Listen to a playlist highlighting forms of resistance through music, curated by Saya
Welcome back to Selections, a series of artist-curated playlists from those in the know.
Born in Santiago de Compostela, originally from Palestine and now based in Porto, Saya is a truly multidisciplinary artist whose various ventures — and the creative worlds that surround them — inform her fluid approach to music.
As a DJ, she mixes genres like kurudo, gqom, Arab club, hard drums, baile and rave funk, drawing influence from the international cities she’s worked in and amplifying their sounds in others. As an artist, you might find her involved with production, cultural programming, photography, videography or experimenting with field recordings, again drawing influence from the wider world and channelling her findings back into music. Building bridges between different creative industries and cultures, Saya also uses her platform for activism, standing loudly against racism in all its forms.
For her Selections playlist, Saya has compiled tracks highlighting “the diverse forms of resistance through music”, with sounds ranging from Palestinian trap to dabke, hard drums and kuduro. “I can’t imagine discussing music without starting with the transformative trap and rap scene in Palestine, which has profoundly shaped my musical exploration,” she says, explaining: “BLTNM (بالتنم) is an independent record label based in Ramallah, featuring artists such as Shabjdeed, Al Nather, R3D, and Daboor, among others. Their music and lyrics show Palestinian resistance, illustrating life under ongoing colonisation through their sounds.”
“Continuing with the theme of Arab resistance, although in the diaspora, I must highlight the powerful rap and lyrics of Nader Khalil in his album Nader Khalil 2. The dynamic drums and samples from classic Arab tracks in the latest album by Abadir and Nahash, titled Marchadair (مرشدير), are equally compelling. For more Arab/Dabke-inspired tracks with hard-hitting drums and electronic beats, I recommend selections by estoc, Skeptic, Surusinghe, Toumba, 3Phaz, and the collaboration of HEDO HYDR8 & Muskila, whose recent track C Slug was released by the Portuguese label XXIII.”
“In my kuduro and gqom mood, two names are essential: DJ Narciso and DJ Lag. From Príncipe Discos, DJ Narciso delivers both club and non-club tracks that serve as a therapeutic escape. On the other hand, as a self-proclaimed pioneer of gqom from South Africa, DJ Lag has become a reference point in the genre, paving the way for numerous producers to develop this music style worldwide.”
“To conclude this selection, my nostalgic heart insists on including an electronic edit of a summery track that transports me to a 90s party in a random Italian disco, dancing carefree — no phones, no worries, no social media — just pure, vibrant energy.”
Listen to Saya’s selections below, and watch her play at electronic music and digital arts festival Semibreve, taking place in Braga, Portugal from 24-27 October.
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