Tucked away in an exclusive entertainment district in Toronto, a small but luxurious night club pumps out the sounds of Arabia to the Chanel smelling and Ferrari looking backdrop of Yorkville. Behind the scenes, a young Iraqi entrepreneur and artist, uses his vision to apply the strokes of his turntables to what is a magical night. Not only is Fady a person who can turn the bitter cold of the North into the warmth and brightness of the Orient, he is also a key player in the entertainment business. As a promoter and event manager, Fady has established Tarab Entertainment as the forefront leader in his field throughout North America. If any of you have been to a concert recently in Canada or the United States, Fady has had his hands on it. See how being an Iraqi living in the West has shaped his experience and vision. Only here.

shakomakonet: DJ Fady, where are you from in Iraq?
DJ Fady: I’m from Basra. I was born there.

shakomakonet: Where do you live now?
DJ Fady: I live in Mississauga (Toronto suburb) in Canada. I’ve been living here sine 1992.

shakomakonet: What exactly does your work entail?
DJ Fady: I own a promotion company called Tarab Entertainment (www.tarabentertainment.com) and I also offer deejay services. I promote concerts and other entertainment events.

shakomakonet: As an Arabic deejay, you are in a situation where you are somewhat alone in your field. Has that made your journey through Arabic beats easier or more difficult?
DJ Fady: First of all, there is real competition in my field. What sets me apart from other DJs is my style. I look at myself as more of an entertainer than just a deejay. I get very excited with the music and the crowd. I really have fun doing what I do. Anyone can spin the music, but your personality is what sets you apart.

shakomakonet: How did you take on being a deejay as a hobby?
DJ Fady: In the early nineties, I started mixing tapes for fun. I would enjoy matching beats. I used to go to regular night clubs in Toronto, and I was curious to see how I can apply what I saw to Arabic music and for an Arabic crowd.

shakomakonet: Arabic music is very different from house or dance music. How did you manage to fuse two different concepts like that?
DJ Fady: It all begins with imagination, and then talent kicks in naturally. Anyone can do it.

shakomakonet: Would you then consider yourself as a pioneer in your field?
DJ Fady: I don’t see myself as a pioneer. Instead, I think of what I do as a hobby that has gone out of hand. There are no limits to it.

shakomakonet: You mentioned that you ventured into the world of deejay by mixing tapes. What was the kind of music that you used to spin?
DJ Fady: I started mixing house and dance beats with Arabic music. I used to match beats and see what I can get out of them. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do.

shakomakonet: Most deejays use music on vinyl and turntables to apply their craft. Since most Arabic music enjoys a plastic existence on CDS, what kind of equipment do you use?
DJ Fady: I do get all of my music on CDs, so I use CD decks that work exactly like turntables, where you can scratch an match the beats more precisely. (see picture of DJ Fady’s equipment.)

shakomakonet: Has your style evolved with your equipment?
DJ Fady: Now, I strive to make exclusively Arabic mixes. I’m more interested in mixing Iraqi hechaa (traditional music from the South of Iraq) with Lebanese music, for example, or fusing two different types of Arabic music as opposed to mixing a P Diddy beat on a Nawal Al Zughbi track.

shakomakonet: Through your work as a promoter and a deejay, what are the key ingredients to success for an Arabic night club?
DJ Fady: I’ve learned that Arabs look for a high end Western look with Arabic twists. They enjoy going to a place that features luxurious fixtures and design. Arabic elements such as belly dancers, nargeelas (water pipes), and more sitting space are essential. For Arabs, clubs are more for social gatherings than dancing.

shakomakonet: Fady, where is the best Arabic night club in the world.
DJ Fady: Sequel, formerly known as Ivory, is a great club. It is where I spin. It has been the most popular night spot for Arabs in Toronto for the past years. If you were to look at what I said before with regards to what makes a successful Arabic night club, all the ingredients are at Sequel.

shakomakonet: Does this mean that we will be seeing a club “DJ Fady-style” anytime soon, perhaps in the Arabic world?
DJ Fady: I’m not in the business of owning or operating clubs. But if I do, it’ll be different. It must be something that Arabs haven’t seen anything like it anywhere inside or outside of the Arabic world. If it was to be in an Arabic country, then it must be introduced differently. It has to be accepted by society.

shakomakonet: The notions of music and dancing are considered taboo by some Arabs, how does that hinder the Arabic music or entertainment industry?
DJ Fady: There is no limit to the business. You just have to watch what you’re doing. It is a sensitive business, where one bad thing that you do will be held over the tens of good things that you might have done as well.

shakomakonet: In light of these conditions, has the Arabic music and entertainment industry grown?
DJ Fady: It is definitely in a better position that it was ten years ago. Now, a person can hear Arabic music penetrating into the mainstream entertainment scene (for both Arabs and non-Arabs). You can hear a variety of remixes that feed off Arabic compositions.

shakomakonet: What does the industry lack?
DJ Fady: Most movers and shakers in the industry seem to be intent on Westernizing Arabic music. I don’t think that that is the right approach. Western beats, mainly Latin, have threatened the identity of Arabic songs and music, by turning most Arabic songs into compositions that are focused on the beat, and ten to ignore the melody and lyrics. In many instances, you can tell that the beats are just stuck onto the song, even though they don’t match. There needs to be a realization of the potential of Arabic percussion, and more of a tendency to highlight it as opposed to going to the West for rhythm. That’s what attracts both Arabs and Westerners to the music anyways.

shakomakonet: Can you envision an Arab festival similar to that of Woodstock where several acts are on at the same time? Do you think that it would be an event that could reaffirm, to what according to you, is a lost identity?
DJ Fady: I think that such a festival would be a very successful business venture, and I think that many different Arabs from different parts of the Arabic world would come together. However, I am very skeptical of anything constructive coming out of it.

shakomakonet: Fady, you are also involved with music production, what kind of advice would you offer to young and upcoming artists?
DJ Fady: I would tell them to get publicity in any which way they can. I urge them to perform at as many places, and to try to offer something new. You will only go as far as your fans will take you.

shakomakonet: And for you, how did your break come?
DJ Fady: In 1998, I promoted the Amr Diab concert in a popular theme park in Toronto. More than fifteen thousand people were at the show, and that showed me that the potential in this business is endless.

shakomakonet: Although the situation in Iraq currently is the furthest possible for any kind of normalcy, is it a dream for you to work in Baghdad?
DJ Fady: I love Baghdad. It is a dream of mine to work in the place I love the most.

Special thanks to all those that helped in recording and documenting this interview. Without you, this would not have been possible.