ALULA: American DJ, producer and rapper Swizz Beatz performed at AlUla on Wheels this weekend, hosting a listening party from a DJ dome overlooking the temporarily-installed roller-skating rink.
“Shoutout to the Good Intentions movement in the building, my partner Noor — everybody here. We did this in, like, two weeks. This is the Saudi way. The Saudi way is ‘Tomorrow.’ We got a compilation coming out called ‘Moya,’ and we are going to play some exclusives off of that album. I have one request: If you know how to skate — go on the dance floor and skate,” Swizz Beatz told the crowd.
Good Intentions is a Saudi-based creative consultancy launched in partnership with Swizz Beatz and Noor Taher.
For the last several weekends, an abandoned outdoor school playground in AlUla was used to educate locals and visitors, both young and old, about the importance of movement and incorporating sound into their spaces. Fittingly, the album’s name, “Moya” — which means ‘water’ in Arabic — also has to do with flow and movement.
The space houses disco balls, neon lights in the shape of a camel and a DJ dome. It has brought in overseas visitors alongside local residents exploring what was on offer in their own backyard.
“I heard about this event from Snapchat, and it is honestly seems very fun,” local resident Fayz Alqaeetiu told Arab News with a laugh. “This is my second time coming … I came last week but haven’t skated yet, I just like to support everyone. I’ll try to skate, perhaps, sometime in the future.”
His friend, Swilem Al-Blwie is also native to AlUla and they both attended a school not far from the venue.
“AlUla is known for its culture and history and it really changed a lot recently. Now, we have festivals and events. It’s the forefront of tourism in Saudi Arabia and it’s the face that represents the Arab and Islamic world. The skating rink is one of the best activities offered this season. I’ll hopefully learn how to skate one day, God willing,” Al-Blwie said.
Saudi’s REXCHOUK, known as Rex, was there wearing his signature “scream mask” to conceal his identity. The NYC-educated artist, who created the mural that served as the backdrop for the skating rink, is well-established in the Saudi art scene and his vibrant Saudi-centric art and use of color set the mood in a humorous and locally relevant way.
“This artwork is inspired by AlUla. It was inspired by skating, inspired by music, by disco, inspired by Swizz Beats and the type of music that he’s going to bring here, and also the release party for the ‘Moya’ album. I love hip-hop, so when I heard this was going to be here, I was like, ‘Yeah, I have to be there!’ The artwork is inspired by everything that we’re gonna go through and experience this weekend,” Rex told Arab News.
This event and the upcoming album were created in close collaboration with the Kabsa Boys, Adel Al-Ghamdi, Terki Shalhoub and Mohammed Al-Shamsi of the popular ‘Pass the Kabsa’ podcast.
‘Moya,’ which was played in public for the first time at the rink, was co-produced by Saudi’s Nawaf Alalyan — aka Ntitled — and other Saudi artists whose names have not yet been revealed.
Swizz Beatz also served as a producer. The album is currently being finalized and should be released soon.
Taher was delighted with the results of the collision of subcultures and combination of Eastern sensibilities and Western practices that make up AlUla on Wheels.
“I was surprised that people stepped out of their comfort zone. I saw walls being broken down. I saw a community be engaged. I saw a grandfather dance to hip-hop and watch his grandson skate. I saw women fall and laugh and get back up. I saw little girls doing loops around older adults. I saw confidence in kids. I saw just what this was all about. It really is about movement, freedom, wonder, and music and it’s amazing we got to bring it to AlUla. I can’t wait to bring it to other cities,” said Taher.
“This is the first project that Good Intentions really directed, managed, and curated. And I’m super-proud about the impact. Skating is a love of Swizz’s and I honestly can’t say that I shared it, but just being here opened my eyes,” she said. “I get it, I get it now.”
According to experiencealula.com, AlUla on Wheels will return on Oct. 27.
