With "Fekra" Aziza Reinvents Arabic Pop

I have found a truly fresh sounding beat for a song everyone seems to hate on YouTube. The beat is a new old one as it seems to come from an old Arab tune inspired by the great Egyptian maser composer Abdel Wahab. Only to have some guys with new fancy computers affects to give it a hip makeover that will draw more listeners. Yes the song takes fusion seriously and bring the beach music with an Eastern twist as she incorporates the drum.

Thus comes to the stage a different kind of star unfit for that other time and perfect for our new age--in the age of Lady Gaga and MIA, Katy Perry, we ought to find something more colorful and bolder with their ideas, outfits and flexible on that thing some call comfort zone. Aziza is a very old school name, it's amazing that someone with that name can be this hip.

I think aside form being cool, Aziza is gifted and she has the vocal strength to do a very good pop song--whatever that means now. She has many things going right for her, the persona is one of them. I think she takes a fresh approach as wardrobe. She does more than one look and each one of them is a world apart from the other--a creative way to launch a career and start the debate

Aziza - Fekra / عزيزه - فكره

Maw3ood | Deeb - موعود | ديب "Cold Peace" Album

Forget the distant past, this song is about today. Deep rapped this song to tell people in his country to look out for Egypt. He started his song with the voice of Abdel Halim on the song for Maw3ood! Then when you think you can relax, comes Deeb spitting his poetic lines and venting his rage.

Filmed near the famous wall put in Egypt to block protesters from reaching some critical establishment offices. Where graffiti took over the wall and expressed what goes on the minds of many people. Even Palestine get to have its presence on the wall. The song is part of an upcoming album "Cold Peace" written and produced by Deeb himself

This is a really good rapper, he is not a poster, not even one bit. He flows and delivers on punch after another like a fighter in the ring. Deeb is showing his roots by giving shout outs to figures in Egyptian music like Makawi, by doing so he tells people he is no impostor. He doubles down and uses the name of some of the names of local and ancient religious figures.

The song closes with the Egyptian flag and a dedication to all the fallen heroes of the Arab Spring.  

Maw3ood | Deeb - موعود | ديب | Axeer Studio

Electric Avenue: Blending Arabic Music with Electronica

To be blunt, many of the first attempts at blending Arab music and electronica were painful.  Tapes sold in bus station stalls across the region combined the most generic of techno beats with melodies so catchy they could haunt you for the entirety of your bus journey. Classics included techno versions of the theme from Lawrence of Arabia or Umm Kulthum’s Alf Leila wa Leila. Similarly, the sonic orientalism of the Buddha Bar series seemed to be just as popular with the jet-set populations of the Middle East as they were in Europe. Chillout Arabia mixes and techo-bellydance songs, both of which often used Indian sitars, dominated the electronic music landscape. Even today, YouTube is littered with songs of “Arabic” chillout music accompanied by pictures of the Pyramids, deserts, the Taj Mahal and Mayan calendars. As with many things, underground scenes were concocting very different formulations, often using the same source material.


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Mangone Brings Fresh Beats Across Borders

I present Mangone who is a hungarian music producer working and remixing in several genres. He has parachuted into Arabic music and so far he had manged to bring out some good groove. If you do not know this, there are many Arabs who have lived in Hungary or visited. This Budapest has been mixing electro, with folks and broken beat for some time now.

I like the music, but I think the image is a bit stereotypical of that all things Arab. This is one talented DJ who should be touring around the world sampling some of its music, maybe he will add something to such music. Join his YouTube channel if you want something different.

Mangone should book himself a ticket to Lebanon and try to make a go of it there, that city seems to always want the next big thing.... Dubai would be another good venue too. I prefer his second track "Harem" it offers a heavier dose of magic.


Mangone - Arab-a-dubra

Mangone - Harem

Nesma Mahgoub Doubles Down In "البوسطجية اشتكوا"

Nisma Mahgoub won Star Academy and brought the title back to Egypt, but that was last year and since then we have seen little of her. There are too many talented Egyptian singers who can entertain and not everyone of them gets a recording deal.

Nisma did it right, she covered an old Egyptian classic, that few of her age know. The song appeared in a movie soundtrack and promotional material. The song is made fit for this age by speeding things up and telling a contemporary story.

The orginal song was composed by none other the legend of Arabic music Mohammad Abdelwahab, written by Abu Soud Al Aibyara and performed by Raja Abdo. I like how loyal to the original song Nisma stayed. Nisma looks in good spirit and sounds just how you know she does. The title of this song is actually funny...the postman has complained from all my mail--to you.

نسمه محجوب - البوسطجية اشتكوا



.البوسطجيه اشتكو من كتر مراسيلي - رجاء عبده