Music and passion mix to make a DJ

The Life: Hassan Alwan works as a consultant at Deloitte in Abu Dhabi during the week. But in his downtime he can be found DJing at venues across the Emirates.

Hassan Alwan he can be found DJing at venues across the Emirates.  Courtesy Hassan Alwan

During the week, Hassan Alwan is a consultant at the financial advisory and risk management company Deloitte in Abu Dhabi. But in his spare time he can be found acting as a DJ at venues across the Emirates.

When did you become a DJ?

I started in 2001, while I was living in Montreal. I have always been passionate about music. And then we were doing our own parties as well in the city, mostly underground nights. I was there for five years and then I moved to London … Then I moved back to Abu Dhabi about two or three years ago.

How often do you DJ?

At one point, I was doing it four or five times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday in Dubai. For a period of four or five months I had no life, really. I got to the point where I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and I thought "why am I pushing myself?" I leave music for the weekend now.

Have you ever thought of making a career of being a DJ?

When I was younger I did. Part of me still wants to. It's that dream that I never … I don't want to say didn't achieve, because I'm still doing it. My passion is more into producing music. So I work on that at the weekends. But why haven't I pursued it full time? It's an extremely competitive industry, and the ones that make it to the top can live off it, but the segment in the middle will struggle. I needed something to fall back on, which is why I did my bachelor's, master's and am working full time.

At what events do you DJ?

On the first Thursday of every month, we do a party called Elemental at Pearls & Caviar at the Shangri-La Hotel [in Abu Dhabi] … We're launching a new project in Dubai called The Loft WTC. It's where music meets art. A couple of us will be running the show. We pretty much have an ownership stake in it and it's this big loft space on Sheikh Zayed Road where we're going to bring in international artists, DJs, including myself and others.

So it's becoming a bit more like a business for you - not just a hobby that you make a bit of money with on the side?

Yes, definitely. There is money to be made in it. But that's not the reason I got into it. It's just another incentive, obviously. Music's the main reason.

* Gillian Duncan