Festival season is in full swing. Probably, where you are; definitely, where I am. For weeks now, Amsterdam’s parks and event venues have been crowded with distinctly styled party-goers from near and far. If you pass by the central station on the weekends, you can spot them moving about in troves. Their often rich plumage giving hints at the event they may be headed for.
Festivals come in all shapes and sizes – one-day, weekenders, multi-day and week-long; from jazz, to ethnic, to film, electronic music and beyond. My personal all-time favorite takes place over the course of 6 days and goes by the name of Fusion Festival. On its 25th year in 2024, it sports 25+ stages, has a cinema, a theater, a circus and all kinds of other stuff going on. You can catch a rap act, then waddle over to the roots stage for some reggaeton, go mosh at a punk show after, to then catch a DJ-set among a flock of fire art performers. (I might write more about Fusion Festival in the future 🤔)
At its best, in my opinion, a festival is a place to get lost and find something new and exciting, opening your eyes and ears to experience something you didn’t expect. Of course, going to a given “main stage” to catch a big act is fantastic, but there’s something special about stumbling onto something that you can later tell your friends about, like telling the tale of having encountered a mythical creature in the woods. An experience shared just with those that were there, in that particular moment.
One such moment that I just stumbled upon and still cherish today, was seeing Sama’ Abdulhadi (back then, listed sans last name) back in 2018. Then, a relatively little known DJ from Palestine, she managed to captivate the entire audience with a both powerful and thoughtful techno set that, to all our luck, was captured “on tape”.
Sama’ built her brand in Beirut’s techno scene, breaking through on the international stage after playing a Boiler Room set in 2018. But, per her own description, her goal has always been to put Palestine on the musical map. A feat she unfortunately achieved, at least in the Techno world, when a set that she was playing at Nabi Musa, a mosque and event site, was stormed by a group of religious countrymen. Despite having had all the necessary permissions granted by the authorities, she ended up spending 8 days in jail, spouting international outcries to #FreeSama.
Unchanged, Sama’ continues to travel the world and spread her good word (read: music), having put out songs, an album, and even a BBC Radio1 Essential Mix. Today, let me help her do her bidding and share with you the set that put her on my map, recorded live from the Turmbühne.
Enjoy!
Coryphe 