Maybe where they're from has something to do with it, but DJ Jagga and DJ Chungy have both managed to overcome the heat of intense musical battles to make it to the final of the Heineken Green Synergy competition.

Jagga, from the cool, lush parish of Portland, overcame the tough challenges of Ricky Eminence, DJ Posey, and the very able DJ Shine, and now stands ready to compete against his well-respected opponent, DJ Chungy, who hails from cool, cool Mandeville and who got by DJ Tippy, DJ Absolut and DJ Nas en route to the finals.

Both men met in the early rounds of last year's competition when Jagga triumphed. Still, Jagga is very wary of his adversary from Manchester. "I have great respect for Chungy," he says. "He is one of the humblest persons and he has great skills. You can't take him lightly. You have to be prepared in every way."

Respecting his opponents has always been among Jagga's attributes that have helped him make it all the way to the final on October 10 at the Chinese Benevolent Association. He is always ready for the next challenge. "I never underestimate an opponent," he said. "I enter each contest with an open mind."

He also enters them with secret weapons, like the one he unleashed on an unsuspecting DJ Shine when things had started to look dicey in the semi-finals. Shine, who Jagga said was his toughest challenge, put together a solid mix in the first segment of their contest and assumed the ascendancy going into the tune-for-tune segment. That was when Jagga reached for a dub-plate with a song called War Zone done by veteran deejay and Portland native, Louie Culture.

Achievement

The concept for the dub-plate was put together by him, Culture and a friend aptly called Headache, because that is exactly what DJ Shine got in the tune-for-tune segment. It was also what gave Jagga the edge in the minds of the voting public.

Winning the contest, Jagga says, would mean a lot to him. The turntables and equipment that are among the prizes would help him excel even further as a disc jock, but the achievement itself would mean so much more. "You can look back and say this is one of the things I accomplished," he said, adding that he was grateful to Heineken because had it not been for them, he would still be just another selector from Portland.

Chungy shares Jagga's sentiments about winning. "I want to have the title. I want to be able to say that I won in '09," he said. "It would be a nice accomplishment to have."

This year's competition, Chungy said, has helped him improve all his skills - mixing, scratching and the various tricks. He also picked up a few more skills along the way which are going to make him champion and position him to win the regionals, Chungy said.

He managed to even learn a few things from some of the DJs who lost. DJ Supa O, he says, taught him a lot in how not to handle DJ Nas, the only female DJ in the contest and who presented him with the his greatest challenge in the semis. "She was good at the tune-for-tune, plus she had a crowd following," he explained.

In the quarter-finals, Supa O seemed intimidated by Nas' gender. As a result, she chewed him up and spat him out. Chungy said he learned from watching that experience that when you go to battle, it doesn't matter the gender of your opponent, you compete to win.

He reveals that the format this year where the DJs contest two segments, mixing and the tune-for-tune, really has not prepared him to contest beyond Jamaica's shores because the 'clash' element will not be a factor when he progresses beyond the Jamaican leg of the competition. That is why he has been focusing on improving all his skills.

New elements

He lauded veteran DJs Arif Cooper and Colin Hines as the people who have inspired him throughout the competition. He has learned from Cooper's mixing skills and his versatility and from Hines, he has learned turntable skills and the tricks.

For the finals, Chungy plans to mix things up a little more and introduce some new elements. He is aware that he and Jagga know each other too well. During the competition, they spoke a lot and even exchanged notes, but now that they face each other in the final, both DJs have to add a new element.

According to Frederique Asberg, country manager for Heineken, the competition has been stiff, as each contender has displayed true talent and skill.

"This year, we have seen some amazing talent. We are now down to our two finalists. This one is anybody's call, as both men have shown that they eagerly want the title and are working hard to get it. October 10 is definitely going to be an all-out battle," she said.

The winner of the competition will move on to the regional final set for later in the year.