There's Nothing Holding Me Back
Shawn Mendes
Regional Artist Spotlight
We are so proud to be part of the new initiative created by Flash Entertainment: The Regional Artist Spotlight.
While Flash have been amazing in putting talent from across the region on their stages and at Virgin Radio we love playing music coming from our home - we're making the commitment to support artists year round.
Every month we feature a homegrown music talent coming straight from The Middle East.
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Episodes
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Featured Artist - Tayeb Santo
Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Hailing from the UAE with a captivating blend of Algerian heritage, Tayeb Santo’s diverse background spans across Malaysia, the USA and the UK, infusing his art with a worldly flair. Tayeb’s music transcends boundaries as he fearlessly incorporates a myriad of influences from around the globe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Blu Fiefer
Thursday, 22 February 2024
Blu Fiefer is a Lebanese-Mexican artist, music producer and director, approaching her art as a multi-faceted platform. Today, Fiefer is releasing her debut album 'Villain Bala Cause' through chapters inspired by the traditions of story-telling and testimony captured in Hip hop while paying tribute to Arabic music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Lea Makhoul
Tuesday, 30 May 2023
The featured artist for this month is none other than Lea Makhoul. Lea spent the early years of her childhood in France, later moving to her home country, Lebanon, where she participated in Star Academy Arabia and made it to the Finals.She sings in English, French and Spanish, helping her reach a larger audience and fans all over the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Mazyn
Saturday, 29 April 2023
Mazyn is a rising artist with fans giving noticeable attention to his sound, bringing a certain flair & excitement to the game in his own way. Between living in the Middle East, and then Canada, his love for music helped him discover himself. Once having soccer dreams when he was younger, to finding his voice as an anti-social young kid, Mazyn's songwriting exudes an honest and personal experience that the listener can relate to and connect with emotionally, through the multiple languages he uses in his art.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Casa Vince
Monday, 27 March 2023
Palestinian / Emirati recording artist Casa Vince is gifted with a velvety microtonal voice and an enigmatic style in songwriting. Growing up with a stutter, he found cure and solace through music; his love for music is beyond self-expression, but more so a feeling of liberation, making him an advocate and inspiration to people with speech disorders. His music is infused with nostalgic Arabic melodies and instruments that are mixed with contemporary R&B beats, making his sound distinctive & unexampled.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Synaptik
Monday, 30 January 2023
The Palestinian-Jordanian artist first started making music at the age of 17. Although he has a medicine degree, The Synaptik is a full-time artist. The Synaptik has pioneered a new wave of sound for the Arab youth. His honest and potent lyrics are highlighted by his songwriting style that merges singing and rapping effortlessly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - KC Hamada
Monday, 28 November 2022
A Hip-Hop artist with a penchant for exploring, KC Hamada is not one to shy away from telling an authentic story even if it means straying from the norm. Born and raised in Dubai, the Iraqi and Iranian rapper and producer carries influence from his musical heroes while combining his own signature sound and experience from years of performing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Tac
Saturday, 22 October 2022
Since dropping his first professional record in 2018, the 19th featured artist on Regional Artist Spotlight, Tac, has been one of the names consistently brought up when talking about ‘who’s next’ in the region’s music scene. Tac’s fanbase continues to grow when dropping hardcore hip-hop freestyles on social media, and catchy songs with meaningful lyrics on streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Abri
Tuesday, 27 September 2022
Emirati Singer/Songwriter ABRI (Hamdan Al-Abri) was born in Dubai on the 18th of April, 1981. He began vocalizing at a young age, but this soon developed into more than a mere hobby. He earned his stripes working alongside numerous groups and bands in Dubai and abroad, gaining vital live experience, while enhancing his songwriting skills and cultivating his unequivocal voice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - SS.HH.A.N.A
Friday, 19 August 2022
SS.HH.A.N.A is a new age Pop artist with roots from Beirut, Lebanon and has been featured on radio stations, including Virgin Radio Lebanon. She is an artist with a unique charisma and a very distinctive creative twist. Her music could be described as atmospheric, but also quite energetic, with a lot of spontaneity on tap. There are no boundaries to SS.HH.A.N.A’s creativity, and her latest release is a testament to the artist’s willingness to set the bar higher and push music forward in terms of attitude and style.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Abir
Monday, 18 July 2022
Hailed as one of the most promising young artists on the music scene today, ABIR is boldly redefining perceptions of what it means to be an Arab woman in the modern world. On her sophomore EP Heat released in 2020, ABIR embraces her heritage more fully than ever, infusing her magnetic take on Pop / R&B with elements of the Arab music she grew up on. ABIR describes her most recent music as Arabic / Pop and ultimately shatters countless stereotypes while instilling a thrilling new energy into the pop landscape. From Coachella to Dubai, ABIR has performed all over the world and plans to retur...
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Featured Artist - LLUNR
Friday, 24 June 2022
Using social media to his advantage, Llunr utilised all the tools he can to grow his fanbase in the past few years. Gaining public attention on social media, Llunr’s witty and animated personality was soon to be loved across the globe. His first viral hit “Doo Doo Doo” was used in over 380k videos on TikTok, resulting in over 800k plays for the song on Spotify alone. The Jordanian singer and songwriter have been getting playlisted among his favourite artists on all streaming platforms, helping him get over 500k monthly listeners and gradually building a strong fanbase. Llunr recently releas...
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Featured Artist - Jindi
Sunday, 12 June 2022
He is known for bridging the gaps between cultures through his eclectically inspired sound. Whether performing solo equipped with an acoustic guitar, or as part of a 6-piece band equipped with a horn section, Jindi’s live performances always command a high level of attention and energy. Following on from the release of his debut EP, ‘1995’ in 2019, Jindi embarked on a successful self-organized tour, ‘The1995ExperienceTour’ which left venues and dance floors grooving to the tracks which saw Jindi become an award-winning artist. His latest big performance was at Jubilee Beats at Expo 2020 Dub...
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Featured Artist - Tamtam
Saturday, 11 June 2022
Saudi Arabian singer/songwriter Tamtam adds all parts of her character to her music. Saudi Arabian singer and songwriter Tamtam is based between Los Angeles and Riyadh. At just 13 years old, she relocated to California as her parents wished her to see the world through many different eyes. Since then, Tamtam has been channelling all her life experiences into her passion, becoming an emblematic bridge between the Middle East and the West through her passionate, honest and genre-defying music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Anees
Friday, 10 June 2022
Lebanese-Palestinian independent singer-rapper Anees called time on his law career to pursue music. Lebanese-Palestinian independent singer-rapper Anees strongly believes that music is meant to heal. It’s with this mantra in mind that makes him focus on creating music that he says is “good for the soul…” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured Artist - Shebani
Thursday, 9 June 2022
We first chat to Shebani about her time studying in London and her latest single Higher. Born and raised in Dubai, the Iraqi singer and songwriter started her career in 2015 with YouTube covers and performing at open-mic nights. Her first official release came shortly after, when she released a 6-track debut EP titled ‘Alter Ego’. Shébani moved to London after the release to achieve one of her biggest goals: studying songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She became a certified songwriter and performer in 2017, followed by numerous releases and performances since then,...
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Featured artist - Layla May, previously known as Michele
Wednesday, 8 June 2022
Hailing from Lebanon, living in Dubai. Get ready to be mesmerised by Layla May's voice. UAE-based R&B/Neo Soul singer “Layla May.” takes you on a journey with her dreamy music and soulful voice. Her music inspiration comes from listening to all genres of music from all sides of the world as she tries to break barriers by incorporating different styles into her songs. Her music can be described as a “sultry and dreamy depression”. Layla May's passion for music always shines ever so bright, and her willingness to experiment with new approaches, new styles, and new melodies is what separates h...
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Featured artist - Moh Flow
Tuesday, 7 June 2022
He's one of the most well known names on the UAE music scene. We meet Moh Flow. Dubai based singer-songwriter Moh Flow has been on the scene for quite some time. His passion for rapping began in 2005, and he’s found new ways to express himself through his singing voice in recent years. Having worked with numerous artists in the region, his latest collaboration was with legendary American rapper Pusha-T in ‘Options’, released in 2017. The Syrian musician has rocked many stages including the newly renamed Etihad Park on Yas Island, where he opened for Marshmello at the Yasalam After-Race Conc...
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Featured Artist - Mougleta breaks down her music
Monday, 6 June 2022
We deep dive into Mougleta's sound and how she makes her music. Mougleta is this month featured artist on Regional Artist Spotlight. James Everton talks to Mougleta over zoom to break down each of the songs we have loved playing this month...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured artist - Mougleta
Monday, 6 June 2022
As stage names go, Mougleta is certainly unique. It pairs perfectly with her unique sound. The UAE-born singer has lived in Beirut, Boston, Dubai, Toronto and now, Berlin – with each city holding a special place in her heart. It is in these cities that she draws her inspiration – from music in taxis on the streets of Beirut, to the late-night rush of Toronto’s Entertainment District.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured artist - Layla Kardan
Sunday, 5 June 2022
Layla could always feel that she was meant to be a performer. One day, she decided to make it happen... Layla Kardan knew her calling was to create music but there was always an obstacle in the way.One day Layla decided enough was enough and she WAS going to be a performer - that one conscious decision changed everything and she was performing on stage in a matter of days.We get to know Layla Kardan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured artist - Jara (bonus)
Saturday, 4 June 2022
Jara explains how she gets creative and the struggles she has being a woman on the rap scene. When you are passionate about music, how do you create your own incredible songs from scratch?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured artist - Jara
Saturday, 4 June 2022
Jara is breaking down barriers by becoming a female rapper from KSA. Jara's love for music blossomed while studying in Sweden. With no friends, family or community like Jara was used to having at home in Saudi Arabia, she turned to writing lyrics.Now Jara is creating art through her homemade music and incredible visuals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured artist - Molham
Friday, 3 June 2022
Molham is creating a new music genre taking over the region: A-Pop. Molham is a Saudi Citizen who spent a lot of time in Canada before moving to Dubai. He was big in the UAE's hip hop community before finding a new passion. Molham is the trailblazer of a new genre... Arabic pop.We talk to Molham about what goes in to creating the songs sweeping Arabic music lovers right now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Featured artist - Freek
Thursday, 2 June 2022
We're getting to know Freek during the month of March on RAS. First up, UAE-based Somalian rapper, Freek! Freek has always been into music and his passion for it started when he was about 13 years old. He spent time surrounded by other artists on Abu Dhabi's music scene which taught Freek his craft and was where he found the inspiration to create Arabic Hip Hop music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Flash CEO John Lickrish
Wednesday, 1 June 2022
We talk about our new platform with the big boss of Flash, John Lickrish. John Lickrish has been with Flash Entertainment since the days that this company was made up of only two people... Now Flash is the regions leading events company and John want's to create a platform to give back to the music scene of the UAE.James Everton talks to John about this new platform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On Virgin Radio today
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The Kris Fade Show6:00am - 10:00am
Kris, Priti and Rossi host the UAE's biggest radio show. It's full of fun, laughs and it's Where The Stars Live.
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Bassem YoussefOne of the most talked about comedians in the world takes over The Kris Fade Show. Watch the full interview here...