Ladies — think you can’t party on a Sunday night in Dubai? DJ Alexis Nohra is here to tell you otherwise.
A music aficionado, Nohra has been spinning records around the world since the mid-1990s, hopping between America, France, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Jordan and his home country, Lebanon.
Now, he’s the resident DJ at Maya Mexican Kitchen and Lounge at Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort. With a beach backdrop and a terrace setting already in place on Senorita Sundays, his toe-tapping Latin tunes are the cherry on top of a successful night out.
Curious? Get to know all about the man behind the decks here.
To start things off, tell us a little bit about your style.
I like to think that when people listen to my music they get taken on a journey; a journey during which gears are shifted and a variety of house genres are explored. Put simply, it’s house with a twist.
What was your day job before DJing — and what finally made you pursue a career in music full time?
I’ve always enjoyed collecting music — vinyl, cassettes and CDs — since a very early age. I graduated university with a BA in Finance and Accounting and started a 9am-5pm job at a bank. However, I found it very hard to sit behind a desk, day in, day out, and soon realised that this really wasn’t what was going to make me happy in life. Soon after, I started working at a very popular music shop in Beirut and from there I fell into DJing and just knew immediately that this was my calling in life.
How do you come down, energy-wise, after a full night of DJing — especially on weekends when you’re on until 2am?
Playing all night does sometimes get a little tiring, however, as long as the crowd is enjoying the music and having a blast, then I always feel I can play for another four hours! To be in this line of work, you really have to love what you do. It’s so much more than just a job; it’s a way of life.
What’s the recipe for a perfect night out?
A perfect night out for me would include grabbing a light dinner and then going to a club or bar and just dancing, dancing, dancing and not stopping until the lights come on at the end of the night! The perfect start to any weekend.
What distinguishes the Dubai music scene from the music scene in your hometown, Beirut?
The crowd in Dubai is very diversified. Dubai is such a multicultural place, so many nationalities, music tastes and so many people who just love music, which as a DJ in Dubai is great to see. The challenge can be catering to the different tastes and making sure that you play tunes that resonate with the crowd, so that they all leave at the end of the evening smiling and happy.
Last but not least — what’s your biggest pet peeve as a DJ?
As a DJ, freedom — a certain level of artistic freedom — is really important. I’m sure most DJs will agree with me that it’s really important to have the autonomy to play the songs that you like and the ones that you know the crowd are going to love, too.
Senorita Sundays are held until 2am. Women who arrive between 7-10pm get three free drinks from the senorita menu. For more information, call 04-3165550.
