Sama' Abdulhadi Returns with New Music and an Important Message

"Grind your teeth, stomp the floor, breath again, and think," Sama' Abdulhadi tells New Times. "When I heard techno for the first time, I wanted to show it to everyone. We all needed to let it out."

If there is one DJ who can help unclench the fist and let the soft power of dancing help those caught in the middle of political turmoil find an escape, even for a second, it's Abdulhadi. The Jordanian-born, Palestinian-raised producer took the world by storm nearly five years ago with her Boiler Room set live from Palestine. The video now has more than ten million views on YouTube.

The boisterous, hard, and speedy techno tracks Abdulhadi laid down during the hour-long broadcast have carried her to venues across the globe. This weekend, she is back in Miami Beach for Ultra Music Festival's Resistance residency at M2, where she will be spinning before Belgium producer Charlotte de Witte.

"It depends on the crowd — it always depends on them," she says from her home in Paris about what the crowd expects from her. "When Charlotte and I play, we put each other's set in consideration, so you get a little bit of me and her and a little in between. I take from the DJ before me and go wherever I want."

Abdulhadi's earliest memories with music were playing piano at 6. She then gravitated toward DJing hip-hop and took the pivotal turn to electronic music — first as a music lover who arrived at events for the opening act and left well after the closer wrapped it up.

"I've been dancing for 15 years," she adds. "The first festival I went to, I didn't sleep for almost five days. I never knew if this would be the last show I see."
Abdulhadi got her start playing in tiny kitchens in and around Palestine, and within a couple of years, she became an in-demand globetrotting act. Her ability to play fast and pounding techno powerful enough to rock a club's foundation pulls everyone to the dance floor.

Still, there is one thing the emerging producer hasn't done: release an EP of her work. As of now, her debut EP remains untitled but is currently in the works.

"One track has a friend's vocal who plays in the 47Soul band in Palestine, and I started chopping them up," Abdulhadi adds. "I hate playing my music, but for Mixmag London, my manager made me play it, which was amazing. And then I played it again and again and had to stop playing it so it doesn't get old before it's even released."

Abdulhadi is ecstatic that she's pressed an EP before being asked for a single. While she's done putting the finishing touches, the release date remains up in the air.

"I don't know about the release date. I finished an EP — that is enough for me to celebrate," she quips. "Because of that one track, the ignition is finally on, and I'm ready to produce more."

As her profile continues to rise, Abdulhadi remains true to her roots, not letting fame blindside her as to why she started playing in the first place. This month, she kicks off her international party series Resilience, which aims to spotlight marginalized artists and creatives across the globe that would otherwise be voiceless in an international forum. The first show will take place in Beirut, Lebanon.

"I've always been a person who is pointed towards the Arab world," she says. "During my tours, though, I've connected with people from other cultures, like Latin America and East Europe. Everybody there is grinding their teeth and just waiting for the next day to figure it out," she says. "They're holding their ground with all the corruption and waiting until tomorrow."

While the problems in Palestine may differ from those elsewhere, Abdulhadi believes everyone dances the same to the music.

"We feel our pain, and I wanted to find something that sheds light past Palestine," she explains.

At the same time, Abdulhadi wants to demonstrate the power of music not just for her but for her allies, hoping that attendees everywhere can enjoy themselves and dance. She considers it a symbolic victory when she can accomplish that.

"I've been discovering, seeing, getting shocked, and being inspired, and getting my brain organized and seeing how I am, what I am to represent, where I am supposed to head, and what my purpose is. I'm still discovering," Abdulhadi says.

Sama' Abdulhadi. With Charlotte De Witte and Carlo Lio. 11 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at M2, 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-771-0388; resistancemiami.com. Tickets cost $99.49.