. From Newham, he has since gone on to be a director, musical director, composer, lyricist, DJ, BBC trained broadcaster and journalist.

Aged 18, Matthew was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. He studied contemporary musical direction under Fred Carl and Robert Lee at New York University, and was the first person to obtain the rights for a musical adaptation of the Rodgers & Hart play ‘The Boys From Syracuse’ which was transformed into ‘Da Boyz’. He adapted, co-directed and musically directed Jean Genet’s ‘The Blacks’, which Time Out called, “Searing, important work,” and is currently developing new, contemporary, musical theatre pieces for the Soho Theatre.

At age 19, Excalibah was the first broadcaster to join the BBC’s flagship, black-music station 1Xtra. While presenting his own weekly show, he also produced and hosted documentaries, as well as covering for John Peel and others on Radio 1.

He is a leading promoter of new independent music, helping discover Estelle, Sway and Plan B, has won Best Radio Show and Best Radio Presenter awards. He also owns his own company Excalibah Presents, which progammes and project manages music events.

As an educator, DJ Excalibah has facilitated and taught, masterclasses at the International Festival of Emerging Artists, and has provided workshops in Musical Theatre and Deejaying in many schools and theatre companies. He also writes for the Guardian and the Telegraph.

DJ Excalibah has seven A-C GCSEs from a school in Waltham Forest.