Bu Kulthom from ‘Dumya Bilaa Khie9aan’ Release Party

Back in September, Syrian artist and producer Bu Kolthoum released his fourth full-length album, ‘Dumya Bilaa Khie9aan’ (Puppet Without Strings). The album saw him fully dive into inner space, exploring a sound he has been honing for quite some time. Departing from his hip-hop roots, Bu Kolthoum leaned toward more melodic arrangements and vocals, delivering a heartfelt record with polished production, intimate songwriting, and careful curation. The result is a cohesive body of work that could arguably be his best and most ambitious record to date. On this album, Bu refined his skill set as both a rapper and a producer, introducing a more vulnerable and mature version of himself.

Following the album’s release, Bu Kolthoum debuted the project live through a series of performances in his city of residence, Amsterdam, where he brought the album to Western audiences and the Arabic diaspora alike.

We caught up with Bu Kolthoum backstage at his performance at Melkweg. He opened up about his experiences performing in the West and how his music is perceived there. He shared how significant this album release concert was for him, explaining that he now feels a deeper connection with his audience, especially compared to his earlier performances. At those shows, the crowd was not predominantly Arabic, and he struggled to resonate with them in the same way.

Bu Kolthoum also gave us insight into his personal rituals before stepping on stage and how he gets in the right mindset before facing the music.

Watch the full interview below: