Jihad Zein is our latest Student Spotlight, one of over 50,000 Digital DJ Tips students from 172 countries that have taken a DJ or production course with us. Here Jihad shares how war, economic crisis, and a 1978 VW campervan created the most unique mobile DJ set-up in Beirut.
When war and economic crisis forced Jihad Zein to close his bar in Beirut in August 2024, he lost almost everything. His business. His income. His livelihood.
Almost everything…though he still had his DJ equipment.
Four months later, at age 50, Jihad took out a small loan, bought a 1978 VW van, and converted it into a mobile DJ stage. Now he plays private events, beach sunsets, and teaches DJing – all from a vintage van that’s become the most recognisable mobile set-up in Lebanon.
“I decided not to wait around for club or festival gigs, hoping to be ‘approved’,” Jihad explains. “Instead, I created my own lifestyle as a DJ. It’s not just a job. Especially now, with the van, it’s a way of life.”
The kid who hung around DJs
Jihad’s love affair with music started young. At 14, he hung out with DJ friends at small house parties and radio stations in Beirut, fascinated by what they did but never learning himself.
“I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember,” Jihad says. “But I never actually learned how to DJ myself back then.” That changed in 2012 when he opened his own bar and regularly booked DJs to play, though he was never completely satisfied.
“I found myself suggesting which track should come next or what vibe to go for,” Jihad recalls. Eventually, the frustration became too much. “In 2015, I decided to learn to DJ so I could play at my own venue.”
Once he started, he fell in love with the art of blending music and wanted to go deeper.
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Changing the crowd’s mindset
One of Jihad’s biggest challenges wasn’t technical – it was cultural.
“They were only into 80s, 90s, and commercial music,” he explains. “It took a while to slowly introduce house music into the mix.”
This gradual education of his audience became part of his journey as a DJ. He wasn’t just learning to mix – he was learning to lead people somewhere new musically, gently shifting their tastes over time.
It’s a skill that would serve him well in the years to come.
The DJ training that opened his mind
As Jihad developed his skills, he discovered us here at Digital DJ Tips. The course that made the biggest impact? Mixing Power Skills.
“It really opened my mind to creative mixing beyond just outro-to-intro transitions,” Jihad explains. The Scratching For Controller DJs course became another favourite: “It feels like learning a real instrument and helps you connect with timing and the music on a deeper level.”
Our House Mixing Mastery course and James Hype’s Mixing Skills training added even more to his arsenal. And he didn’t stop at DJing – the music production courses inspired him to start learning production as well.
“Honestly, every course has given me a different kind of motivation,” Jihad says. “They’re all amazing.”
Over time, Jihad’s confidence and skills improved massively because he always loved learning new techniques. He also realised something important: “I was starting to drift too far into just focusing on tricks and waveforms, and I lost a bit of that connection with the music.”
His solution? Go back to the fundamentals.
“Now I’m working on getting back to basics: beatmatching by ear, feeling the music, and not relying on BPM counters or waveforms too much.”
The campervan that changed everything
In August 2024, war and economic crisis forced Jihad to close his bar. The venue that had been his creative outlet, his income, his identity – gone. He lost almost everything. Thankfully, though, he still had his DJ equipment.
Four months later, Jihad made a decision that would define the next chapter of his life. He took out a small loan, bought a 1978 VW van, and converted it into a mobile DJ stage.
The concept was risky, especially in Lebanon’s challenging economic climate. But Jihad wasn’t interested in playing it safe.
“I’m currently marketing the concept,” he explains. “Although it might sound risky, I want the brand to focus on house music rather than the typical open-format mobile DJ vibe.”
Now he plays private events, beach sunsets, and he’s even started teaching a bit. The campervan has become his calling card – instantly recognisable, completely unique, and a perfect metaphor for his journey.
When you’ve lost everything, you rebuild, but you rebuild on your own terms.
Make it your own
One of Jihad’s proudest accomplishments? That he decided not to wait around for club or festival gigs, hoping to be “approved” by gatekeepers.
“Instead, I created my own lifestyle as a DJ,” he says. “It’s not just a job. Especially now, with the van, it’s a way of life.”
Read this next: Stop Waiting For Permission To DJ
At 50, Jihad doesn’t feel like a “typical” 50-year-old. “It’s not about age. It’s about lifestyle. I started nightlife early, and now I’m tired of that side of things – not because of my age, but because it doesn’t feel as genuine as it used to.”
These days, he prefers playing brunches, sunsets, and early-night sets. “Nothing past 1 a.m. if I can help it! I’m just not up for staying out until 7 a.m. anymore. But like I said, everyone’s different.”
If Jihad could go back and give his younger self advice, he’d say: “This will be the best journey. Just make it your own, and do it for the people who vibe with your energy.”
For anyone considering DJing later in life, his message is clear: “You can start at any age, but only do it because you truly love it, not because it’s trendy.” His advice is shaped by experience – real, lived experience of losing everything and rebuilding from scratch at age 50.
Finally…
From hanging around DJ friends at 14 to opening his own bar, surviving war and economic collapse, and DJing from a 1978 VW campervan, Jihad’s journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and refusing to give up on what you love.
When he wasn’t satisfied with the DJs he booked, he learned to DJ himself. When an economic crisis took his bar, he didn’t abandon his passion for music. When war disrupted everything, he didn’t stop DJing. And when traditional paths closed, he created his own.
That vintage VW van rolling up to beach sunsets and private events in Beirut isn’t just a mobile DJ set-up. It’s a statement.
It says, “I’m still here. I’m still creating. I’m still connecting people through music. And I did it my way.”
Ready to expand your creative mixing skills?
Jihad credits Mixing Power Skills with transforming his approach to DJing beyond simple “outro-to-intro” transitions, but we also have a wide selection of DJ and production courses to choose from.
Want everything Jihad learned and more? Access All Areas gives you unlimited access to every Digital DJ Tips course, including Mixing Power Skills and all future releases.
Phil Morse
