Chicago-based, fiercely independent purveyors of deep grooves, DRAMA, are the latest to roll over to KCRW from the Coachella Valley. The duo composed of vocalist Via Rosa, and producer Na'el Shehade break down the full circle experience of taking the Gobi Tent stage for the first time on a Sunday night in 2023 after attending the fest as fans years prior:
“I was so emotional before I got on stage,” says Shehade. “I wanted to cry honestly. Because, nine years ago, I was at the festival with my brother looking on stage, and I was like, I want to be there one day. And with hard work, and perseverance it happened.”
With the group’s latest self-released single “Tighten It Up,” making a serious splash across the KCRW airwaves, Rosa and Shehade fill us in on a few of the songs that have shaped them — from Daft Punk’s hard-hitting electro anthem “Da Funk,” to the ultimate road trip vibes infused throughout Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.”
Catch DRAMA this Sunday night, Apr. 30, in Coachella’s Gobi Tent.
Daft Punk – “Da Funk”
Na'el Shehade: “This is one of my favorite records of all time, I think it’s probably one of the best records ever produced. They’re using a 303 drum machine to get their sound which is so minimal. It’s an important record from my childhood, and it helped craft the producer I am now. And the music video is amazing.”
Miriam Makeba – “Chove-Chuva”
Via Rosa: “I love this song so much. My dad used to listen to a lot of Miriam Makeba growing up, and my name means rain. So I just really love the idea of a song about rain, and I love bossa nova. She’s from Africa, but she's singing in Portuguese and like usually with bossa nova music, everyone's voice is soft, and low. But she sings it with so much passion that it just blows me away. I've been cooking to this song for years.”
Siibii – “Yoy”
Via Rosa: “I found this artist on Tik Tok. They’re an Indigenous artist from Canada, but they’ve been getting a lot of publicity on Native American platforms. I just love their voice, and their writing is beautiful. I really, really love their writing.”
Phil Collins – “In the Air Tonight”
Na'el Shehade: “Everybody knows that this is the best song for driving into the desert. One of the main reasons is because of that long intro. It's a three and a half minute long intro, and artists these days would never do that. But this is a classic record that’s been around for at least 40 years.
So I want this record to encourage artists to just make music, and not worry about what record labels are saying to you. I feel like everyone needs to be riding into the desert to this song, and making music like this. It's okay.”