DJ Chloe Kteily: From Beirut nightlife to international stages

“I was always crazy about music, I learned the piano, oud, and singing in the conservatory. Whenever I’m happy or sad, getting dressed, in the car, there’s music playing in the background. It’s my number 1 therapy”. DJ Chloe Kteily is a Lebanese DJ who’s become famous for her vibrant presence on stage, her good looks, natural charm, and her integration of Lebanese and Oriental music.

A global stage

The Beiruter spoke with her upon her return from a party in Limassol Cyprus. Chloe is satisfied with the outcome. “I receive a different type of success from every party I do, every time feels like the first time. I met new people, and experienced new cultures and cities”, says Chloe. In overseas parties, they crave Lebanese music, which explains the high energy and interaction. “How come a Lebanese DJ travels all over?”. They were surprised that for the first time there was a Lebanese night with a DJ in Larnaca.

At the start of her pursuit, her family tried to dissuade her seeing as we come from a conservative country. “My parents were scared for me, and the nightlife industry tempts you to veer off the straight and narrow”. They didn’t let her DJ, so she had to resort to extreme measures. She got into a fight with her folks and ended up taking her dad with her to parties. Eventually, she got promoted to bringing her brother along. To this day, he is her partner at parties and functions.

A star is born

Chloe got into the field by coincidence. She met a DJ who became a friend and it clicked instantly. She worked hard and learned the house genre of music, then moved to R&B, commercial, and Lebanese. However, it was Oriental and Lebanese music, and a combination of things that put Chloe on the map.

Raw, the club where she worked, gave great exposure to the DJ. Her stage presence was powerful, lively and highly interactive. Furthermore, Chloe has a background in Marketing and Advertising, and a master’s from the Lebanese University’s Faculty of Information and Documentation.

Her education is an asset that allowed her to ponder and discover a lack in the market. There was no female DJ combining Oriental music, stage presence and strong social media influence. While she was in university, she pursued it and created the perfect opportunity.

But talent alone wasn’t enough. Chloe approached DJing as a business. She borrowed money from her mother to buy a machine, headset and speaker, which she later rented out. She used to rack her brain for ways to achieve financial freedom. “In work, it allows you to say no to things you don’t want. Club parties and opportunities you don’t see yourself in. The market can only harm you if you need the money”, shares Chloe. She invested in her career, her appearance, a laptop, got a newer machine, and promoted her work on Instagram.

“I always think I’m at the peak of my artistry, then comes another achievement to topple it”, says Chloe. She made it big when she started DJing abroad, targeting niche clientele. In the United Arab Emirates, she held her own in concerts with Amr Diab. “In Egypt, I had 43,000 people standing in front of me at a concert with Amr Diab. We made the perfect combination”.

She expanded from concerts and events to corporate events and private ladies’ parties in the Gulf. “I didn’t stop at Lebanese music, I learned Khaleeji, Egyptian, Kuwaiti and Saudi, integrating them to each market. I thought globally and acted regionally”. She attributes her breakthrough as an artist to her background in management.

More than meets the eye

On stage, Chloe gives off an image that is strong, fierce, and fearless. Offstage, she describes herself as affectionate and deeply emotional. The public and even people she works with wouldn’t guess that. She’s a professional and goes straight to the point. “It’s out of the question that anyone makes a mistake since I hold myself to that standard”. When she’s in a business meeting, Chloe has strong opinions, so firm that when they see her laughing, they would say: “oh you laugh, you’re easy-going?”

She knows what she wants and knows her worth. “I’ve been working for a long time to reach my dream, not only as a DJ. The process doesn’t require emotions, it needs planning and a strategic mindset”, admits Chloe.

As an attractive DJ, she gets her fair share of admirers. Her parents, like many others, used to think she’d be bombarded with harassment, which is not the case. Limited access to her and bodyguards keep fans at bay. “If I’m asked about something I don’t want to discuss like my love life, I use the words “ma khassak” and it ends there”.

Her ticket is adaptability

A combination of many elements led to Chloe’s success. None more so than flexibility. She’s skilled at reading the crowd and adapting to what it wants at each party. “Sometimes you’ve got something prepared and you’re faced with a group that’s totally different. If you stick to it and don’t adapt, your set will be a flop”.

On occasion, they request a purely international performance. If the DJ was not flexible, he or she could say: “No I only play Oriental music”, and the opportunity will pass him by. “In the GCC, some corporate events request international dance music. In private ladies’ parties, I play only Khaliji music with hits they like”.

If a song works with her playlist, she accepts special requests at parties. Some DJs take it personally. Chloe merely puts herself in people’s shoes. “You would get excited and tell your friends at a club: “Get up this is my jam!” That energy helps the DJ. I feel I’m delivering a feeling, an experience”.

Music is her vehicle and her talent.  Her love for it ignited when she sang as a kid. Apart from her parents being against singing as a career, they always supported her indirectly, which is what built her confidence, eliminated fear, and molded her stage personality. “When we had a family affair like a Palm Sunday lunch, they’d bring a mic and say: “Chloe ra7 twallii el jaw”, “Chloe will bring down the house”. And she did.

Chloe has big plans in the works. The nearest step is to widen her territory and release her own tracks that highlight her identity. Over time, she grew to love Oriental music. “I love to spread Lebanese music and showcase my identity as a Lebanese female DJ in the Arab world who grew to international stardom. My efforts will only multiply, if God gives me the health and wellbeing to go on, then I definitely will. That’s the only thing that can stop me”.