This morning, we are delighted to welcome Palestinian DJ and electronic music producer SAMA’ to pick three Sunday morning musical selections for us.
Born in Jordan, Sama Abdulhadi grew up in Ramallah and is one of the very first artists to emerge from the West Bank region. Initially active in the early-2000s hip hop scene, she started mixing in 2006 in the first techno nights around the city, at a time when “the only DJs in Ramallah were wedding DJs”. In late 2018, SAMA’s Boiler Room performance and the associated documentary about the underground Palestinian scene went viral and shed light on this electric, vibrant community. SAMA’ is also working as an audio engineer and managing Awyav, the publishing agency she founded to represent independent Arab artists. She is now working on the release of her album.
SAMA’s selection
Bu Kolthoum - Zamilou
SAMA’: ” This is a very empowering track, the music and the video are incredible. “
Maryam Saleh - Wahabt Omri Lel Amal
SAMA’: ” This is a very strong revolutionary song by Sheikh Emam covered by one of my favorites, Maryam Saleh. “
OUM - Lágrimas Negras
SAMA’: ” A beautiful cuban song performed by the brilliant Oum and her band. I love the mix of morroccan with cuban, it is very strong. “
MailTape’s selection
Bachar Mar-Khalife - El Hilwatu (SAMA’ Remix)
Jules: ” We had the privilege to welcome Franco-Lebanese singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bachar Mar-Khalife in Episode 337, just after the release of his fourth album “The Water Wheel, A Tribute To Hamza El Din”. Bachar proposed SAMA’ to work on a remix of “El Hilwatu”, which concludes the album. A bit rough in the morning but this rhythmic and heady note, which sometimes flirts with trance, enhanced with SAMA’s energy will surely help you get through the day. “
Maâllem Mahmoud Guinia & Floating Points - Mimoun Marhaba
Jules: ” In 2015, Moroccan Gnawa musician “Maâllem” (ie Master) Mahmoud Guinia and his band collaborated with English electronic music producers Floating Points and James Holden to record ‘Marhaba’, an EP released few months before Maâllem’s death. For ‘Mimoun Marhaba’, he was invited at their hotel to jam over some of Floating Points’ loops via an in-ear monitor, prompting the Guinia group’s rendition of the ‘Marhaba’ (“Welcome”) Gnawa theme. Back in London, Floating Points re-integrated the poolside singing and clapping recordings to create this vibrant, hypnotic, groovy whole. “
Magdy El Hossainy - Music De Carnaval
Jules: ” ‘Music de Carnaval’ was originally recorded in 1972 during a one take jam session in Cairo. It’s one of those forgotten treasures which would have been lost for ever, had Montrealer DJ & digger Kobal not found an original copy of this 45 gem in a fleamarket and provided the French label Pépite with the sounds, so that they could repress it and let the funk restart. “
Ahmed Fakroun - Nisyan
Jules: ” Ahmed Fakroun looked set to make his mark in world music circles in the mid-1980s when his album Mots D’Amour, combining traditional Arab instruments and melodies with electronic music and dance rhythms, was released. But then came the US aerial bombing of Libya in April 1986, followed by years of international sanctions, as evidence of terror links turned Libya’s government into a pariah of the West and seriously impeded its citizens’ freedom of movement. Fakroun recently came to prominence among obscurity-hungry club DJs when some of his early songs were rediscovered, re-edited and reissued anonymously. “
That’s it for this morning. Thank you so much for listening. Lots of love to SAMA’ for her Sunday selection, and to Pierre-Julien Fieux for this episode’s stunning illustration!
