Eight of the best contemporary Arab bands and singers
A list of some of the best groups and musicians to have emerged recently in the Arab world.
3 min read
The bands address important socio-political issues [Getty]
These eight bands represent some of the best music being produced in the region. Addressing important socio-political issues, some, like Tanjaret Daghet ["pressure cooker"] from Syria, Massar Egbari ["compulsory track"] from Egypt and Badiaa Bouhrizi from Tunisia, use their music to express the anger on the streets. Others, like the Comoros Islands Nawal, express their opinions through Sufi-inspired music.
Most of them have performed in the "freedom square" of major Arab cities, whether on Martyrs' Square and Samir Kassir Garden in Lebanon, or Egypt’s Tahrir Square.
However, the internet has proved to be the largest political focus on the Arab revolutionary map, helping their music reach a wide audience, bolstering political participation and mobilising support for the Arab spring.
1. Massar Egbari
Massar Egbari formed in 2005 in Alexandria, an Egyptian hotbed for underground music. The band’s name means "compulsory track", to reflect how society tries to make people live their lives in a particular way. The band urges people to break away from stereotypes and social oppression in the Arab world.
2. El Far3i
Tareq Abu Kwaik aka El Far3i is a Palestinian singer and songwriter based in Amman, Jordan. Starting his career as a drummer, El Far3i soon embraced folk music and hip-hop. His revolutionary rhymes speak about the poverty, corruption and hypocrisy in society.
3. Badiaa Bouhrizi
Bouhrizi is an underground Tunisian composer and singer who sings mainly in fusha - classical or literary Arabic. Her music reflects her passionate socio-political convictions, her free spirit and her commitment to freedom and justice.
4. Nawal
Nawal's music is an acoustic roots-based fusion, reflecting the diverse character of her homeland the Comoros Islands, in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. She was born into a musical family and embraces both modern western music and traditional Comoran music.
5. El Rass
Mazen el-Sayed aka El Rass, "the head", has emerged as the new lyrical mastermind in the well-established genre of Arabic hip-hop. Syed studied economics in France and then worked as a journalist before returning to his native Lebanon to follow his childhood dream of becoming a singer. El Rass' rapping is full of anger against targets such as religious clerics, the West, Arab regimes and social injustice.
6. Fattet le3bet
Fattet le3bet is a Syrian jazz-fusion band. The band began playing in villages in 2004 and after gaining popularity it started to play in cities. The band combines oriental and jazz music from around the world, including Arab and Middle Eastern music as well as European and Indian.
7. Tanjaret Daghet
Tanjaret Daghet is a Syrian rock band now based in Beirut. The band left Syria in 2011 to look for opportunities in the Lebanon, escape military service and avoid being harassed by the Syrian intelligence services. The band is part of a renaissance of new bands emerging in the region that combines western rock and roll with Arabic lyrics.
8. Cairokee
This Egyptian band’s name combines Cairo with karaoke. Their first major hit was Sout El Horeya ["the sound of freedom"] after the Egyptian revolution, which has been viewed over 2.5 million times on YouTube. This song represents the brief moment of hope and optimism after the revolution, as it speaks about a bright future with all Egyptians living in equality and happiness.
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
Most of them have performed in the "freedom square" of major Arab cities, whether on Martyrs' Square and Samir Kassir Garden in Lebanon, or Egypt’s Tahrir Square.
However, the internet has proved to be the largest political focus on the Arab revolutionary map, helping their music reach a wide audience, bolstering political participation and mobilising support for the Arab spring.
1. Massar Egbari
Massar Egbari formed in 2005 in Alexandria, an Egyptian hotbed for underground music. The band’s name means "compulsory track", to reflect how society tries to make people live their lives in a particular way. The band urges people to break away from stereotypes and social oppression in the Arab world.
2. El Far3i
3. Badiaa Bouhrizi
4. Nawal
5. El Rass
6. Fattet le3bet
7. Tanjaret Daghet
8. Cairokee
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
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