Check out our exclusive interview with Lebanese singer Rima Khcheich during her stay in Cairo to perform at Geneina Theatre.
Arabian Knightz’s ‘Uknighted State of Arabia’ echoes across the region
At long last, Egypt’s most prominent hip-hop group, Arabian Knightz, released its debut LP, “Uknighted State of Arabia.” After multiple pushbacks, censorship delays, threatening calls, trailers, promos and perseverance, the rap crew and its extensive collective of contributors, known as the Arab League, are poised to change the face of rap both regionally and beyond.
In front of an eager, youth-filled audience, “Uknighted State of Arabia” was officially released on 30 August at the Swiss Club in Cairo. The album features more than 30 contributing rappers from the region including Omar Offendum (Syrian-American), MC Amin (Egypt), Narcisyst (Iraqi-Canadian), Deeb (Egypt), H-Kayne (Morocco), DAM (Palestine), and female singers and MCs Malikah (Lebanon), Shadia Mansour (Palestine), Lana (Egypt) and others.
Read more about Arabian Knightz album release concert here.
Watch our interview with electro-pop queen Yasmine Hamdan!
Vocals take center stage in Yasmine Hamdan’s new brand of Arabic electro-pop
In the world of underground music, electro-pop singer Yasmine Hamdan is known for Soapkills, the duo she started with Zeid Hamdan (no relation) in Beirut in the 1990s. But as she breaks away from the influence of that formative band and defines herself as a solo artist, the singer-songwriter is slowing it down and taking the time to let her unique vocals sink in.
Read our full interview with Yasmine Hamdan here.
Photos by: Virginie Nguyen
2012 electronic music festival reflects political scene
“We had the funky, trendy crowd, the expat crowd, the young revolutionary crowd hungry for music, we had the shaaby crowd, and we had the chic crowd. Without intending to, we had made a major statement of what was going on at the time, politically. People were saying, ‘This is the way it should be.”
Watch Egypt Independent’s exclusive interview with Mashrou’ Leila.
Photos by: Virginie Nguyen
At the Genaina theater, the audience went haywire, everybody already knew all the words, and eventually stormed the stage, and then backstage. “It only happens in Cairo,” says violinist Haig Papazian of Mashrou’ Leila.
Read the full interview with the band here.
