Spotlight: A Morning with Saint Levant
Forget the bold and boisterous persona of Saint Levant that you see on Instagram, in music videos, and on stage, Marwan Abdelhamid is really just your average 23-year-old guy. What I thought would be a rushed interview turned out to be like a chat with a mate at school.
Image courtesy of @saintlevant on Instagram.
“I do everything from the bottom of my heart. I don’t think of myself as carrying Palestine on my back; I just make music and it happens to be a reflection of myself.”
“I thought we were just vibing”, says Abdelhamid who admits he’s just rolled out of bed to join the Zoom call. This is the first thing that’s striking about the 23-year-old to me: his manager schedules in ‘just vibing’ with other Palestinian creatives into what already seems to be a busy workload. Although this did surprise me at first, it simultaneously felt expected considering his history of supporting Palestinians in the MENA region and diaspora.
We talk briefly about this, reflecting on his first start up that connected Palestinians in the diaspora to business opportunities during his time as a university student. ‘We failed, and that’s ok’ he says. Nowadays, with his foundation ‘2048’, the young musician has been offering a fellowship, whereby he covers living costs for a Palestinian creative in the diaspora. This seems to be the topic Abdelhamid seems most passionate about talking about (“ask me about that, I’m super passionate about it”) - the second being his breakfast of pain au chocolat and coffee that his friends - who double as colleagues - bring back to the Parisian apartment towards the end of our conversation. Casually, he introduces me to his friends, before proceeding to show me the baked goods they brought back.
The musician wears a Dior t-shirt that he reveals was gifted to him by the brand, which, alongside attending their fashion shows, I assume is one of the perks of being the face of Dior Men Beauty in the Middle East. “I don’t really like it - which is why I wear it as a pyjama top,” he casually admits. Alongside this, he also reveals that the atmosphere at fashion shows (including Loewe and Yves Saint Laurent) aren’t his favourite. When I ask about working with brands and attending shows he and his friends laugh, saying that the whole experience is a bit ‘political’. “I’ve built a really good relationship with Dior, but I’m a musician and I got caught up in it. This year I’m going to focus less on that and more on the music.”
The Palestinian-Algerian-Serbian-French musician admitted to the GQ Middle East at the end of 2023 - in the article that profiles him as one of the magazine’s men of the year - that he’s currently influenced musically by North African music and heritage, which for us, may mean new musical sounds to the rap fusion we normally hear. During our conversation, he reveals that his next song will be with MC Abdul, a fifteen-year-old rapper from Gaza. A few months after our talk the song was released, and the growing North African influence he promised is evidently heard.
“To be honest, even though it sounds cheesy I do everything from the bottom of my heart. I don’t think of myself as carrying Palestine on my back; I just make music and it happens to be a reflection of myself. As musicians, what we try to do is to get to the most authentic version of ourselves.” The eclectic sound of French, Arabic, and English (the three languages that the musician is fluent in) heard in Saint Levant’s music can be applied to the sporadic nature of his style. Earlier in his career, the musician’s approach to style was influenced more by streetwear, and notably bucket hats. Abdelhamid’s Nails music video (notoriously featuring Mia Khalifa) saw Saint Levant’s style become a melting pot of references and aesthetics, including Harry Styles-esque silhouettes combined with bold and bright colours reminiscent of the textiles and architecture across the Middle East and North Africa. On stage, a more pared back look is achieved, with vests considered a staple. Later, he says, “I’m really into turtlenecks and suits right now - I’m in Paris so it makes sense”.
Despite his bold stylistic choices - which he decides on with stylists - Abdelhamid is incredibly critical of his style. “Last year I was more into patterns, this year I’m more into muted tones. Everyday I’m trying to get better at different combinations, layering, and accessories. I’m still learning; when I look back at the Nails music video I feel like I was styled horribly.” That’s one thing that both the stage name Saint Levant and the just-vibing Abdelhamid seem to share: their opinionated attitude. He continues to reflect on his fashion, talking about his recent collaboration with Studio Tintein, a wardrobe styling and creative direction company ran by sisters Mona and Aisha Khalaf. “I love working with Arab women. Arab women feel like home to me,” he says, “MC Abdul and I were styled by Studio TinTein, and it was a beautiful experience. For me, styling its very important, it’s a visual presentation.” The musician goes on to mention contemporary fashion label Rastah, founded by his friend Zain Ahmad, as a past collaborator.
When it comes to Palestinians, Abdelhamid suggests that he’s not out of reach. I admit to him that I considered reaching out before but assumed that there would be no reply, and he automatically gestures gun shots in a joking, proved-you-wrong way. “When it comes to Palestinians, I obviously have an affinity with that. We need more of us in this industry and I want to help”. Throughout, he continues to refer to me by my first name, habibti, and bro. “Well, that’s your name isn’t it,” he says whilst laughing, when I ask him about his incredibly casual behaviour during the conversation. I, however, avoid referring to him by name; is it Saint? Marwan? Monsieur Abdelhamid?
‘Interviewing’ Abdelhamid was strange. My questions went out of the window after question number three, and I didn’t expect to join him and his friends for breakfast, but having a conversation with him felt unexpectedly easy. Pleasantly surprised, I was greeted by an individual who seems to be incredibly engaged and caring. He seems to have suggestions for everything - consoling my confusion as a girl of the diaspora whilst simultaneously knowing exactly who to connect me with in terms of journalism and Arab creatives. To find out that someone in his position is genuine in his mission and approach is refreshing and encouraging, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next.