Rising from their third yr in Saudi Arabia, MDLBeast’s SoundStorm Music Pageant has turn into a primary occasion of its sort within the nation and the self-described “loudest within the area.” With staggering 800,000 attendees it’s now the most important music competition on this planet too, dwarfing world well-known occasions like Las Vegas’ Electrical Daisy Carnival and Belgium’s Tomorrowland by comparability. With greater attendance numbers and broader worldwide enchantment, the competition is arguably extra vital to Saudi Arabia than Woodstock was for America within the ‘60s. Particularly for girls within the Center East, this is a crucial second. For the primary time in centuries Arab girls are expressing themselves by way of dance, however that’s solely the start. They’ll additionally assist throw the get together as a member of manufacturing or operations. They’ll even be a DJ headlining on one in every of SoundStorm’s seven levels. For younger Arab ladies, this can be the primary time ever seeing such inspiring heroines and function fashions.
Talking with a number of such feminine powerhouses, Your EDM got down to be taught extra concerning the voice girls are discovering in Saudi Arabia by way of the competition. We additionally wished to glean a bit about how that voice is being obtained each inside the nation and on the worldwide stage.
What they needed to say rocked our notion of the Arab world and inspired us (within the West) to control the occasion because it continues to influence the tradition there. If the phrases from the ladies beneath are any indication, we could also be witnessing a really historic second for Saudis.
To listen to it in their very own phrases, learn on!
“I like how everybody was there attending for his or her favourite musician and that included many ladies like my buddies Dorar, Kayan and Biirdperson and my private favourite Eli & Fur, our Saudi women received to showcase to the world that they will rock the gang higher than anybody else and so they had women and men supporting them and cheering for them within the viewers.”
– Cosmicat, Headliner at SoundStorm
“In reality a majority of the business is led by males wherever you might be on this planet, nonetheless girls are more and more taking up management roles within the sector each internationally and regionally. I’ve personally seen unbelievable progress and growth of a really assured and bold native feminine workforce stepping up into important positions.”
– Angela Selkirk, Director Core Planning; Occasion Management, Well being & Security and Safety
“The love and connection [young Arab women] share with us even post-festival is one thing lovely to expertise and to be part of… I really feel completely happy and lucky to witness such historic moments and to be a part of the collective celebration. [It’s like] every thing I’ve ever dreamt of as an artist I can manifest right now.”
– KAYAN, Headliner at SoundStorm
“The music business within the Kingdom goes by way of a historic transformation, and ladies will likely be on the forefront of this empowering evolution. The variety of girls I’m seeing getting into the Saudi music enterprise is one thing we’ve by no means witnessed earlier than – and that is just the start. It’s vital to notice that these alternatives don’t exist in every single place around the globe however they do exist right here and we as girls are absolutely embracing them. I can’t wait to see what the long run holds.”
– Nada al-Helabi, Technique Director at MDLBeast / Director of Programming at XP Music Characteristic
