Hamza Hawsawi Set to Headline The Fridge Live in Riyadh
On a stage in Riyadh’s JAX District, Saudi R&B artist Hamza Hawsawi delivered a performance that felt both like a culmination and a beginning. Headlining The Fridge’s “Concert Series KSA Season 1” over the weekend, Hawsawi brought more than a decade of musical evolution to an audience gathered in one of the capital’s most vibrant creative hubs.
His set followed “The Fridge Open Mic,” a dedicated evening that placed emerging artists on a professional stage to perform original material. Together, the two nights formed a snapshot of Riyadh’s growing music scene—one part discovery, one part celebration.
Why Open Mics Matter
For Hawsawi, who has spent 15 years developing his sound, the value of platforms like The Fridge extends beyond the performers who take the stage. “It is important because an open mic is an opportunity to get to know new artists,” he said during the event. “For industry professionals, like Fridge, it is an eye-opener to the scene, and it lets you understand how the scene is going, what kind of artists you’re gonna be dealing with in the future.”
From the artist’s perspective, the need is even more fundamental. “We do need open mics. We do need to be out there and to try different things, and to sing to different people, and to test our art and find out if people are gonna gravitate towards it or not.”
A Sound That Travels
Hawsawi’s own journey illustrates what such platforms can lead to. Blending R&B, soul, and pop, he has accumulated more than 33 million global views and collaborated with artists across the region and beyond. His track “Million Miles” was selected as the official anthem for the Rally Dakar. His live credits include MDLBeast and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix—stages that place him alongside international acts while carrying the flag for Saudi R&B.
Yet when asked whether he feels a responsibility to shape the genre in the Kingdom, Hawsawi offered a nuanced response. “Sometimes I feel that sense of responsibility,” he said. “Other times I feel like I’m just a human being trying to express my feelings… But we’re just artists at the end of the day.”
He acknowledged the tension between visibility and privacy that comes with being a pioneer. “Sometimes I embrace being a beacon for the genre. Other times I feel like I want to be low-key, and I don’t even want to be seen or heard.”
The Language Question
Hawsawi also reflected on a personal challenge: writing and performing primarily in English. In a country where Arabic is the language of daily life and cultural expression, choosing English for his art carries both creative and commercial implications. It opens doors to international audiences while requiring navigation of local expectations.
His willingness to discuss the choice, and to continue making it, reflects a broader characteristic of Saudi’s emerging creative class: a determination to follow artistic instincts while contributing to a scene still defining itself.
A Scene in Formation
The Fridge’s two-night program in JAX District offered a model for how a music scene grows. The open mic provided space for experimentation and discovery—artists testing material, audiences encountering something new. The headline show demonstrated where that process can lead, with a seasoned performer commanding the stage.
For the artists who took the mic on the first night, Hawsawi’s presence on the second was both inspiration and destination. For the audience, the progression from discovery to mastery was visible in a single weekend.
And for Hawsawi, standing on that stage in Riyadh, the moment carried its own weight. Fifteen years into his journey, he remains what he has always been: an artist, trying to express his feelings, hoping people gravitate toward the result. In JAX District, on that night, they did.
Also Read:
New Italy Migration Law Allows Naval Blockades on Migrant Ships
36 Dead and Thousands Homeless After Cyclone Gezani Hits Madagascar
