I've always been vocal about showing love and support to Arab Female Artists, so I just wanted to compile few artists that I believe you need to look out for, below is the list:- ** feel free to share with me few names @ thebeatdxb@gmail.com
Shébani, Reem Ekay, Fafa & Ghaliaa
Shébani: This Iraqi Dubai Based Singer/Songwriter is a hard worker. Her song-writing skills is something that I totally respect. In Aug '16, she released her first EP entitled "Alter Ego" produced by RAYAN, and then she started releasing singles & collaborations with few artists in the UAE. She's truly unique and has a great vibe about her.
Reem Ekay: Architect, Singer/Songwriter based in Dubai. R&B vibes with some incredible songwriting. She released her first EP in Dec 2018 produced by AY. She mainly performs in English and I hope someday I see her on a "Sudanese themed" beat because she will kill that..
FAFA:Emirati Singer/Songwriter. Soul/R&B are her vibes. Her strongest qualities are her powerful voice and stage presence. Fafa will pull you in her world. Her live performance is something you wouldn't want to miss. She just dropped her first original song entitled "Running (Can't Stope Me)" and one can see that she's born to do this! We need more singles from this one this year!
GHALIAA:The first time I heard Ghaliaa, I had goosebumps.. Syrian Singer/Songwriter. What I love about her is that she was able to fight stereotypes by using the fact that she's veiled as a source of inspiration for other women. She has released few singles and is on a mission to release an EP very soon. She plays the Guitar, The Oud, Keyboard and performs in English, French & Arabic.
Mougleta, TamTam, Dounia, ROTANA
MOUGLETA:Lebanese Singer/Songwriter and simply incredible performer. Her voice is truly unique and at a very young age, she was able to capture the hearts of so many that have heard her. She's currently in Germany pursuing music professionally and I expect big things from her in 2019!
TAMTAM:Saudi Singer, based in LA (USA). She has one EP & one full album under her belt. She uses her music to also discuss few social topics which I totally respect.
DOUNIA:Moroccan - American artist. She's signed to EMPIRE which is an American distribution company and record label founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami. Catch a vibe with Dounia, I personally would love to hear more "Moroccan Themed" instrumentals with her voice on those records! She Dope!
ROTANA:Saudi Artist based in the USA. She's vocal about women empowerment and always fighting stereotypes through her music because of perceptions some people might have about Saudi women. Would love to see more work from ROTANA this year and also a collaboration with an Arab Hip-Hop Artist!
Tina Yamout, MANAL, ABIR & Dina El Wedidi
TINA YAMOUT:Lebanese Singer/Songwriter. Tina has succeeded in paving her own way through the Lebanese Music scene and finding her own voice without confirming to your typical "mainstream" melodies. She's bilingual (English & Arabic), but currently she's focusing on Arabic lyrics. I vibe with Tina and I wish her the best, she's humble and has a vision to reach high places.
MANAL :Defies misogyny in every aspect. This Moroccan Singer/Songwriter has taken the MENA region by storm with her fierce yet simply lyrics. Her videos showcase the true talent and vibe of where she comes from. She's truly passionate. She's signed to SONY Music. she embodies the future of women in her country by inspiring them and encouraging them to believe in themselves. Her releases so far has been in Arabic & French!
ABIR :Moroccan Artist based in USA. I feel the two next years will be huge for her. I am looking forward for her to include more Arabic influencers in her music weather its the beats, the vibe, the culture. Check out her vibe!!
DINA EL-WEDIDI :Egyptian Singer. She is what I call the voice! her vocal chords are incredible. There is this one song of her when she performed on "Bassem Yousef's Show", called "El Haram" - that automatically made me a fan. I feel she blends the Egyptian Authentic culture with the modern vibes
Gaidaa, Hana Malhas, Yasmine Hamdan & Lolo Zouaï
GAIDAA :Sudanese Singer. She's based in Holland. You will quickly be drawn to her vibe. I can't wait to see what she has for us in 2019.
HANA MALHAS :Singer-songwriter from Jordan. Her vibe is electro-acoustic pop. She is also the founder of a series called "Bala Feesh" which is a series of events aimed to support artists by having them perform LIVE.
Yasmine Hamdan :Lebanese singer, songwriter and actress, now based in Paris. She became known with Soapkills, the duo she founded with Zeid Hamdan while she was still living in Beirut, Lebanon. She's an OG of the underground/indie movement in Arabia. She's someone who was able to change misconception about the Arab region because she gets a lot of gigs in Europe and people are always drawn to her music & performance. Her live performance is NOT TO BE MISSED! She performs mainly in Arabic.
Lolo Zouaï :Algerian-French. I recently discovered her and want to get to know her music but she drew me in with her below song. I believe she uses her music to deliver a message and even though its R&B, I don't think all of it is all about love. I personally want to see her also reflect on her Algerian/Arab background. That would be so cool to see with her kind of talent !
Malak El Husseiny, Rosegold, Emaan Zadjali & Lea Makhoul
Malak El Husseiny :Egyptian Based Singer/Songwriter who is just driven by art. I hope we see more original music from her as I think that her music is untapped and just waiting to be discovered even more.
Rosegold :When I first found out about Palestinian-Canadian producer Rosegold, I was extremely happy to see a female music producer from the region. I then discovered that she also has a great voice which for me is also incredible and its a no-brainer not to feature talent like that on Re-Volt. Check her out here in a collaboration with MVRS.
Emaan Zadjali : Omani/American Singer/Songwriter. Her vibe is a contemporary R&B sound, as well as some new age funk. I look forward to more music in 2019 !
Lea Makhoul : Lebanese/French Singer that carries out feel-good pop music, sweet personality. I believe she's still searching for her sound and with the help of Universal MENA, I believe she will be able to accomplish that.
Honorary Mentions:
Jana Diab
Jana Diab: She is the daughter of legendary Egyptian Singer Amr Diab. Her voice is truly out of this world and leaves me wondering what the future could hold for this sensation. Below is an original, I hope she drops more very soon. She's so so good!
9.11.2018 --- a date to be remembered in Dubai. I simply am out of words for the amount of support I received from the community. I started THE BEAT in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and I did NOT want it to end just because I relocated to Dubai for my son who was diagnosed with Autism couple of years ago. Below are few pictures from the night from Waleed Shah who blessed me with incredible photos:-
Photo by Waleed Shah
Performer 1 : Saudi Singer/Songwriter Roya rocked the stage in her FIRST EVER out of Saudi performance. She was part of THE BEAT series back in Saudi and it was an honor to give her the platform. I was impressed with her maturity and presence on stage. Definitley looking forward to her original work.
Roya (Photo by Waleed Shah)
In between sets, I have decided to keep the music going by having a live drummer and rappers take on the stage which proved to be a very entertaining segment. First Rapper, Dubai based Egyptian rapper TAC, A young beast for sure, loved his passion and predicting big things for this young soul.
TAC (Photo by Waleed Shah)
Performer 2: Syrian Singer/Songwriter Ghaliaa Chaker who is breaking stereotypes and is someone with a golden voice and heart. Loved how free she was on stage as she was producing her own beats LIVE, getting the crowd entertained & playing Keys/Guitar & Derbake all in the same set.
Ghaliaa (Photo by Waleed Shah)
In a random moment, I saw P. Storm from The Recipe in the crowd and I called him up on stage to which he agreed, and had a really cool time.
P. Storm - The Recipe (Photo by Waleed Shah)
Performer #3: With a doubt, the most powerful performance in the evening, FAFA who is half Emirati/half Honduran rocked the stage and took the audience on a journey with her chilling and powerful voice. She even had the audience sitting down at one point... truly a highlight!
FAFA (Photo By Waleed Shah)
FAFA (Photo By Waleed Shah)
Sharjah based Lebanese MC KAFV took the stage next where he was able to showcase his lyrical ability. I loved the metaphors he was using. Nice flow!
KAFV (Photo by Waleed Shah)
Performer 4: Saudi rapper Molham who juggles business and music came through with a great set as he entertained the audience with Arabic & English lyrics. His flow is incredible and he's someone that knows how to rock a crowd.
Molham (Photo By Waleed Shah)
KC Hamada took the stage and I liked what I heard, I believe he has lots to offer and I can't wait to hear his new original material
KC Hamada (Photo by Waleed Shah)
Performer 5: Iraqi Dubai based singer/songwriter, Shébani who is someone that has been working very hard. I admire her songwriting process and her ability to connect with the audience through sweet yet powerful lyrics. I loved that she brought a band and especially the drums, it added a great "VIBE" to her sound.
Shébani (Photo by Waleed Shah)
Just before we close the night with our last performer, Moh Flow whom I've known for about 12/13 years came through & I had to put him on for the rap+drums segment, he rocked it as usual.
Moh Flow (Photo Waleed Shah)
Performer 6 Our finale for the evening was Sudanese based rapper 249TooDope. I have big respect for the Sudanese community in the UAE, they are very supportive of each other and that showed! TooDope performed to a sell out crowd that were singing/rapping along with him. Truly an entertainer!
249TooDope (Photo Waleed Shah)
Shout Out to Dj Sizer who was on the 1's & 2's and put the crowd in the mood & Colin the Drummer was made my vision a reality and did a great job!
Thank you to every person that rocked it that night! We sold out the printed tckts & reportedly had 300+ people in the venue. Mad love & respect & cant wait for THE BEAT DXB Vol iii
THE BEAT is a series of events curated by Saudi radio host and blogger Big Hass, all in the aim to support local and regional rising music artists by creating opportunities for them to perform live.
What started as an underground event in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) in 2013 has now been marked by the DXB stamp, as Big Hass tries to nourish the independent music scene through this kind of live events. It comes as no surprise that the first edition of the Beat DXB saw the light in March 2018, in The Flipside, the only vinyl store in the UAE, which resonates with Big Hass’ constant endorsement for the real and authentic. His passion and determination has helped bring back this event for a second edition, in The Fridge Warehouse, one of Dubai’s most thriving art hubs. The main lineup will include rising female sensations Syrian singer/songwriter Ghaliaa, Iraqi RnB/Pop singer/songwriter Shébani and Emirati-Honduran chilling voice of Fafa. The balance is scored by the performance of Saudi rapper Molham and Sudanese visionary and lyricist 249TooDope. Also a special segment will be dedicated to rappers (Moh Flow, KC Hamada, TAC & KAFV) showcasing their skills over beats provided by Drummer Colin LIVE. Furthermore, Saudi female singer Roya, who was part of the first edition of the BEAT in Jeddah will be the opening act. The event will occur on Friday, November 9th 2018 Event is sponsored by G-Shock Middle-East Doors will open at 7:00 PM and the show will start at 8:00 PM. ** Music set by Dj Sizer Tickets are available online and the door at 20 AED/Person
It didn't take a lot of time for me to become a big fan of this artist, her vibe and humbleness are just incredible. She has always shown support to artists in Dubai and I believe its our turn to show love to one of most talented musicians in this region. I had a quick Q&A with Aleks who just dropped her new solo song exclusively on Anghami. Have a good read ;)
Big Hass :You're an incredible keyboardist and vocalist. How did it all start for you?
Aleksandra: It all started when my parents took me to music school at the age of 5 after discovering that I was born with perfect pitch. It was at the time of the civil war in former Yugoslavia so no one was really buying pianos then but my parents had some savings and supported my love for music. My first piano was a beautiful 100 year old vintage upright we got from a family that was emigrating because of the war. I studied music for another 20 years or so after that. And during that same time, since the age of 12,
I was singing and playing in different bands and working with different music producers and touring with them around Europe.
BH: How has it been working with Hamdan Al-Abri?
Aleks: He’s just brilliant! I have never met anyone like Hamdan. He has been a constant inspiration. He's a pioneer, groundbreaking and super brave with everything he's done, always a step ahead. I love the way he treats music and artistry with so much respect. He is so incredibly talented and hard working - his music is before everything else and on the top of all that he's so humble. So much love and respect for him.
BH: You just dropped a NEW solo song produced by "Rayan" Too Close To The Sun EXCLUSIVELY on Anghami. How did the track evolve? and how is it working with one of the hottest producers in town?
Aleks: Ohhhh, I love working with Bailouni! For me, his studio is a little happy place i always love going back to. Growing up an artist I always felt a bit like an outsider, felt like I'm not always fully understood. Amazing thing about Bailouni is that he understands my ideas and visions and I feel like I can express myself fully without being judged - and thats something I highly value. We work really well together. He’s so quick, talented and knowledgeable. And he’s just getting better and better!
With ‘Too Close To The Sun’ I just came to the studio with the piano lick I recorded on my voice messages and we loved the way how piano sounded detuned and slightly distorted. I played it again and we tried recreating the sound and while I was trying to figure what pads to play - Bailouni already created the magic. Then I just went in and laid down some vocals. We actually kept a lot of the original vocal takes.
BH:You are inspired by legends like ella fitzgerald, billie holiday, aretha franklin, how important is it for the young generation to also study those greats?
Aleks:I think the fact that many great artists are long gone and that we still listen to their music says a lot about the longevity of the music. I don't believe in theory that old music is better and that whatever we are listening to today is bad - on the contrary - but I think it’s great to know the history so you can make the future better. I apply that in every sphere of life.
BH: What are your thoughts on the Dubai Music Scene?
Aleks: The first time I came to Dubai (almost 6 years ago) and started checking out the music clubs and bars I was pretty disappointed by the music being played. Everywhere I went I heard the same Top 40 music, sometimes even in the same order :) Living in Europe - I was used to going to live music clubs, techno clubs, hip-hip clubs or just any kind of club that played ‘underground’ or ‘alternative’ music, so places where there was some kind of subculture. It took me a while to find different venues and likeminded people, I started to realize that there is some alternative scene here. From that point on things changed rapidly!
New artists started popping up and there are many great ones. I figured that I can also create something that is going to maybe influence someone else in the future. Thats the great thing about this place, that we all can be pioneers in something and there is a whole new generation of young, bold and beautifully creative people who grew up on the art scene over here. If they are the epitome of things to come - then the future looks and sounds good.
BH:What does live performance mean to you?
Aleks: I've been performing since I was 8 years old so it’s pretty much second nature to me. I feel way more natural expressing myself through live performance and music. Performing live means you summoning a wide range of emotions, personalities and traits. I always try to leave a piece of my heart on stage. The biggest compliment for me is when someone says that my music sounds genuine or it touched someone in some way.
BH: Tell us something not a lot of people know about you..?
Aleks: I believe in equality, freedom of mind and speech. I love Wes Anderson’s and Wong Kar-wai’s movies. I studied video art and 3D animation for a while, and if I wasn't a musician I would probably be a Graphic Designer or a contemporary dancer :)
BH: Any last words to Re-Volt blog?
Aleks: Thanks a lot for all the love and support Big Hass, you're such a legend! Keep up with great work promoting and helping artists. We are all lucky to have you in our region, helping us get heard. I have nothing but love and respect for you.
Listen to the track Aleks just released on Anghami below
Menon launching his album "Epiphany Of A Misfit" - The Fridge (Dubai, UAE)
April 23rd,2018 marked Menon's Birthday and on that day he released his album entitled "Epiphany Of A Misfit" - The album is produced by Dubai based producer "Rayan" who is definitley making a huge name for himself in the region. Menon for me is one of the best rappers in the city and hes someone who is working very hard to reach his goals. The launch was held at "The Fridge" in Dubai & it was part of their "Concert Series Events". Dj Liutik opened up the night with an incredible set and rappers Moh Flow & Freek took the stage with each performing 3 of their hit songs.
Dj Liutik
Moh Flow
Freek
Event was hosted by myself and I always love supporting these guys! Menon then took the stage with Rayan on the decks and electrified the crowd with his energy and passion. He even got his mom on stage!
Menon's album is well structured and has diversity of topics ranging between relationships, community and also a track about his father which is entitled "1952" and it features Iraqi Singer/Songwriter Shébani. The track is my favourite in the album. Let me know which track you feeling!
RAYAN
MENON
Album dropped EXCLUSIVELY on Anghami for one week. You can play/Download & STREAM it for Free below...
Dubai based Iraqi singer/songwriter Shébani just released her latest single entitled "I Wana Know" produced by RAYAN. I love how Shébani keeps evolving with every single she puts out. There aren't many Arab female singers doing what she's doing, so I make sure I show support whenever I can. She has great talent & is also a great soul. What I love about this song is the fact that she's not afraid to express herself, she's trying different topics and also diversifying her crowd. RAYAN came through as usual with the production, it's at a very high calibre. Check out the single below, out now on Anghami.
Shébani & RAYAN performing at Sole DXB 2017 - Pic Credit: Waleed Shah
On Dec 9th, 2017, Dubai-based Iraqi singer/songwriter "Shébani" took the stage at Sole DXB and it was so dope to watch her perform old & new tracks on a big stage like that. Shout out to the guys at Sole DXB for their great work & dope vibes.
She was accompanied by her producer and motivator, the genius "RAYAN". Both were incredible on stage and I am so proud of them. It's been amazing watching Shébani grow into her own artist and paving the way also for so many Arab female singers. Shébani was the ONLY Arab female to participate in the Sole DXB music line-up for this year. That is an amazing accomplishment and we need to push for more female representation in the years to come.
I've sat down with Shébani & RAYAN and asked them few questions about their Sole DXB set, check it out below:-
Big Hass: How was it preparing for a big show like Sole Dxb? Shébani: It was very similar to prepping for any other show to be honest, except you had to keep in mind that this stage is twice as big and the festival is twice as important. I try to treat it like any other show because I don't really tend to give different amounts of efforts no matter how big or small our performance will be. This helps me reduce a lot of the stress and the nerves I get before a show, it's constant practice leading up to bigger opportunities I guess.
RAYAN: It wasn’t too different to any other show we prepare for in all honesty. We were fortunate enough to have a string of shows leading up to sole, so we tried and tested out a number of different ideas for our live show throughout that period. So by the time we got to Sole DXB we had a concrete idea of how the show was going to play out. A lot of focus was more on the visual aspect as well crowd participation.
Shébani & RAYAN performing at Sole DXB 2017 - Pic Credit: Waleed Shah
BH: Shébani, Tell us about that moment, right before you get up on stage. What was going through your mind? Shébani: "Don't mess up, don't mess up, don't mess up!" haha! I was only clearing my mind, I wasn't thinking about anything else but THAT very moment itself, I said a little prayer, reminded myself why I'm doing this, and reassured myself that this is where I'm supposed to be. BH: RAYAN,The way you arranged this full set was great. Take us through the process of creating Sole DXB set? RAYAN: Sound wise, I was very adamant on creating a sonic atmosphere for the set. I wanted to translatea mood and scenery that you could hear with the interludes, effects, and breaks between songs. A lot of the songs were re-mixed for a live out-door setting so that some of the audio elements in the songs didn’t go missing with the size of the venue and the sound dispersing in an outdoor environment. The set was essentially a 25 minute song-piece moving from motif to motif of how we wanted to tell Shebani’s story.
Shébani & RAYAN performing at Sole DXB 2017 - Pic Credit: Waleed Shah
BH: I believe you dropped 2 or 3 new tracks at the Sole Dxb set? tell us about each record? When will they be online?
RAYAN: One of the song will be out on 21st December 2017, whilst all the rest will be 2018 releases which we’re super excited for!
**The song Rayan is talking about was just released today. You can hear it on Anghami below
BH: You performed @ the same stage where headliner Hip Hop legend Pusha T performed. What does that mean to you guys? Shébani:The whole festival itself is something I can't really comprehend just yet, aside from sharing the stage with all these incredible artists, I personally focused more on the fact that I played in the same festival one of my favorite artists played at. It's an incredibly humbling and exciting experience, it really puts everything into perspective for you. I don't quite think about these details until a few days after when it really hits me, these moments push your career further into levels you never thought are even possible. I can't wait for what's to come next! Rayan:It was an absolute privilege to share the stage with an icon such as Pusha T. He’s someone that a lot of artists and fans here look up to so it means a little more when you get to perform alongside artists of that caliber. It was also equally exciting to share the stage with artists like H.E.R and local artists that we believe have so much to offer music in our region. We felt we deserved that opportunity after a lot of the hard work we had put into the music through the tail end of 2016 and all of 2017. To play a show of that size was a small recognition and acknowledgement of our previous efforts.
Shébani: You were the ONLY female reppin' Arabia. How does that make you feel? Shébani:This is why we do this, to inspire others to come out of their rooms and show the world what they're made of. I started off in my room singing to walls and camera lenses, I didn't know that I was going to be doing what I'm currently doing in my life, but I had a lot of support from friends and family, and I owe it all to them! This is what it means to me to be the only Arab female artist on that stage, it means that I have a responsibility to represent all Arab women around the world, and make it valid and valuable for them to be whoever they want to be
Shébani & RAYAN performing at Sole DXB 2017 - Pic Credit: Waleed Shah
RAYAN/Shébani: Tell us about your Sole DXB 2017 experience. Any last words. RAYAN:Definitely one of my most enjoyable and memorable moments as producer and musician. The entire weekend was a testament of how much music culture we are developing in this part of the world. To be able to see local and international acts seamlessly share the stage is a moment I take so much pride from, as someone who is actively trying to improve, celebrate and endorse that artistic liberty. Shébani:It was a mixture of all good, new and tough things! It was eye opening and a massive learning experience, but it was also fun, exciting and very new. I was very happy to be experiencing moments I had to learn from, meet new people, and share the nights with some of the most prestigious musicians and artists who flew across oceans!
Any Last words? Shébani:Really excited for 2018, there's a lot to talk about and look forward to. No stopping now! RAYAN:Sole DXB 2017, you guys were amazing. We can’t wait to come back. Stay tuned for 2018.
Shébani & RAYAN performing at Sole DXB 2017 - Pic Credit: Omar Tartoob
