Regional Artist Spotlight

Hailing from the UAE with a captivating blend of Algerian heritage, Tayeb Santo’s diverse background spans across Malaysia, the USA and the UK, infusing his art with a worldly flair. Tayeb’s music transcends boundaries as he fearlessly incorporates a myriad of influences from around the globe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blu Fiefer is a Lebanese-Mexican artist, music producer and director, approaching her art as a multi-faceted platform. Today, Fiefer is releasing her debut album 'Villain Bala Cause' through chapters inspired by the traditions of story-telling and testimony captured in Hip hop while paying tribute to Arabic music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The featured artist for this month is none other than Lea Makhoul. Lea spent the early years of her childhood in France, later moving to her home country, Lebanon, where she participated in Star Academy Arabia and made it to the Finals.She sings in English, French and Spanish, helping her reach a larger audience and fans all over the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mazyn is a rising artist with fans giving noticeable attention to his sound, bringing a certain flair & excitement to the game in his own way. Between living in the Middle East, and then Canada, his love for music helped him discover himself. Once having soccer dreams when he was younger, to finding his voice as an anti-social young kid, Mazyn's songwriting exudes an honest and personal experience that the listener can relate to and connect with emotionally, through the multiple languages he uses in his art.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Palestinian / Emirati recording artist Casa Vince is gifted with a velvety microtonal voice and an enigmatic style in songwriting. Growing up with a stutter, he found cure and solace through music; his love for music is beyond self-expression, but more so a feeling of liberation, making him an advocate and inspiration to people with speech disorders. His music is infused with nostalgic Arabic melodies and instruments that are mixed with contemporary R&B beats, making his sound distinctive & unexampled.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Palestinian-Jordanian artist first started making music at the age of 17. Although he has a medicine degree, The Synaptik is a full-time artist.  The Synaptik has pioneered a new wave of sound for the Arab youth. His honest and potent lyrics are highlighted by his songwriting style that merges singing and rapping effortlessly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Hip-Hop artist with a penchant for exploring, KC Hamada is not one to shy away from telling an authentic story even if it means straying from the norm. Born and raised in Dubai, the Iraqi and Iranian rapper and producer carries influence from his musical heroes while combining his own signature sound and experience from years of performing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since dropping his first professional record in 2018, the 19th featured artist on Regional Artist Spotlight, Tac, has been one of the names consistently brought up when talking about ‘who’s next’ in the region’s music scene. Tac’s fanbase continues to grow when dropping hardcore hip-hop freestyles on social media, and catchy songs with meaningful lyrics on streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emirati Singer/Songwriter ABRI (Hamdan Al-Abri) was born in Dubai on the 18th of April, 1981. He began vocalizing at a young age, but this soon developed into more than a mere hobby. He earned his stripes working alongside numerous groups and bands in Dubai and abroad, gaining vital live experience, while enhancing his songwriting skills and cultivating his unequivocal voice.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SS.HH.A.N.A is a new age Pop artist with roots from Beirut, Lebanon and has been featured on radio stations, including Virgin Radio Lebanon. She is an artist with a unique charisma and a very distinctive creative twist. Her music could be described as atmospheric, but also quite energetic, with a lot of spontaneity on tap. There are no boundaries to SS.HH.A.N.A’s creativity, and her latest release is a testament to the artist’s willingness to set the bar higher and push music forward in terms of attitude and style.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hailed as one of the most promising young artists on the music scene today, ABIR is boldly redefining perceptions of what it means to be an Arab woman in the modern world. On her sophomore EP Heat released in 2020, ABIR embraces her heritage more fully than ever, infusing her magnetic take on Pop / R&B with elements of the Arab music she grew up on. ABIR describes her most recent music as Arabic / Pop and ultimately shatters countless stereotypes while instilling a thrilling new energy into the pop landscape. From Coachella to Dubai, ABIR has performed all over the world and plans to return to the region and connect with her fans in the Arab world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Using social media to his advantage, Llunr utilised all the tools he can to grow his fanbase in the past few years. Gaining public attention on social media, Llunr’s witty and animated personality was soon to be loved across the globe. His first viral hit “Doo Doo Doo” was used in over 380k videos on TikTok, resulting in over 800k plays for the song on Spotify alone. The Jordanian singer and songwriter have been getting playlisted among his favourite artists on all streaming platforms, helping him get over 500k monthly listeners and gradually building a strong fanbase. Llunr recently released his latest hit “ALL CAPS”, which also went viral on TikTok prior to its release.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He is known for bridging the gaps between cultures through his eclectically inspired sound. Whether performing solo equipped with an acoustic guitar, or as part of a 6-piece band equipped with a horn section, Jindi’s live performances always command a high level of attention and energy. Following on from the release of his debut EP, ‘1995’ in 2019, Jindi embarked on a successful self-organized tour, ‘The1995ExperienceTour’ which left venues and dance floors grooving to the tracks which saw Jindi become an award-winning artist. His latest big performance was at Jubilee Beats at Expo 2020 Dubai. The future is looking bright for Jindi!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saudi Arabian singer/songwriter Tamtam adds all parts of her character to her music. Saudi Arabian singer and songwriter Tamtam is based between Los Angeles and Riyadh. At just 13 years old, she relocated to California as her parents wished her to see the world through many different eyes. Since then, Tamtam has been channelling all her life experiences into her passion, becoming an emblematic bridge between the Middle East and the West through her passionate, honest and genre-defying music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lebanese-Palestinian independent singer-rapper Anees called time on his law career to pursue music. Lebanese-Palestinian independent singer-rapper Anees strongly believes that music is meant to heal. It’s with this mantra in mind that makes him focus on creating music that he says is “good for the soul…”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We first chat to Shebani about her time studying in London and her latest single Higher. Born and raised in Dubai, the Iraqi singer and songwriter started her career in 2015 with YouTube covers and performing at open-mic nights. Her first official release came shortly after, when she released a 6-track debut EP titled ‘Alter Ego’. Shébani moved to London after the release to achieve one of her biggest goals: studying songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She became a certified songwriter and performer in 2017, followed by numerous releases and performances since then, while exploring the world of music and sailing into significantly new sounds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hailing from Lebanon, living in Dubai. Get ready to be mesmerised by Layla May's voice. UAE-based R&B/Neo Soul singer “Layla May.” takes you on a journey with her dreamy music and soulful voice. Her music inspiration comes from listening to all genres of music from all sides of the world as she tries to break barriers by incorporating different styles into her songs. Her music can be described as a “sultry and dreamy depression”. Layla May's passion for music always shines ever so bright, and her willingness to experiment with new approaches, new styles, and new melodies is what separates her from all of her contemporaries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's one of the most well known names on the UAE music scene. We meet Moh Flow. Dubai based singer-songwriter Moh Flow has been on the scene for quite some time. His passion for rapping began in 2005, and he’s found new ways to express himself through his singing voice in recent years. Having worked with numerous artists in the region, his latest collaboration was with legendary American rapper Pusha-T in ‘Options’, released in 2017. The Syrian musician has rocked many stages including the newly renamed Etihad Park on Yas Island, where he opened for Marshmello at the Yasalam After-Race Concerts in 2019. Moh Flow has been releasing a lot of new music since the pandemic and he can’t wait for the opportunity to perform live.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We deep dive into Mougleta's sound and how she makes her music. Mougleta is this month featured artist on Regional Artist Spotlight. James Everton talks to Mougleta over zoom to break down each of the songs we have loved playing this month...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As stage names go, Mougleta is certainly unique. It pairs perfectly with her unique sound. The UAE-born singer has lived in Beirut, Boston, Dubai, Toronto and now, Berlin – with each city holding a special place in her heart. It is in these cities that she draws her inspiration – from music in taxis on the streets of Beirut, to the late-night rush of Toronto’s Entertainment District.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.