DRAMA
DRAMA is the multicultural collaboration between producer Na’el Shehade’s chic Chicago house-infused
production style, and vocalist Via Rosa whose soulful delivery is inspired by the improvisational nature of
jazz and playful patterns of hip-hop and bossa nova. The duo play to the complementary dynamics of their
unlikely pairing by blurring the lines between R&B and dance-pop, heartbreak and bliss.
Rosa grew up in a musical household; her parents played in a reggae band and toured as a family,
homeschooling Rosa into her early teens and limiting her listening primarily to Sade, oldies, Brazilian and
Afrobeat music. She kept poetry journals and by high school started writing songs and making beats. After
moving to Chicago in 2010, Rosa connected with THEMPeople, a collective at the center of the city’s
sprawling hip-hop scene.
Meanwhile, Shehade inherited a strong work ethic from his immigrant parents. Born in Chicago, he fell in
love with DJ culture as a kid and took up music production and engineering; his interest eventually led to
professional opportunities, including early studio work with Chance the Rapper, Kanye West, and music
projects for MTV and Bravo. Other musical collaborations have included Flight Facilities, Poolside, Jamila
Woods, Tensnake and with Gorgon City for their global dance hit, “You’ve Done Enough”. Since a chance
meeting nearly 10 years ago led to the creation of DRAMA, the duo has bootstrapped a subtle rise on their
own terms, self-releasing several EPs and mapping multiple tours and playing some of the biggest festivals
including their most recent Coachella debut, Lollapalooza, Life Is Beautiful, Outside Lands and more with
Midwestern grit.
In early jam sessions the chemistry was clear; Rosa’s soulful delivery interlocked with Shehade’s chic
Chicago house-infused production style. A lovesick sound emerged over two EPs, Gallows in 2016 and Lies
After Love in 2018, and continued on to their debut album Dance Without Me in January 2020. DRAMA
released another EP, Don’t Wait Up in 2022 which includes 3 songs that continuously stream in their top
10 tracks, including a fan favorite, “3 AM”. The duo continued to build momentum in 2023 releasing an
EP titled Till We Die which comprises of a collaboration with Flight Facilities.
DRAMA continues to pave their own path in 2024 as the duo prepares to tour Australia for the first time
ever and release more new music throughout the year.