DJs of Lebanon: Some Mad Jams with maDJam

“In music the passions enjoy themselves.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

The Lebanese are renowned for their many talents, and music is definitely one of them. With so many outstanding DJs in the country, we thought we’d shine a spotlight to highlight some of the best talents in the field by launching the DJs of Lebanon. It’s a way to thank them for providing the soundtrack to some of the best nights of our lives and keep the beats going and going and going.

Who and what are the inspirations for your music?

When I was a kid in California we had an FM tuner with a cassette player/recorder and I’d spend hours recording songs. Those were the funky days of 80s Soul and Pop songs that continue to be sampled in most modern music. There are so many people that have inspired me in different ways – from a friend who had a collection of CDs visiting Lebanon in the summer of 1998, to hearing some of the biggest DJs do their thing live. My selective memory may not remember everything, but when a good track comes on, the ears tingle. It helps in determining what tracks will make it into my collections and playlists.

How would you define your genre of music?

Fun, energetic, and groovy Dance Music comprised of Downtempo Electronica, NuDisco, House Music in it’s deep, tech, progressive and vocal variations and Techno. I can’t really say it’s genre because it all depends on who’s listening and where –  on the dancefloor, in the car, at the gym or on a flight – but keeping it diverse guarantees it never becomes a routine. With so much music available to us everyday, it’s good to switch it up as much as possible without falling into a trap of the same “top 20” hits.

Where can we listen to you play?

Mix FM’s Club Frequency every Friday night at 10pm for the last 13 years, all Emirates Airlines flights on the ICE system, and a variety of clubs and events across the region. I’m never in one city for too long, I love playing music to new faces and places just about every week.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Personally never planned for anything when this all started two decades ago. Everything has been very spontaneous and grown organically and I’m thankful for every bit of it. Every year also brings a new set of challenges, either political or economic, and that translates to stronger or weaker dancefloors.

Pioneer endorsed me as their official DJ in the region 3 years ago because I love technology, sharing my knowledge and experiences with everyone, so I might be doing more of that in the next few years.

What was your favorite event or show you ever played and why?

There are so many good ones, but one that Beirutnightlife.com can relate to was David Guetta’s F*** Me I’m Famous gig in July 2009. Lebanon just got out of a stressful election, the atmosphere was so positive across the country that whole summer. I was doing the live coverage on Mix FM and a 2-hour warm-up set. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces and the amazing response from the crowd was indescribable. Every one of the 13,000 people there was super happy at that point in time –  one of those moments we wish could last forever.

What’s the most difficult part about being a DJ?

Keeping up a personal life,  like maintaining relationships, making it to friends’ birthday parties, BBQs, weddings, etc. Most of my close friends pretty much gave up on me a long time ago. I try to make up for it on my birthday. Airports and airlines have improved so much recently, but there’s one thing you can never choose –  the passenger sitting next to you. It’s really not as glamorous a lifestyle as you may think; it’s a sacrifice in many ways. But then again what is life without one, right?

What’s the best part of being a DJ?

Spreading the love across distant lands and making people happy when they really need it. Channeling positive energy that comes from a good crowd and deflecting it while at the same time keeping it real with everyone, is really a fantastic feeling.

Do you have some hobbies? Can you tell us more about those?

When the weather is good and there’s enough snow skiing is one of my favorite things to do. Being in the free air, just you, gliding fast on the snow under the sun – great feeling! I’m also a geek about airliners and airports, I keep up to date with everything in the aviation world.

Where can we follow your news and updates? Do you have a fanpage?

Yeah I post everything on https://www.facebook.com/madjam and manage the page on my own- so if you see a reply from “maDJam” it’s actually me not some social media junkie speaking on my behalf. It might take a few days to get a reply, but at least it’s genuine. Also https://twitter.com/maDJam and since we’re all Instagramming now I’m “djmadjam” on Instagram.

Whats your favorite tune on your iPod right now?

Oh I hate iPods! I use either the PDJ or Pacemaker to listen to music on the road. Happy track of the month is Duke Dumont ft A M E- Need U (100%)

How would you describe Lebanon in one sentence?

Geographically, socially, politically complex chunk of land with some of the most interesting and entertaining characters on the planet.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I love cats and extreme spicy food, I keep a record of every set and gig I’ve played for the last 10 years (including name-tags), I love driving around Beirut at night, and Mondays are my Sundays.