Grayson Repp, an artist with roots in Vancouver, Kimberley and Nelson, has been named the official DJ and Music Director of Content for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, happening now in Qatar.
Repp was born in Vancouver and lived for 10 years between Kimberley and Nelson before heading off to Victoria to finish high school.
Repp said he has been in music professionally for 10 years now, and producing music is his full-time job.
“It was something I always had a knack for,” Repp told the Bulletin. “I’d made all the mixtapes for the hockey dressing room and spring training. After the conclusion of my swimming career I fell in love directly with creating and playing music.”
Qatar is not Repp’s first experience with international travel, he has travelled the world to perform music and before that his previous career as a professional swimmer.
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“I have traveled extensively and I’m grateful for that,” Repp said, adding he has been in Qatar since Nov. 5.
“The country is certainly special, there’s a magic in the Middle East that’s indescribable,” he said. “I highly recommend it at least once in your lifetime. The people are kind and accommodating, the food is incredible, and the desert is divine”
Repp was living in Berlin when the opportunity to DJ for the FIFA Arab Cup arose through a friend whose father worked for the tournament. After that he was invited to be the official DJ and music director for the FIFA World Cup the next year.
He got to work preparing playlists months in advance and said the process of music directorship has broadened his horizons to the numerous genres of music popular in all the nations competing in the tournament.
“It’s been so fulfilling as a musician to learn about what is popular and sacred in other countries,” Repp said.
In terms of the performance side of the gig, Repp is pitch-side DJ’ing for three hours leading up to the matches, at half time and post match.
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Repp is also a big football fan, so the job is about as ideal as it gets. He’s followed Germany for years and said it’s exciting to have Canada in the tournament.
Repp said he would be thrilled if this job led to others like it, adding, “It would be a dream come true to curate for other global events.”
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is on now and concludes with the final on Sunday, Dec. 18.
paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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