Sama Abdul-Hadi Won't Let Borders or Stereotypes Stop Her
Sama Abdul-Hadi, Palestine’s first female DJ and electronic music producer, has a music career that spans Beirut, Ramallah and London
Whether it’s the noisy sounds of beeping car traffic, the loud cheers from local markets, or even the chants of the public protesting in the naked streets of Ramallah, everything is just in rhythm. This is where Sama Abdul-Hadi fell in love. Sama, formally known as Skywalker, found everything that ignited her passion towards music by the age of 26.
She started as a DJ in 2006, playing hip hop, pop, and Arabic music in parties around Ramallah, giving people a reason to enjoy themselves despite the daily grind. Sama found all kinds of support from family, friends and even strangers. Now she is Palestine’s first female DJ and electronic music producer, on her own journey in the music industry.
In Beirut – where parties don’t end before 6 AM, the city that has its own magic and energy blended with that nauseous feeling of hangovers – Sama, at the age of 18, listened to techno for the first time in her life.
Sama moved to the UK in 2011 and enrolled in S.A.E Institute in London to acquire her bachelor’s in audio engineering and music production. Living in a different culture was significant not only in Sama’s career. It changed her perception.
Sama is a lucky one, as there are many more talented Palestinians that face these difficulties every day while trying to make their voices reach the world, yet the occupation plants walls around them.
When you listen to Sama’s tracks you can notice how life, nature and her own experiences are things she loves to combine with her music.
