Egyptian 'mahraganat’ singer banned from performing in Jordan

CAIRO: Jordan's musicians' union denied Tuesday it had allowed Egyptian "mahraganat" singer Hamo Bika to perform in the kingdom, according to local media.

Social media users had earlier said that Bika would sing in Jordan, prompting the head of the musicians' syndicate Hussein El-Khateeb to deny the news and confirm the ban of the singer remains in place.

"Hamo Bika has not so far been allowed to carry out any [official] artistic activity in Jordan… as the standard of some of his songs doesn't conform with the public [decent] taste," El-Khateeb said.

Mahraganat is a form of pop music deemed controversial in Egypt and the Arab world, due to the use of slang and sometimes mention of drink and drugs.

Bika, and other mahraganat singers, have been banned in Egypt by the local musicians' syndicate head Hani Shaker, who called their lyrics "unethical".

However, the genre has continued to garner millions of views in Egypt and the Arab World through various streaming platforms and websites, including YouTube.

Bika’s latest song, Raasha ("A Tremor"), achieved 41,000 hits on YouTube in one day.

Bika’s net worth, mostly derived from posting songs online, is said to amount around $1 million.

Most recently, the Egyptian musicians' syndicate suspended famous rapper, Marwan Pablo, for altering a part of a spiritual song during a concert in Cairo.

Pablo is one of the most popular rap singers in Egypt. His latest hit, Ghaba ("Jungle"), has attracted about 18 million views on YouTube alone since its February release.