Mariam Nihal

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The dynamics of the Middle Eastern music industry are complex and mirror the difficulties many minorities in the region face in assimilating into their surroundings. The power play between artists and promoters and organizers within the industry is very real and artists frequently say they are devalued and discriminated against for a variety of reasons.



Saudi Gazette spoke with DJ Dany Neville, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) producer Omar Basaad, DJ Rony Jackson, Greg Steiner, DJ Ramli, DJ Shero, DJ Frederick Stone, Nasir Akmal (DEEN), DJ Carl Abillama and Kareem (DJ Brooklyn) in an exclusive interview about the music industry in the Middle East. The artists speak out for the first time, discussing their personal experiences and hopes for the music industry.



“Hip-hop culture was born due to racial discrimination and was a result of the same struggle. Black people were not allowed into clubs and that’s how house parties started. House music is a black genre of music and today it triumphs all genres of music across the world,” said UAE-based DJ Rony Jackson.



Even though he was born and raised in the UAE, Dany is not an Emirati citizen, and he believes this works against him.



“I grew up with the whole stigma of ‘he’s not local, we cannot support him.’ What makes me not local? A piece of paper? I was born and raised here, I’ll die here and I want to be buried here,” he said.



For Basaad, a Saudi citizen, the problem lies not in his nationality but in proving his ability to be a successful EDM music producer from Saudi Arabia.



“There are many people in Saudi Arabia who are part of the electronic music scene. I want the new generation to excel in music and progress without being a victim of social and cultural prejudice. My fight is for the upcoming generation and for EDM all over the world.”



“I blame the lack of awareness in the region. Here everything is about money or whom you know. A piece of paper decides what you can or cannot do,” he added.



According to Dany Neville, part of the problem lies with dishonest artists who, for a fee, try to pass themselves off as promoters.



“I know for a fact, if I am getting 5,000 dirhams for a gig, another local DJ will come in and say ‘pay me only 2,000 dirhams and I’ll bring a whole promotional team with me.’ This just shows how dirty both parties are,” he said.



Both Dany and Rony Jackson started DJing together but Dany believes his Arab heritage made him more acceptable to audiences while Rony struggled for acceptance.



“Rony faced a bigger challenge than me. At least I had being Arab on my side.  I was a witness to the constant rejection Rony faced. He was discriminated against and not given a chance to perform, although to be honest with you, he had the most talent. Till today if you talk about extensive knowledge of music, it’s with Rony,” he added.



Kareem, aka DJ Brooklyn, one of the youngest and most popular DJs in Dubai added, “If a guy like Jaffy Jezz bigs you up on a night, you know you’re good. That’s Rone Jaxx.” Brooklyn talked about the power struggle between DJs in the industry and said people would rather "support the hype over any talent."

Also known as Rone Jaxx, Rony is one of the oldest and most respectable DJs in Dubai. When he started nearly two decades ago, UAE radio stations were looking for Europeans and rejected him because of his Asian background. “They used to ask me where I was from and when I told them, they flat out said I couldn’t be on the radio or in clubs.”



Despite nearly two decades of experience, Rony said he continues to face discrimination albeit a more evolved and internalized form.



“Now they ask, ‘you’re not Emirati? We can’t support you.’ I mean Dubai One used to be channel 33 - they used to watch Indian movies. No matter how much talent you have, no matter how much you put in, if you are not from a certain ethnic background you will get less support. I have seen people who copy my music and style but they have better sponsors because they are nationals.  But back when it was frowned upon, no locals wanted to be a part of it,” said Rony.



Recently a local DJ released a single featuring a Canadian rapper, which proved controversial for its portrayal of the high life and luxury of Dubai. Many artists said the song was originally a “diss-record” denouncing UAE-based artists’ but nevertheless proved popular.



Dany said: “Why is the industry okay with it? It’s false advertising. There’s nothing-positive coming out of the song. It is creating issues between the international community and us. People believe in hype in Dubai. If somebody comes up tomorrow and can’t put two songs together but he has a great following, trust me people will go to his nights. It’s all about hype.”



Social media plays a crucial role and is used as a tool by many artists to express their thoughts concerning unjust acts committed in the Middle Eastern music industry.



Emtee Pockets, a popular Dubai based DJ recently tweeted: “At least four venue managers, a couple of promoters and a bunch of DJ’s said they have had/seen free offers and discounted rates” from DJs to play at certain venues. “Here in Dubai we pride ourselves on not undercutting and having ethics in the DJ world. So all you thirsty DJ’s out here fix up or go home.”



DJ Frederick Stone, resident of Blue Marlin Ibiza in Dubai, came to Dubai seven years ago.



He told Saudi Gazette: “In my honest opinion, the Middle East is not moving, in terms of production and DJ’ing. Don’t get me wrong. Dubai has changed immensely, in the sense that every night, there is a new place opening.”



He said there are many new DJ’s, commercial venues that are not just focused on good music but on making money.



In a city where commercial music has a huge fan base, he said BMI’s presence showed the scene is changing. “You have places like Movida that play commercial music and you have a place like Blue Marlin that plays underground house music. BMI took a risk and it paid off!”



Reflecting on the recent cases of club managers, he said: “I look at it from both sides. Yes, a manager is responsible to bring in good music so more people have a good time but his job is also to look at money. But a lot of DJ’s are upset with the scene because a guy who has been in the industry for say 20 years and charges 5000 dirhams is being replaced by someone who has been DJ’ing for a year for the price of 500 dirhams.”



He said outside the Middle East there is no concept of choosing a new DJ over his experienced contemporaries. “Here you grow and become a local superstar. Not outside.” When asked about the twitter followers, he said: “I personally don’t care. And if you have 50,000 followers and haven’t achieved anything outside of Dubai, it means you’re not going anywhere. These days some DJ’s have become promoters.”



DJ Mass Ramli is a name popular with today’s culture and is known for a decade.



He has been deejaying since 1996. Ramli is originally from Sri Lanka and has lived in Dubai for 12 years.



He told Saudi Gazette: “I remember back in the day going to clubs with my CV, and the first thing the management looked at was your nationality, before listening to your mixes. Back then house music dominated the scene, having an Asian DJ at a top club was unheard of.”



When the urban music grew back in 2005-2006, Ramli saw a positive change, but only at the forefront. “On a business level I experienced clients being very upfront in requesting what race they do or do not want to do a particular job on a regular basis. It’s sad to say but racial discrimination is still ongoing. I believe that music carries a lot of strength and power to change that, as a DJ if I can expose people to different styles and genres of music, I’m encouraging them to open their minds.”



Basaad talked about his experiences with Peppermint, VIP Room and Blue Marlin in the UAE.



“First of all, you see the same DJ performing at all these events. Some of these DJ’s do not even have knowledge or the talent to be opening up for big artists. Yet they are, because they know the owners and they are welcomed year after year with open arms. And they say it openly. I pity people in the industry who take away gigs from more deserving artists and those organizers who discriminate against real talent because of their race or social status,” he said.



“I was asked how many tables I can book and how many followers I have. What about my music? I mean isn’t that my job? No one wants to know how good your set is or if it is the best set in town, they just want to book you if you can guarantee a crowd,” he added.



Nasir a.k.a DEEN, rapper and song writer based in LA told Saudi Gazette:



“The fundamental problem is that there are DJs with talent, who are highly respected and have put in arduous work to develop their talent, but they lack the drive or the business savvy to maximize their worth and put themselves in a position where they are at the forefront of the scene, as many think they should be.



“Then you have, DJs who aren’t very talented at actually deejaying, however they are very good at marketing themselves or they are willing to go any extremes to get themselves out there, even if that means destroying the value of the entire local DJ scene in the process.”



DJ Shero Baluch usually keeps a distance from any situation he feels would potentially cause discrimination.



“However recently after taking on a night at Warehouse Le Meridien, I had issues with the management leading to comments like ‘these are your kind of people’ and ‘this is why I’m in a suit and you’re not’ referring to skin color.



“The art of DJ’ing in my eyes is deteriorating and has been for some time, there are so many second class DJs available to clubs and promoters so being told what to play at a club is fast becoming the norm.



“In the past when you booked a DJ, you did so because of their talent and the genre they specialized in.



“So now we are faced with the question- do we accept it and move with the times in order to be able to work or stick together and remain loyal to our art in the hopes that things will change.”



DJ Carl Abillama  has been deejaying for four years in Dubai. “In Dubai, you need to know the right people.”



He said it’s more about the promoters than music in the region and he was constantly told what to play while performing when he started out.



“Nowadays you also get promoters offering you gigs on one condition that you make money based on the people you get. You get your crowd and you get a percentage of it. So basically if you’re deejaying that night, you’re going to be promoting it as well.”



He said it is common practice for DJs to bring more women to the events to get a certain crowd.



“A lot of it has to do with the girls a DJ can bring or he is hired solely on the basis of how many followers he has.”  



With new places opening up every night, Carl said, many venues fail to maintain their high standards and hype around it. “When VIP started, it was great! But it’s hard to keep it up.”



Greg Stainer, a British DJ, who has been performing in Dubai since 2002, told Saudi Gazette that the industry is a business.



“I think the music industry in general is all run by the ‘suits’ and not the music. With that said, as a DJ and producer, there is always a way to push the real sound to the people. We just have to make use with the tools we have and get on with it.” He said the people look for a good time, and the managers aim to make money. “And the DJs just want to play music and also make money.”