by Voytek Tusz
Anyone that has either been to or knows anything about Dubai agrees that there is something magical about this city. It’s a place where the most improbable things materialize and become reality. From Burj-Al-Arab the 7-star super hotel, to the artificially built archipelago of resident islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The UAE has landed and Dubai is leading the way in bringing the best of the west to the middle of the east. One of the hottest imports on the Dubai dj circuit is Boston’s very own Ali Ajami.
After leaving his homeland of Lebanon, Ali moved to Boston, later to Montreal and eventually arrived in Dubai. We caught up with him to chat about his music and the Dubai nightlife.
With the obvious cultural contrasts between US and the Middle East,
what’s the biggest difference in the way people engage in nightlife?
It differs depending on the city you’re in, in the Middle East, which in a way is similar to the US, since different cities in the US have different scenes or sounds. The main difference is that there isn’t really a specific sound that represents Dubai, people are into everything here, which is mainly because of the large number of expats that work and live here, and make up the majority of the clubbers. Beirut for example is completely different. It’s a lot more liberal there, clubs are open till late hours, and there’s more of an underground scene. I’ve played a lot there and the appreciation for the music, and the reaction of the crowd (who are mostly local), is really inspiring.
The Boxed boys decided to feature Dubai for their celebrated Global
Underground series, do you feel that it is a result of or the beginning
of big room clubbing in Dubai?
I think it’s a combination of the clubbing explosion in Dubai right now, and the hype that’s around the city in general. There’s a major buzz around Dubai at the moment with the rate of growth and development it’s going through. And the scene here is still only a few years old, but has grown tremendously in the past 2 years with the amount of international talent that come to play and new venues/events popping up. And it definitely won’t be slowing down anytime soon, the scene will keep getting bigger and better, and the GU guys have definitely taken note of that.
As a DJ what is your favorite club in Dubai and why?
I have to be biased and say Trilogy where I’m a resident at on Friday nights. But it really is the best room in town in my opinion from the layout, the placement of the DJ booth, which allows for great interaction with the crowd, the different floors they have, and the rooftop, which is a great party when the weather is good. The main room is more of a big room sound and rooftop is more of a funky and groovy atmosphere, and getting a chance to play at both rooms, and play different sounds has been great for me as a DJ.
Why did you decide that Dubai is the place for you and your music to
be more specific?
I lived in Abu Dhabi (near Dubai) when I was younger for a few years, so I was familiar with the area, and I played a few gigs in Dubai before I moved here recently and was aware of the little scene that was building at that point. So it made sense to come out here and be a part of building it and introducing the right music to the crowd. Also, as a location, Dubai seemed the ideal place to be since its close to Europe and Asia where the scenes are on the rise as well, and be able to easily travel regionally to promote my music.
How did you adjust your style coming from North America to the heart of the Middle East?
My style has definitely changed since leaving North America, but it’s been more of a natural transition with the new sounds and talent that’s out there now. Music keeps evolving and it’s important to evolve with it, but also maintain what you’re about musically, rather than just follow the trend. I still look for the same elements and sounds in music that I used to before, regardless of the style. But also, because of the lack of an underground scene in Dubai, you have to adjust your sound a bit when you play to be able to reach the listeners, and slowly push them in the direction you want. The main thing that has also helped is a lot of the people that live here now have been exposed to the music before from different parts of the world, so they’re not entirely new to it, and that allows you to comfortably do your thing musically and connect with the crowd.
Check out the following websites for more Ali Ajami info and audio www.commonwealthrecordings.com
www.myspace.com/djaliajami.
Written by Voytek Tusz for Evolved Radio and Exodos Magazine