Mix up

One of the only women in the local DJ industry, Shadia Bseiso’s and her mixes have caught on like a regional wildfire.

So, a babe in the cut-throat world of record spinning; what gives?

In my experience, the music industry is tough. Full stop. For men and women both, it’s demanding and competitive; you have to be constantly on your game and there’s no room for laziness. For a woman in this industry, there are indeed special challenges, and I find that they are mostly the result of gender-based stereotypes. I try to overcome people’s misconceptions by being assertive, open-minded and firm.

So girls, walk into a club, hijack the booth and work your way up?

A budding DJ can start anywhere! Opportunities rarely present themselves as such, and it’s up to you to turn a situation into an opportunity. I just love music, and when I started I was organizing the music library of a radio station in Amman, and from there I went to producing my own show. Beginnings are just that, a way to begin, and once you start there’s no telling where you’re going to go!

It’s no small highlight on your portfolio opening for Akon in Bahrain, any other gigs we should worry about?

The Formula 1 event with Akon was amazing! Upcoming events in the works include Beirut, Jordan and maybe even India!

And if we don’t want to wait until you’ve figured out your schedule?

Due to the busy nature of my radio work, I participate in events rather than club residencies. I personally post up about my upcoming events on Facebook. To find out where I’m performing next, look me up, I’m listed as Shadia Bseiso.

Instead of aiming for the international spotlight you seem to have specialized in pleasing the regional listeners; how are we different?

Creating a radio show and DJing for a Middle Eastern audience has been a really interesting and rewarding experience. I find that people in the Middle East are very particular about their Hip Hop and RnB. One of the sets people have enjoyed the most around the Middle East is my first Mixtape – a count-up from 1996 to 2006, which includes some of the biggest Hip Hop and RnB classics. Even though this set was created 3 years ago, recently more people have found it and have been giving me valuable feedback. You can download it for free from my website.

Most of us picked up on you from the local buzz, but I hear your radio show has quite the crowd…

The 5th Element is syndicated radio show. It’s based around the four elements of Hip Hop and includes urban news and the hottest Hip Hop and RnB songs mixed to perfection; tailored to satisfy young listeners around the Middle East. Tune in on Energy 97.7 in Jordan, Radio One Lebanon and Mix FM Syria. Broadcast times and links are posted on djshadia.com.

So, you sticking by your guns or do you plan to expand the audience beyond the Middle East?

I would love to go international not only as a DJ but also as a radio personality. I’m really passionate about music, radio and events. I started locally in Amman, and then became interested in different parts of the region. So going international, logically, might just be the next step!

To catch up on Shadia’s latest gigs, look up her schedule on the official website, or stop by her Facebook profile.