Friday March 29th, 2024
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Abou Samra: Bringing FACT to Egypt

We chat to the unstoppable Abou Samra ahead of tomorrow's FACT party, imported by the man himself from Europe's illustrious clubbing scene.

Staff Writer

Abou Samra needs no introduction to music lovers. Egypt's top DJing export, he's joined the ranks of legendary names in the Electronic music business, having been flying the Egyptian flag on the notorious Spanish clubbing scene for some time now. And now he's flying the Spanish clubbing scene's flag in Cairo as he brings in FACT, one of the most popular club nights in the world this Thursday, 19th February.  We talk to the man himself about bringing FACT to Cairo and how his life, his experience and his party network has brought the party of the year to the banks of the Nile.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how cool are you?

What do you think? I will leave it up to the fans to decide (laughs).

Where and when was you love for music, entertainment and parties developed?

I have always been a fan of Electronic music since I was 10 when my older sister Nora (Abou Samra) introduced me to it. Much like learning a new instrument, Electronic music made sense to me and by the time I was 12, I started listening to all genres. From then on I started trying to put my talent and small knowledge to the test on decks in private parties and up until I was 17 I was playing on a weekly basis. It wasn’t until I went to university in Barcelona that I really learned the meaning of being a professional artists and not just a DJ. Being part of the ElRow and Monegros family, the oldest club and festivals in Spain, taught me a lot about Dance music and dance floor-oriented clubs. I acquired a lot of knowledge that needed to be passed on to our crowd because it's a shame Egyptians are missing out on this. Barcelona and its music really inspired me to be the artist I am today and I will always be grateful that my artistic roots go back to Catalunya.

 

How did you end up in Barcelona?

I didn’t want to do my studies abroad in the same country as most of my friends did so I decided against London or the US and went for something new. I have always been a Barcelona fan and that’s how I chose Barcelona. Soon I found out I chose one of the best cities on the planet.

What are the main lessons you learned from discovering the party culture in Europe?

Partying is a drama-free atmosphere. Introducing the VIP and bottle services in dance floor oriented clubs is a good step but too much of it ruins the culture of actually going to a club to dance and not waving your candle-lit champagne bottle around. Speaking of which, someone once gave me the best dancing lesson ever and I think every one should take advantage of it. He said "dance the way you feel like dancing," meaning hit the club, get on the dance floor, smile and dance. That is the message in Europe and that is the message we’re looking to convey here.

What was the inspiration for Blurr?

After four years of studying how clubbing is to be served to the people and seeing the potential in my country, I started hoping to revolutionise the Egyptian clubbing scene. I decided to put my thoughts to action and really give my own people a piece of what I learned in Europe and let them take part in this kind of party culture.

What would you consider your biggest professional achievement in life?

I still don’t believe that what I’ve achieved so far is a professional achievement. To achieve something professional as a DJ is to be acknowledged at least in the countries that are leading the scene and touring on different continents.

What do you dream about at night?

Food.

Does the party ever stop?

I hope it never stops (laughs)!

What is the main difference about parties in Egypt and the rest of the world?

In Egypt, the people you and I or anyone from "our social scene" meet at parties are within a certain social environment. But in Spain, for example, even if you’re from the highest social categories and go to ElRow, you would still find yourself partying with someone who works at a supermarket or a waitress, and you would not notice any differences or gaps between you and everyone else at the party, whether its musically or socially.

How did FACT become a thing in Egypt?

FACT is a thing all over the world now. A few years back, me and some fellow Egyptians started attending their events and saw how successful they are and how much fun it is to be in one of their many events. But FACT is not in Egypt yet until Thursday February 19th, so I hope to see everyone there…

What’s the biggest name you can drop in terms of future bookings and parties in Egypt?

I can't say much but something really big is coming. Something with a Jay!

Don’t miss Abou Samra welcome Steve Lawler, Andre Buljat and Hisham Zahran to the first ever FACT in Egypt, tomorrow night at Omar Khayam Boat. Get more information about the legendary event and its equally legendary line-up here.

You can reserve or find out more information by calling 01018603544 or 01008961703 or emailing blurrCairo@gmail.com.