Meet the TikToker Bringing Arab Dance-Offs to Pre-Party Rituals
When Rama Nazha's TikToks first appeared on my For You page, it felt like an algorithmic stroke of luck. At the time, I was caught in a kind of cultural limbo - missing the pace and familiarity of London while basking in the warmth and rhythm of the Arab world. Her videos seemed to fuse the two worlds effortlessly: London edge with unmistakable Arab flair. I knew I had to reach out and chat to her about her newfound fame, teaching the world not only about Arab music, but how to dance to it. With energy so inviting, you can binge watch her videos, with a pre-drink in hand, and just by watching it you feel a part of girls night.
You've probably seen her videos. A brightly lit bathroom, a killer Arab track, and a group of girls getting ready like they're about to headline Coachella. But behind the camera? A cultural mixtape - Syria, Lebanon, and London all in perfect sync, and has already hooked 80,000 listeners. Nazha was born in Syria and moved to Lebanon in 2011, at the height of the war. Her path then took her to the University of Surrey, and eventually to London - 'Hampshire wasn't the vibe,' she laughed. She studied media and communications, which, looking at her page now, feels almost prophetic.
While her mother plugged her into niche Arab sounds from day one, it wasn't until Nazha landed in London, almost 20 years later, that she started to dance. It's what keeps her videos both grounded and global: 'They're this hybrid of Arab-coded, London-coded vibe which so many people can relate to part of it, but then they also want to know the other part.' It's like she's crafted a cultural remix that feels familiar enough to pull you in, but fresh enough to make you want to stick around and learn more moves.
Long before the title 'Arab-pop ambassador of TikTok', there was just a girl, a mirror, and a great playlist. 'I used to post a lot with Arab music. People kept commenting, 'your music taste is wild,' or 'what even is this, I need more.' So one day, my friend was getting ready in my bathroom, I put on a playlist, and I thought - let's just film it.' That spontaneous video? It exploded. Since then, Nazha's account has become a safe space for Arabic music lovers and curious ears alike. She didn't set out to be a cultural conduit, but that's exactly what's happened. 'People from the US, Canada, and South America are DMing me, 'I don't understand the lyrics, but I need this playlist.' Or asking me to write song names in English letters.' And Arab artists are noticing too. Saint Levant, Eliana, and others have already shown love. She confessed all too casually that, 'Saint Levant loves the videos, he is so sweet, an angel'.
I asked her what the next iteration might look like - kitchen dance-offs, maybe even some balcony serenades. She didn't hesitate, 'Absolutely,' she grins. 'I've already dragged the girls to an Arab night here in London. We had the coin belts out, my friend was cooking - it was a whole thing.' The point is clear: you don't need to be in a traditional Arab setting to move to the music. Culture, for Rama, isn't confined to geography or decor. It lives just as loudly in a Hackney flat with tea brewing in the kettle as it does at a wedding in Beirut. Music is the one language that knows no borders, and Rama's the stamp that proves it.
What was once a personal ritual, like the Henna nights she watched growing up in Syria, is now a universal one. 'Those nights were everything. All the aunties, the music, the dancing, the getting ready. I wanted that here, but I didn't have a big group of Arab girlfriends.' So, she made her own community. Her friends may not speak Arabic, but they dance like they do. With playlists called 'Introducing my bestie to my fave Arabic songs' and 'THE Arabic playlist,' which feature artists from Eliana to Umm Kulthum and have over 13,000 likes, it's clear Rama isn't just curating music - she's curating a movement.
Upon my eventual return to London, I'm at peace now I know that an Arab night is right around the corner - because thanks to people like Rama, diaspora isn't a distance, it's a playlist.
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