AMMAN — Finding themselves in a music scene consisting
mostly of what they describe as “commercial and dark music,” House of Afandi
(HOF) strove to stand out as a local hub for disco, funk, house and jazz music.
اضافة اعلان
Collaborating since 2019, the members that make up the
collective are more than mere colleagues; they describe themselves as a family
of nine: Karam Risheg, Jakob Hidmi, Oun Jweinat, Babers Abu Dayyeh, Faris
Nazzal, Kareem Masri, Kareem Abulrub, Rami HR and Hamzeh Alsheikh.
The music collective turned record label was founded by
Karam Risheg, a local DJ and music manager, who, after a decade in the
industry, decided he wanted to do more than just DJ.
“I like the idea of an outcast. I didn’t want to be just a
follower, which is what being a DJ here in Jordan seemed to me,” says Risheg.
Driven by rhythm and ambition, he played around with the
idea until he found his sound, which would later become the defining sound of
HOF.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have that much happy sounds in
Jordan. Everything is either extremely commercial or extremely dark,” he told
Jordan News in a recent interview.
Scrolling through Instagram, Risheg came across a video
posted by Boiler Room for a French DJ called Folamour.
“They were saying that it was one of the greatest moments in
Boiler Room history. He was playing Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! by Abba. And I just
had to watch the entire set. I fell in love with it. I fell in love with his
music. And I started listening more to disco, funk and house. And I was like:
yes! This perfectly represents the sound that I’m going for. And I went ahead
with it,” Risheg recalled.
As Risheg began experimenting with this new sound in
different venues around Amman, he found that the audiences are responding well
to, so he took it a step further and started HOF.
In less than two years, the collective built a network of
musicians and a decent following.
According to the members, “little moments” are what makes
HOF what it is, from group dinners to collaborative EP’s to dancing to Disco
Arabesquo as he spins a disc with one hand and eats 'arayes' with the other.
“I think what really makes us different is that we are all
in sync, but at the same time, everyone has their own thing,” Risheg said.
Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, Risheg says HOF was
still able to grow, as the crisis “brought the entire music industry together.”
“The goal was no longer money or fame; it was to feel less
alone and to get through these times together,” according to the founder.
“We introduced a podcast and we started collaborating with
artists such as Habibi Funk, Dar Disku, and DJ Seinfeld,” the musician told
Jordan News.
“I would describe House of Afandi as more of a movement.
Initially, the whole point was to create a safe space for everyone to just feel
relaxed and express themselves. … We want to share these memories with everyone
and we don’t have any rules,” Risheg said.
In the future, HOF plans to grow the collective and the
label to shed light on other talents and sounds in the region.
“I believe in the music that’s coming out from the region
and it deserves to be heard. We have sensational talents that aren’t getting
the recognition that they deserve,” Risheg said.
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