By: Yomna Walid
Alexandria-born DJ and producer Rafik Salama, known professionally as DJ Roofy&rsquo;s, has been named NileFM&rsquo;s DJ of the Week, , a recognition that highlights a steadily evolving career rooted in passion and persistence.
Roofy&rsquo;s began his musical journey at the age of eight, first picking up a guitar before later gravitating towards electronic music and DJing. What started as a personal passion soon evolved into a professional pursuit, driven by what he describes as music&rsquo;s power to connect people.
Based in Alexandria, Roofy&rsquo;s went on to study sound design, refining a style that blends high-energy rhythms with narrative-driven sets. His performances are known for their emotional intensity, aiming not just to move dance floors but to tell stories through sound.
In a conversation with NileFM, Roofy&rsquo;s reflected on the challenges of carving out a space in the music industry, the discipline required to turn passion into a profession, and the creative vision that continues to shape his work.
Let&rsquo;s start from the beginning. Who is Rafik Salama beyond the DJ booth? I&rsquo;m Rafik Salama, a musician at heart. I fell in love with music at the age of eight when I started playing guitar, that&rsquo;s where I first understood how powerful sound and emotion can be. In my 20&rsquo;s, I discovered house music, and it instantly connected with me. The energy, the groove, the feeling, it made me realize I didn&rsquo;t just want to listen to music, I wanted to create moments with it. That&rsquo;s when I decided to become a DJ and follow this path seriously.
<a href="https://ibb.co/zp1nvYv"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/DhNV2y2/1.png" alt="1" border="0" /></a> What inspired you to become a DJ? Was there a specific moment, artist, or experience that pushed you toward this path? It wasn&rsquo;t one single moment. It was a feeling. The first time I saw how a DJ could control the entire mood of a room. How one transition could change hundreds of people&rsquo;s emotions at once, that power fascinated me. House music especially made me feel something spiritual. It wasn&rsquo;t just beats; it was connection. Why did you choose the stage name DJ Roofy&rsquo;s, and what does it represent for you? That was always my nickname in middle school, and I think it&rsquo;s very catchy, and no one in the scene got this name, so definitely that was my choice; people these days don&rsquo;t know my real name. How did you feel when you were named NileFM&rsquo;s DJ of the Week? What does this recognition mean to you at this stage of your journey? It honestly felt exciting. NileFM is a big name radio station, so the opportunity meant a lot to me. It pushed me to say, Let&rsquo;s do it! Your music often feels emotional and deeply connected to the listener. How do you create sets that resonate with the soul? I don&rsquo;t just mix tracks. I build journeys If I don&rsquo;t feel goosebumps while preparing a transition, I won&rsquo;t play it. Energy first, technique second!
<a href="https://ibb.co/C5Ws8cWV"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/xS38Lk3z/2.png" alt="2" border="0" /></a> Every creative journey comes with obstacles. What have been the biggest challenges you&rsquo;ve faced as a DJ, and how did you overcome them? Definitely one of the biggest challenges was getting recognized in Egypt, specifically in Cairo. Promoters here often believe in DJs who already bring a big crowd, whether they play good music or not. Being born and raised in Alexandria made it even more challenging for me to build a following in Cairo. It&rsquo;s not just about talent here; it&rsquo;s about visibility, connections, and proving yourself over and over again. But that challenge pushed me to work harder, stay consistent, and let the music speak until people started listening. Many people see DJing as a passion project before it becomes a career. When did you realize this wasn&rsquo;t just a hobby but your true profession? The moment I realized I was thinking about music 24/7. When gigs weren&rsquo;t &ldquo;fun nights&rdquo; anymore, they were responsibilities. When I started investing in my craft seriously, equipment, branding, and networking. That&rsquo;s when it became a profession. Walk us through your creative process. How do you prepare your set before going live or performing for a crowd? Before going live, I don&rsquo;t really deal with fear; performing has never been intimidating for me. As a guitarist, I&rsquo;ve played in front of crowds of over 1,000 people, so being on stage feels natural. When I transitioned into DJing, mixing itself felt easy. What matters more to me isn&rsquo;t the technical side; it&rsquo;s the energy. I focus on reading the crowd, building a journey, and creating moments that people will remember. What can the NileFM audience expect from your sound? Any surprises you&rsquo;re planning for listeners? NileFM should expect a fresh set, which I really recorded with passion and heart dancing. The music industry is constantly evolving. How do you stay fresh and continue developing your style while keeping your signature identity? I listen outside my genre. I study sound design. I watch how global DJs evolve. But I always ask! Does this still sound like Roofy&rsquo;s? If the answer is no, I don&rsquo;t play it. Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring DJs who want to turn their love for music into a successful career? Don&rsquo;t chase fame; chase skill. Don&rsquo;t copy trends; build identity. And most importantly, learn to read energy, not just BPM. The crowd doesn&rsquo;t remember transitions. They remember how you made them feel.
<a href="https://ibb.co/8gTrHdK3"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/MkWcmG2T/3.png" alt="3" border="0" /></a> Photo Credit: Roofy&rsquo;s official page
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