DJ Saif and Sound lives to be an entertainer.
Whether he’s cycling through the hottest tracks on Radio 1 (weekdays from 7pm) or spinning behind the decks at People by Crystal in Abu Dhabi (he’s the host for the club’s Revival nights, every Friday), he does what he does for one simple reason: to make people smile.
“It makes me happy,” he admits to tabloid!. “This is what I love about the job.”
The job is something he’s been doing for roughly ten years now. But his passion for it hasn’t faded over time. He tells tabloid! what his weekly Revival set is all about, and, crucially, which ’90s boybands left the biggest impression on him.
First things first. What can people expect from your set at People by Crystal in Abu Dhabi?
My sets are unexpected depending on the crowd I am playing for. On a Friday at People by Crystal in Abu Dhabi, I might start my set with a song by Chris Brown, then drop a song by Stevie Wonder, then another one by Bob Marley and then back to something new age like Tyga or Iggy Azalea. It is an open format set, and being a Revival night, I play a mix of old school and new school music.
Tell us all about what you were listening to in the ’80s and ’90s. Were you a massive fan of one particular band or a musician when you were younger?
It’s funny but I am a ’90s child. However, that does not mean that I did not grow up listening to old-school music from the ’80s. Being a hip hop head, I grew up listening to Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. They are the ones who influenced my musical phase. I also was a fan of NSYNC, Blue and Backstreet Boys — those were my favourite bands that I was into.
Do you remember the first album you bought?
The first album I ever bought was II by Boyz II Men as I loved their song Water Runs Dry. I literally purchased that album for this one song and while listening to their album I fell in love with all their other tracks.
What are some of the hottest tracks on your set right now?
Current hottest tracks are Shaggy and Mohamdi, Habibi Love; Silento, Watch Me; P Square, Shekini; Fetty Wap, Trap Queen; and Tyga ft Chris Brown, Ayo. There are also some classic songs that are still considered to be hot for example Montell Jordan, This is How We Do It, Will Smith, Getting Jiggy with It and Notorious B.I.G, Nasty Girl.
What’s one of your earliest memories as a DJ?
Hassling people to get free gigs and prove myself to get out there. I used to spend my days downloading heaps of music and burning them on CDs to have an entire music collection.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to the younger you when you were first starting out behind the decks?
Never say no to any opportunity. Never, ever, ever! Even if you feel like you cannot do it, go ahead and learn how to do it. Every experience is an experience to be learnt from.
What’s your biggest pet peeve as a DJ?
My biggest pet peeve is the fact that people come up to me while am working and start a conversation while I am on deck duty.
Can you tell us how and when you came up with the name ‘Saif and Sound’?
When I first started off as an RJ, my manager came up with the phrase ‘Safe and Sound’ and jokingly suggested I should use it. I loved the pun as my name is Saif and decided to stick with it.
To RSVP, call 050-8269698. Complimentary beverages for ladies all night.
