A&A BOARD INITIATIVES

XP Music Futures and the Advisors and Advocates (A&A) launched a number of initiatives in 2022 to help develop emerging artists, mobilize community influence, and support creative potential in the MENA region.

XP is dedicated to being an inclusive and representative platform for the MENA music industry. One way it ensures diversity is with the Board of Advocates and Advisors, who are appointed annually. The board members are the eyes and ears of XP; they advise on up-andcoming talent and programming, share their expertise through thought leadership pieces, and ensure XP grows its community in all the right ways. They help keep XP relevant. The diverse A&A board members offer insights, concepts, and guidance to create cohesive events by the people, for the people. The Advocates assist with outreach and understanding of communities. The Advisors help inform the programming and production and connect XP to major industry players worldwide to promote a sustainable global music community.

XP 2022 A&A Board of Advisors:

Marcela Rada, Audio Engineer, Educator

Arabian Prince, Artist, and Founder at Nov8 Next Open Labs

Natasha Stambul, General Manager at Transsnet Music Limited (Boomplay)

Jennifer Cochrane, CEO & Co-Founder of mental health and wellbeing non-profit Getahead

Narcy, Artist & Founding member of Arab voice in Hip-Hop

Karima Damir, Head of A&R And Marketing at Sony Music Middle East

XP 2022 A&A Board of Advocates:

Mohammed Bajbaa, Founder of Proud Angeles & Proud X Fashion Consultancy

JARA, One the first female rappers in Saudi Arabia

SPCEBOI, DJ and producer.

Hearful

An initiative that raises awareness about ear safety and tinnitus. Hearful offers education on tinnitus-preventative measures and hearing protection at music events.

Xp Series

A digital series that goes behind the scenes of the music industry. XP Series offers real-time coverage of industry professionals “on the job,” highlighting lesser-known professions, educating aspiring creatives, and celebrating unrecognized talent. Content categories span audio, visual, live, marketing, artist development, and technology.

Music Production From Zero To Hero

An intensive professional music production training course from A&A board memberMarcela Rada, a sound engineer and professor at the University of Lethbridge. Aspiring and emerging producers were invited to apply to participate in the course. More than 40 applications were received, and 28 places were filled for the three-day course held at XP Day

Xine

Paying homage to the history of self-published underground publications, the XChange Xine captures the spirit of XP. It is a comprehensive guide that includes XP’s manifesto and objectives, as well as summaries and outcomes from the XChange Workshops. The Xine raises awareness for the positive impact of XP on the music industry—profiling topics on diversity, gender equality, and social equity.

Respect And Reset

A social impact initiative created by XP in partnership with MDLBEAST that was launched as a part of a commitment to safe spaces. Respect and Reset aims to equip festival goers with the tools to identify, intervene and prevent harassment — as well as empower people to report any wrongdoing.

Xp Conversations

XP Conversations is a film series that interviews artists, bookers, agents, organizers, and individuals deeply involved in the music industry. The series highlights and explores their roles and contribution to the regional music scene. The interviews occur at international music conferences such as IMS in Ibiza and ADE, at Avantgarde, at the F1 in Jeddah, and at XChange workshops in Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah. In addition, the film series has a Youtube channel and is showcased on XP’s social media.

Storm Shaker Dj Competition

Storm Shaker is a yearly competition that allows DJs to submit their sets for a chance to perform at Soundstorm Festival. With creativity, style, technical ability, and story-telling in mind, applicants’ online submissions are assessed. Four finalists are selected to play live at XP Music Futures in front of a panel of music industry experts and veteran DJs. A finalist is selected to play at Soundstorm Festival. For the second year in a row, more than 400 DJs have shared their mixes, making Storm Shaker a platform for MDLBEAST to discover up-and-coming DJ talent in KSA and MENA.