DJ Selwyn B and Carletheia bring Nice and Slow back to the dance floor

The first record he ever bought is now his debut single. Cape Town gets to celebrate it at Thriller Throwback on Saturday, 14 November.

In 1976, Selwyn Bartlett spent his money on his first seven-inch single, Jesse Green’s “Nice and Slow”.

Fifty years later, the Cape Town DJ and broadcaster known as DJ Selwyn B has made his recording debut with his own take on the disco track, featuring Athlone singer-songwriter Carletheia.

The single is out now. Listen to Nice and Slow – Single by Selwyn B

For Selwyn, the seven-inch was only the beginning. It took until 1982 to track down the extended mix on an imported copy of the double album Bumper 2 Bumper Vol. 2. Imports were hard to come by in apartheid-era South Africa, and finding the record felt like winning a prize.

Carletheia pictured below  brings a voice shaped by church choirs and a solo career that moves between soul, pop and Afrobeats. The former teacher built an audience through live TikTok performances before her debut single “Attention” reached the Kfm Top 40. She went on to open for PJ Morton, who wrote and produced her single “I’ll Always Be There”.

Selwyn was five when he started playing records at family gatherings, taking after his grandfather. By 13, he and school friends Glynn and Howard Bouwers had started a mobile disco to raise funds for their school. He got his first club gig in 1982 at Negresco in Retreat after a customer at the music shop where he worked offered him a slot.

A year later, during his residency at Tiffany’s in Paarl, he improvised a line over the music and added another each week. Six weeks later he had a party rap that DJs still use to get a crowd going. Away from the decks, he mentors young people in his community.

“This is my story, this is my song,” says Selwyn. “I’ve spent a lifetime playing other people’s music. Now it’s time to put my own name on the record.”

Thriller Throwback and single launch

Saturday, 14 November 2026 at Stikland Driving Range. The public party starts at 9pm and is open to guests aged 23 and over. DJ Selwyn B featuring Carletheia joins DJ Mikey and DJ Vinny on the bill. Tickets are listed from R50 on Quicket.

Media RSVP for the private 8pm launch

Sharon Ziervogel, SELCORP Media | sharon@selcorp.co.za | +27 72 621 5894