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Las Vegas DJ putting on Christmas show at Nanaimo pub

KnowleDJ spins at the Old City Station Pub on Dec. 23
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Las Vegas DJ Will Ramadan, who goes professionally as KnowleDJ, will play Nanaimo’s Old City Station Pub on Dec. 23. (Submitted photo)

A world-renowned DJ who has toured internationally with the Backstreet Boys, Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey will make a stop in Nanaimo for the holidays.

Will Ramadan, who is known professionally as KnowleDJ, will host a Christmas show at the Old City Station Pub this Friday, Dec. 23.

The Las Vegas DJ said the last time he was on the Island was early 2017 for a Vancouver Island University event.

“I love the Island. It’s legit one of my favourite places,” he said. “And I’ve been a lot of places.”

In his Canadian Christmas tour, the DJ, who attended the University of British Columbia before getting into music, said he will also be playing several shows in Vancouver as he visits his folks for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

When touring with Mariah Carey in 2018, Ramadan said he was inspired to create his own holiday mix, which has since been updated with Backstreet Boys remixes from the Christmas themed album they released in October. The DJ and his partner, Amber Michelle, an award-winning pianist who goes by PCoK professionally, also launched their own rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas earlier this month.

Outside of touring the world, Ramadan said he is a big advocate for refugees and routinely hosts fundraisers.

“I’m always trying to use my musical voice to create a voice for people that don’t have one … That’s really my goal going into ‘23 … As much as I love doing clubs and festivals and concerts, I’m really focusing my music internationally,” he said.

A recent project of Ramadan’s is helping photographer Younis Alharaki, a Syrian refugee at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, whose camera and gear were stolen, causing the photographer to lose his livelihood. There is an online fundraiser for Alharaki, as organized by Ramadan, on the crowdfunding platform www.gofundme.com.

Instead of simply purchasing new equipment for him, the DJ said fundraising would also help raise awareness about the refugee camp.

“[Alharaki] is simultaneously creating awareness but also doing stuff for his community.”

The Nanaimo show will have the “same vibe” as KnowleDJ’s regular sets, but with a bit more seasonal flair.

“I love doing holiday stuff … It’s always fun to change it up in just such a way to add that festivity to my regular set … I’m the kind of guy that loves going with the crowd. So, if they’re young and they want those EDM bangers, boom, let’s go. But I like to throw it back a little bit with some classics – remix some classics. I try to make something fun for everybody.”

KnowleDJ’s only Vancouver Island show takes place at the Old City Station Pub on Dec. 23, starting at 9:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.ca.

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mandy.moraes@nanaimobulletin.com

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Mandy Moraes

About the Author: Mandy Moraes

I joined Black Press Media in 2020 as a multimedia reporter for the Parksville Qualicum Beach News, and transferred to the News Bulletin in 2022
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