This year was once again touted as the year that Thailand’s DJ Nakadia was supposed to make DJ Mag’s top 100 DJs list. Every year since 1997, DJ Mag has compiled a list of the top 100 DJs in the world, as voted for by the general public. The credibility of the list is continually questioned, but that doesn’t stop most DJs from launching voting campaigns to try and break into the top 100. If a DJ makes the top 100, that DJ can then up the price he or she charges per gig because it raises the DJ’s profile.

Nakadia had her own campaign this year and her agent was confident of Thailand’s most famous DJ making the top 100. After touring the world, Nakadia’s reputation has grown steadily, and there was talk that she would make the top 100 list. I logged onto the official top 100 website this morning to see the results. Once again, Nakadia wasn’t in the list.

I think it’s a shame that Nakadia has been marketed as the “next big thing” only to have failed to make the top 100 two years running. Nakadia was in Phuket recently and she played a gig at Club Lime. I wasn’t able to stay for the whole night, but Nakadia did a solid job behind the decks and she drew the biggest crowd I’ve seen so far at the club. It wasn’t packed, but it was busy.

There may be more to Nakadia not making the top 100 than I first thought. According to her agent, there were a number of people in the music industry who protested against DJ Nakadia making it into the top 100. Although she wasn’t officially disqualified, her agent is claiming something went on behind closed doors.

It could be an excuse or there may be some weight behind such an allegation. It all sounds a bit vague at the moment. Regardless, Nakadia and her agent have now done an about-turn and said they won’t push for Nakadia to make the top 100 list next year. All this after campaigning so hard to get her in the list in the first place. It doesn’t add up.

The only real problem I saw with the campaign to get Nakadia in the top 100 list was a MySpace page that was touted by her agent as the official DJ Mag Top 100 MySpace page. The page was (not anymore) promoting Nakadia to make the list. I don’t believe it is a genuine DJ Mag page.

It would have been great to have a Thai DJ in the top 100 list, but Nakadia isn’t the only Thai who has achieved success as a performer outside of Thailand. Montonn Jira has just got back from touring with American electronica-musician Kenna, opening for the likes of Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado.

The contrast between Montonn’s career and Nakadia’s is astounding. Montonn also works as a DJ, but he appears more able to stand on his own two feet. I criticize Nakadia sometimes because I think she is over-marketed. After seeing her DJ recently, it’s obvious she is a genuine performer who loves what she does and can hold her own in a club, but I don’t know of any other DJ in the world who has an agent that is so much in the public eye.

She will be back in Phuket playing at Club Lime November 10 and I’d urge anybody in town to make the effort to see her. Phuket hasn’t had parties like this for a long time, if ever.