‘Get into the Groove’ with DJ Sam Smoove
Tell me about your first DJ residency, how old were you and where did it all begin?
“Well I started to DJ at the age of 18 years old at a small, dark underground club in Cairo called ‘Exit’. I loved it there but after three years I decided it was time to look for a residency elsewhere as I really wanted to increase my experience and further my career. I could not of achieved what I have, if I had not been brave enough to take that jump.”
How did you arrive here in Sharm?
“By Bus (jokingly laughs), after playing at ‘Exit’ in Cairo, I decided to move to Sharm in 2007 to fulfill a residency spot for Ministry of Sound that at the time was hosted at Pacha Sharm. The night they hosted was called ‘Smoove’. During my residency, I focused on playing RnB and Hip Hop music for large and very responsive crowds.”
“I continued to play for Ministry of Sound for 3 years and really enjoyed it; I believe I gained a vast amount of career experience during these few years. When Ministry of Sound stopped hosting nights at Pacha, I stayed there for a further 2 years playing just when they needed me. This gave me the opportunity to play not only RnB but to branch out to other genres such as Funky House, Garage and ‘HedKandi’ styles of music.”
When did you start working at Space Sharm?
“I have been at Space for one year. I moved from Pacha to Space when Ministry of Sound offered me a residency for one of their hosted parties. Now I am DJ-ing at ‘Bounce’ on Wednesday nights where I play various genres of music such as RnB, Hip Hop, Dance Hall, Garage and Dubstep. There is always such a good crowd at Space; I really enjoy working here. I am hoping to stay here for as long as they will have me.”
Has the RnB music genre always been your passion?
“Yes absolutely, I have always been passionate for this genre of music. When I was in High School and I first saw DJ’s spinning records, I had this strong feeling that made me realize ‘that is exactly what I need to be doing and this is exactly the career I want’ so I made the decision that I would become a RnB DJ. I knew from then that I had to do everything I could and learn everything I could to make my dreams come true, and here I am today.”
Are there any DJ’s or Artists that have been your main inspiration throughout your career?
“There have been so many DJ’s and artists that have inspired me in so many ways, such as DJ Premier and DJ CatKiller; they are both so talented and have greatly influenced me throughout my DJ-ing years. Also DJ Jazzy Jeff, who I looked up to from a young age. He is my Idol; I enjoy listening to his music, I have always been energized by his personality, but most of all he really encouraged me to pursue my career in music with his technical skills.”
Are there any other genres of music you enjoy listening to and/or playing?
“As mentioned before RnB and Hip Hop are my ultimate passion but I also enjoy listening to and playing Funky House, Garage, Classic House and Dance Hall. I am not a big fan of Trance, Electro or really ‘hard’ House music. I respect and appreciate all the DJs and artists that are involved in these genres but honestly, this style of music is not really my preference to listen to.”
Has your career allowed you to travel throughout Egypt and internationally?
“I have been very lucky to have had the opportunity to travel to Poland four times to DJ in some amazing clubs there. I managed to get those gigs because I was scouted one night when I was playing in Pacha. I met the owner of some the top Polish clubs such as ‘Shakers’, ‘CoCo’, ‘Bakerat’ and a few others whilst he was on holiday in Sharm. After seeing me DJ he invited me to play in his clubs.”
“I hope I will be able to travel back there again as it is such a beautiful country, plus I would like to learn a little more Polish. Other than Poland I have played many times in Cairo, one of my favorite places to play there is ‘Tamarai’ it is a great club to DJ at. I was also given the opportunity to play in Hurghada at the ‘Ministry of Sound Club’ which was a great experience and then ‘Papas Beach’ which was also wonderful. I would be honored and more than happy to visit and DJ at any of those venues again.”
Do you have any plans for the future?
“I would really like to travel the world, gain some more experience not just within my career but also general life experience. I would like to learn some new languages, try different cuisines and learn about the world. The first countries I would choose to visit are USA, Dubai and England, because the people there really understand music, they have amazing knowledge about different genres, artists and music in general. I believe it would be a huge boost for my career if I managed to play in any of these places. Other than wanting to travel, I don’t have any immediate plans. I would like to just see how things pan out; you never know what is around the corner or what opportunities you can be given.
Tags:groove, smoove
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