In Life and Love, DRAMA Still Believes In Magic

Words by Ray Mestad • Photos by Michael Salisbury

DRAMA  is a duo composed of singer Via Rosa and DJ / Producer Na’el Shehade who make the human condition their business. With a fascination for the flawed humanity that exists in drama, obsession, insecurity and judgement, DRAMA smiles in the chaos, accepts  and asks us to be better. On the surface it’s break-up music, but more than anything DRAMA is about people. 

Via and Na’el are an absurdly likeable pair, honest and understanding in conversation, effortlessly stylish (what they insist is an illusion, with behind-the-scenes stylists hard at work), and extremely down-to-earth. Via was raised on the road, the child of musicians. She was born in Texas, grew up in California, and eventually made the move to Chicago as an adult. Na’el is a born-and-raised Chicagoan, a house-head who was booking DJ gigs at 13 in neighborhoods like Wicker Park, receiving inspiration from city legends like Derrick Carter, DJ Heather, and Mark Grant. Inspired by Kanye’s Late Registration, he began producing and selling beats while in high school, beginning a career in hip-hop production with a studio and business of his own.  

Via and Na’el found each other through mutual friends at a time when both felt their individual music was stagnating. The outcome of their combined efforts became something bigger—DRAMA. A combo of Na’el’s house and Via’s powerful vocals and lyrics, the result is something not easily categorized but addictively listenable. Come for the dancing, stay for the feels. DRAMA is heavily influenced by world, international dance music,  particularly out of the Middle East from artists like Amr Diab. Via draws from the diversity of artists like Drake and David Bowie. She pours her thoughts onto the track, utilizing an unconventional writing method, rearranging poetry. “Na'el just told me to write whatever I want. I would write 3 minute poems, then he would be like, ‘this sounds like a chorus, and we’ll put this piece here, and this sounds like this, and he just started piecing it together.”

If the process sounds confusing, that’s because it was. Forging a unique path of their own wasn’t easy, and Na’el grants that, “we struggled at first, at times Via was very confused. She was worried it didn’t feel right. I was just like, it’s gonna sound great.“ Working in a new format, there were undeniable unknowns in Via’s mind. Looking back at the beginning process of what would become the incredible project Gallows, ”the first album I was really confused, I didn’t doubt anything because it was great, but I was just like oh man, I don’t know if people are going to like my voice over this stuff.” Via's fears proved unfounded, and DRAMA’s star flew sky high.  

For Via, it was all very new at first. She had always been a singer or rapper in the hip-hop world, making music with no intention of danceability, leaning towards experimental and DIY. “I never thought I would make music that people would dance to... when I started working with him, he was like ‘let’s make house music,’ and I was like ‘gah, I don’t even know how to do that’”. And yet, the transition wasn’t as unnatural as she thought, “I didn’t realize that a lot of my favorite songs from the 90’s were house music, like ‘Swing My Way’ and ‘You've Gotta Show Me Love’ and ‘Where You Go My Lovely’. All these songs, when I was kid I was like ‘this is so amazing!’ But I grew up and almost forgot about them.”

The formula has been a massive success so far. DRAMA has only been around since 2016 but are currently rocking well over 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Their first project Gallows was a massive success and critically acclaimed. And now Lies After Love is out, a robust, emotionally charged 5 song EP. As the title suggests, Lies After Love is a project about the delusions of romance, as universal a problem as any.

Via believes doubting the existence of love, creating one-dimensional fantasies out of fancies, and maintaining unrealistic expectations, are all forms of lying to one's self. “I don’t think anyone really knows what the definition of love is, and everybody has to create it for themselves. Just like how people create a world for themselves, you have to create what love is to you, with the other person you’re in love with. People don’t realize you have to fall to be in love. And people will hold back from falling.”

DRAMA attacks life with that same level of sincerity. The surface of their music may be relationship oriented but their philosophy extends far beyond that subject matter. As Via describes it, “The music is definitely heartbreak, sad music. But that’s just because that’s who we are, so essentially you’re getting to know us as people...music is one world, and we live in a lot of different worlds. DRAMA fits us because we’re very dramatic in everything we do, inside and outside of music. We have goals outside of just touring and wearing shiny clothes. Yeah, we do make this sad, emotional, dramatic music. But we also want to help people get through their sadness, and help people in other ways.”

One manifestation of this for DRAMA is an upcoming performance in Palestine. Na'el, who is Palestinian and Syrian, went to volunteer in Palestine's refugee camps. Someone who worked for another organization became a fan of DRAMA, knew Na'el had already done work there in the past and invited the crew back for a concert, which will be happening this year. But even the first time around, “I went to Palestine because of music. Music has taken me places I would have never thought. I could’ve gone there and donated money...but I went there to inspire, and to work with them on art, and production and music. Like, trust me, this is how the fuck you get out of here.”  The connections he made left a long lasting impression on the Na'el. “Working in a refugee camp, seeing these kids, happier than you and I. HAPPIER, even though the environment is shit."

That human connection is what DRAMA is all about. For Via, this is why the Palestine show is so meaningful to her. “When I first started doing shows, I was like, my first shows overseas, I don’t want it to be in a place that’s a whole bunch of rich people or a place that’s popular in the music scene, I wanna be someplace that's for regular people or people who don’t necessarily get to see live music all the time, but still love our music. I want to go there.” DRAMA is for everybody, and she sees no reason why her desires in this manner have to be neutral. Her passion is people, and people are everywhere. “I really want to show people the other side of what it’s like to be in this world. We’re artists with thoughts and opinions, we don’t shut up and sing the song and walk off stage. We discuss other things outside of heartbreak and all that. And we’re dramatic about it, we’re very serious, whether it’s food, or fighting for people, or being community based."

There's no doubt in Na'el's mind that he feels the same way.  His heritage, and bringing light to Palestinian occupation is a part of who he is. "To change things, to bring awareness. Make people feel a certain way...it's a feeling. Music is so powerful. That's the reason why I do it, because music does give me that voice." DRAMA is creating expression and action together. Whatever the situation, though, DRAMA is dancing through whatever life throws at them, and because of that Via's words and Na'el's movement have universal appeal. Everyone struggles, and everybody deserves a chance at getting through them. Put simply, “Love is hard. We make jams to say, ‘I get it’. Someone else understands my normal feelings, because they’re normal feelings.” Too true, and that’s why the music of DRAMA is so very special.