JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: Standing behind her management tower with headphones round her neck, Saudi DJ Leen Naif segues easily between pop hits and membership tracks for a crowd of enterprise faculty graduates noshing on sushi.
The subdued scene is a far cry from the high-profile phases — a Formulation 1 Grand Prix in Jeddah, Expo 2020 in Dubai — which have helped the 26-year-old, referred to as DJ Leen, make a reputation for herself on the Saudi music circuit.
But it captures an vital milestone: Ladies DJs, an unthinkable phenomenon just some years in the past within the historically ultraconservative kingdom, have gotten a comparatively frequent sight in its principal cities.
As of late they flip few heads as, gig after gig, they go about making a residing from what as soon as was merely a pastime.
“A variety of feminine DJs have been arising,” Naif advised AFP, including that this has, over time, made audiences “extra comfy” seeing them on stage.
“It is simpler now than it has been.”
Naif and her friends embody two main reforms championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler: new alternatives for ladies and increasing leisure choices — notably music, which was as soon as discouraged below Wahabism, a inflexible Sunni model of Islam.
The chance that DJs could be welcomed at public occasions, not to mention that many could be girls, is one thing “we did not count on” till not too long ago, stated Mohammed Nassar, a Saudi DJ referred to as Vinyl Mode.
“You’re seeing now extra feminine artists popping out,” Nassar stated.
Earlier than “it was only a passion to specific themselves of their bedrooms”.
“Now we’ve got platforms, and you realize they may even have careers. So it is actually wonderful.”
Naif was first launched to digital music as a teen by one among her uncles, and she or he nearly immediately began questioning whether or not DJ’ing was a viable job.
Whereas her associates dreamed of careers as medical doctors and academics, she knew she did not have the endurance for the education these paths required.
“I am a piece individual, not a finding out individual,” she stated.
Not like different girls DJs, she had the quick help of her mother and father and siblings.
Different Saudis, nevertheless, required some successful over.
A number of years in the past, a person got here as much as her mid-performance, declaring she was “not allowed” and demanding “Why are you doing this?”
His complaints bought Naif’s set shut down, however she doubts the scene would play out the identical method right this moment.
“Now I guess that very same man, if he sees me, he’ll stand first in line simply to look at.”
Naif has benefited from official makes an attempt to trumpet Saudi Arabia’s new entertainment-friendly picture, which is commonly criticised by human rights teams as a distraction from abuses.
Her nomination to play on the Saudi pavilion of Expo Dubai 2020 gave her a world viewers for the primary time.
However it’s the work from home that helps her day-to-day, incomes her 1,000 Saudi riyals (round $260) per hour.
Different girls DJs have encountered extra resistance.
Lujain Albishi, who performs below the identify “Biirdperson”, began experimenting on DJ decks through the pandemic.
Her household disapproved when she began speaking about DJ’ing professionally, preferring she attempt to grow to be a physician.
She caught with it anyway, growing her expertise at personal events.
Her huge break got here final yr when she was invited to carry out at MDLBeast Soundstorm, a competition within the Saudi capital Riyadh that drew greater than 700,000 revellers for performances together with a set by famous person French DJ David Guetta.
The expertise left her “actually proud”.
“My household got here to Soundstorm, noticed me on stage. They had been dancing, they had been completely satisfied,” she stated.
Each Naif and Albishi say they imagine girls DJs will stay fixtures within the kingdom, although their reasoning varies.
For Naif, girls DJs succeed as a result of they’re higher than males at “studying folks” and taking part in what they wish to hear.
Albishi, for her half, thinks there isn’t any distinction between women and men as soon as they put their headphones on, and that is why girls DJs belong.
“My music will not be for females or for males,” she stated. “It is for music-lovers.”
The subdued scene is a far cry from the high-profile phases — a Formulation 1 Grand Prix in Jeddah, Expo 2020 in Dubai — which have helped the 26-year-old, referred to as DJ Leen, make a reputation for herself on the Saudi music circuit.
But it captures an vital milestone: Ladies DJs, an unthinkable phenomenon just some years in the past within the historically ultraconservative kingdom, have gotten a comparatively frequent sight in its principal cities.
As of late they flip few heads as, gig after gig, they go about making a residing from what as soon as was merely a pastime.
“A variety of feminine DJs have been arising,” Naif advised AFP, including that this has, over time, made audiences “extra comfy” seeing them on stage.
“It is simpler now than it has been.”
Naif and her friends embody two main reforms championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler: new alternatives for ladies and increasing leisure choices — notably music, which was as soon as discouraged below Wahabism, a inflexible Sunni model of Islam.
The chance that DJs could be welcomed at public occasions, not to mention that many could be girls, is one thing “we did not count on” till not too long ago, stated Mohammed Nassar, a Saudi DJ referred to as Vinyl Mode.
“You’re seeing now extra feminine artists popping out,” Nassar stated.
Earlier than “it was only a passion to specific themselves of their bedrooms”.
“Now we’ve got platforms, and you realize they may even have careers. So it is actually wonderful.”
Naif was first launched to digital music as a teen by one among her uncles, and she or he nearly immediately began questioning whether or not DJ’ing was a viable job.
Whereas her associates dreamed of careers as medical doctors and academics, she knew she did not have the endurance for the education these paths required.
“I am a piece individual, not a finding out individual,” she stated.
Not like different girls DJs, she had the quick help of her mother and father and siblings.
Different Saudis, nevertheless, required some successful over.
A number of years in the past, a person got here as much as her mid-performance, declaring she was “not allowed” and demanding “Why are you doing this?”
His complaints bought Naif’s set shut down, however she doubts the scene would play out the identical method right this moment.
“Now I guess that very same man, if he sees me, he’ll stand first in line simply to look at.”
Naif has benefited from official makes an attempt to trumpet Saudi Arabia’s new entertainment-friendly picture, which is commonly criticised by human rights teams as a distraction from abuses.
Her nomination to play on the Saudi pavilion of Expo Dubai 2020 gave her a world viewers for the primary time.
However it’s the work from home that helps her day-to-day, incomes her 1,000 Saudi riyals (round $260) per hour.
Different girls DJs have encountered extra resistance.
Lujain Albishi, who performs below the identify “Biirdperson”, began experimenting on DJ decks through the pandemic.
Her household disapproved when she began speaking about DJ’ing professionally, preferring she attempt to grow to be a physician.
She caught with it anyway, growing her expertise at personal events.
Her huge break got here final yr when she was invited to carry out at MDLBeast Soundstorm, a competition within the Saudi capital Riyadh that drew greater than 700,000 revellers for performances together with a set by famous person French DJ David Guetta.
The expertise left her “actually proud”.
“My household got here to Soundstorm, noticed me on stage. They had been dancing, they had been completely satisfied,” she stated.
Each Naif and Albishi say they imagine girls DJs will stay fixtures within the kingdom, although their reasoning varies.
For Naif, girls DJs succeed as a result of they’re higher than males at “studying folks” and taking part in what they wish to hear.
Albishi, for her half, thinks there isn’t any distinction between women and men as soon as they put their headphones on, and that is why girls DJs belong.
“My music will not be for females or for males,” she stated. “It is for music-lovers.”