JEDDAH: The timeless ritual of visiting record stores to unearth original Saudi and Arabic vinyl records fuels Yaser Hammad, a Saudi DJ specializing in Arabic musical treasures.

“I prefer to label myself as a selector rather than a traditional DJ,” he tells Arab News. “This allows me to introduce the audience to classical songs that may be new to them, setting my offerings apart from other DJs in the region.”

DJing with vinyl is an art that can be a bit more complicated: “Being a vinyl DJ involves more than just playing music … it’s about carrying physical songs, which is quite valuable. Unlike digital formats using a USB to carry songs, vinyl DJing requires a hands-on approach and adds a unique quality to my performances, creating a distinct ambiance for the audience.”

Depending on the venue, Hammad typically selects music that blends with the location and audience. Given his Hijazi heritage, the historic Al-Balad district in Jeddah is a regular spot where he plays music focusing on Hijazi female singers from the golden age, such as Touha, Ibtisam Lutfi, as well as renowned singers like Talal Maddah and Fawzi Mahsoun.

“My education has fueled my love for Saudi classics and cultural preservation through music,” Hammad said. “Researching Saudi singers has enriched my appreciation for their role in shaping our cultural heritage.”

Hammad’s passion for vinyl records began during his time in film school in Los Angeles, where he frequented Amoeba, the world’s largest record store. Delving into the world music section, he discovered Arabic records, both secondhand and new represses. Inspired by this period, Hammad sought to uncover more genres within Arabic music.

During his years in Cairo and Beirut, he searched for record shops, connecting with fellow music enthusiasts who shared his love for Arabic music. Upon returning to Saudi Arabia, he met Mohannad Nassar, a local vinyl DJ professionally known as Vinyl Mode, who encouraged him to share his collection through DJing. Mohannad became Hammad’s mentor, teaching him the art of vinyl DJing and offering unwavering support.

Going analog in a digital world

Hammad’s journey as a DJ began with his first performance at Medd Cafe in Jeddah, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lockdown, he embraced virtual platforms like Zoom and Instagram Live sessions by MDLBeast that gave him a platform to explore and experiment with his music in new ways.

Arabic and Saudi music reflect Hammad’s identity, intertwining poetry and storytelling, often overlooked but crucial in revitalizing the cultural landscape. Despite challenges, particularly matching classical Arabic with the beat-matching technology of modern DJing, performing through vinyl offers a unique analog experience, relying on intuition and auditory senses, enriching the audience’s connection to the music.

I enjoy exploring record shops worldwide for Arabic music, uncovering unique stories like discovering Umm Kulthum’s classics in Annecy, France, pressed by Arab migrants with superior quality.

Yaser Hammad, Saudi vinyl DJ

“I enjoy exploring record shops worldwide for Arabic music, uncovering unique stories like discovering Umm Kulthum’s classics in Annecy, France, pressed by Arab migrants with superior quality. Personal interactions with shop owners and their recommendations add value to the records, unlike online purchases.

“Despite travels, I rarely found Saudi music until discovering Abu Mubarak’s WhatsApp group during COVID-19, auctioning rare vinyls of folk Saudi singers like Basher Hamad Shenan and Issa Al-Ahsa’i, fostering a vibrant community of Saudi music collectors,” he added.

Hammad, also a film director, said that music inspires his writing, helping him tell stories through curating music. One of his most memorable mixes called “Pass by Jeddah,” available on his SoundCloud page, narrates a love story that starts in Jeddah, moves to Makkah and ends with heartbreak on the road to Madinah.

Despite growing up listening to 2000s Egyptian and Lebanese pop music, Hammad's iPod post-high school helped him to explore various Arabic music genres, discovering traditional Saudi singers. Their music resonated with him, offering a newfound sense of representation and connection.

Dubbed as Adulsamee3 Allamee3, a funky Arabic moniker inspired by the renowned late Egyptian actor and comedian Samir Ghanim’s character, Hammad has performed at significant events and venues within the Kingdom and internationally, including MENA Night at Cannes Lions Festival organized by media group SRMG and streaming platform Anghami in Cannes, France; the Islamic Arts Biennale opening night in Jeddah; and the FenaaPhone exhibition’s closing night in Riyadh.

Amid changing online and digital music trends, Hammad is upholding the tradition of vinyl.

“Playing in public venues is an experience. Some find it hard to grasp that without the physical vinyl, I can’t fulfill their requests, even if it’s a TikTok trend,” he said. “Despite the amusing encounters, there are heartfelt moments, too, especially when the audience appreciates Saudi singers’ vinyl records.”

Hammad’s cultural plea is for Saudis to safeguard their heritage, particularly their music culture, by cherishing old cassette tapes, CDs, vinyl records and other items.

To discover Hammad’s collections, check out his SoundCloud show, Sama3i or “listening sessions.”

TANGIERS, Morocco: The Moroccan city of Tangiers, which has a long history as a haven of inspiration for American jazz musicians, will host UNESCO’s International Jazz Day for the first time on Tuesday.
Over the last century, jazz greats such as Randy Weston, Idrees Sulieman and Max Roach all crossed the Atlantic to play and record music in the North African port city, perched on the edge of the Strait of Gibraltar.
“The city has had a fascinating power of attraction on a wave of intellectuals and musicians,” Philippe Lorin, the founder of an annual Tangiers jazz festival, told AFP.
“It’s not for nothing that a writer once said there was always a cruise liner in New York preparing to sail for Tangiers.”
This year’s Jazz Day will be held over four days starting on Saturday, during which talks and open-air performances will be held in Tangiers.
The festivities will culminate in an “All-Star Global Concert” on Tuesday led by jazz icon Herbie Hancock, also featuring bassists Marcus Miller and Richard Bona, as well as guitarist Romero Lubambo.
The city’s cosmopolitan artistic reputation stems from its location between Africa and Europe as well as its history, having been administered by several colonial powers from 1923 to 1956, the year Morocco gained independence.
This melting pot of influences prompted visits from international writers and poets, notably from the Beat Generation movement, as well as African American musicians seeking to find “their African roots,” Moroccan historian Farid Bahri told AFP.
Lorin said that Tangiers “was a haven of freedom — just like jazz music.”

A pivotal moment in the city’s musical history came in 1959, when Tangiers jazz promoter Jacques Muyal — then just a teenager — recorded a session with trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, pianist Oscar Dennard, bassist Jamil Nasser and drummer Buster Smith at the Radio Tanger International studio.
The recording gained renown in jazz circles decades before its distribution as “The 4 American Jazzmen In Tangier” album in 2017.
Bahri, the author of “Tangiers, a world history of Morocco,” said “the presence of American musicians in Tangiers was also linked to a very active American diplomacy.”
Famous US pianist Randy Weston settled in Tangiers for five years after visiting 14 African countries in 1967 during a tour organized by the US State Department.
The Brooklynite virtuoso would play a key role in building the musical reputation of the city, to which he dedicated his 1973 album “Tanjah.”
“Randy was an exceptional, kind and respectful man,” said Abdellah El Gourd, a 77-year-old Moroccan legend of gnawa music, a centuries-old style played with a three-stringed lute and steel castanets, rooted in West African rituals and Sufi traditions.
“He gave a lot to the city and its musicians,” added the friend and collaborator of Weston, who died in 2018.

Together, El Gourd and Weston blurred the lines of their respective genres, creating the beginnings of jazz-gnawa fusion, which remains a key part of Tangiers’ musical legacy.
“The language barrier was never a problem because our communication was through (musical) scales,” El Gourd recalled in a rehearsal room lined with old photos and memorabilia from the years he toured with Weston and jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp.
“Our language was music.”
The two men’s collaborative work would years later yield the acclaimed 1992 album “The Splendid Master Gnawa Musicians of Morocco.”
Two years after settling in the city, Weston opened the African Rhythms jazz club, above the iconic Cinema Mauritania in downtown Tangiers.
“We used to rehearse there,” El Gourd recalled. “Randy would invite his musician friends. It was a beautiful time.”
With El Gourd’s help, Weston launched Tangiers’ first-ever jazz festival in 1972, featuring big names such as drummer Max Roach, flautist Hubert Laws, double-bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and saxophonist Dexter Gordon.
“It was quite a unique experience, because it was the first time we played in front of such a large audience,” said El Gourd, who was then used to small crowds for gnawa performances.
Weston and El Gourd’s festival was only held once.
But three decades later it inspired Lorin to create the Tanjazz festival, which is held in the port city every September.