Egypt

Music of the Pharaoh

Egypt is another country that finds its musical identity in blending sounds from other countries. Most Egyptian music comes from the early Indian musical styles and other African countries.

The majority of Egyptian instruments are stringed or woodwind such as the kemengah, which is similar to the viola and the nay which resembles a flute. One of the more popular instruments is called the rabab, which has a deep and monotonous sound, and it is often accompanied with the reciting of poems and romances.

One of the most identifiable forms of Egyptian music is singing and chanting in unison on top of a backdrop of diverse percussion instrumentals.

Western classical music was introduced to Egypt in the 19th century along with more modern instruments like the piano and violin. Opera also became a popular form of art and entertainment. 

Other than traditional folk music, Egypt also deems religious music as very important. Coptic music is a popular Egyptian style of music of the Coptic Church. The music is comprised of chanting hymns accompanied by cymbals.

In the early 20th century, Egypt was introduced to recorded music, and in 1909, the first record label, His Master’s Voice, was created. Shortly after, the gramophone became popular for listening to music. In the next decades, Egyptian music evolved with both Arabic and Western influence.

Egyptian music today is comprised of many different musical elements, including rock, techno and Top 40 pop music. However, many Egyptians still hold true to traditional music styles which are still performed live and broadcasted on the radios.

Amr Diab

The most renowned musician in Egypt, Amr Diab is also the best-selling Arab musical artist of all time. The singer and composer is most known for his el-geel pop music, which is an Egyption form of pop music that borrows elements from Western rock ‘n’ roll and pop music. The genre also combines elements of dance music and reggae. 

Diab is very popular both in his country and around the world. He was awarded the World Music Award three times along with many other different awards for various reasons. In addition to Arabic music, Diab is also known as the Father of Mediterranean Music, having created his own genre of music dubbed “Mediterranean Sound,” which mixes elements of Egyptian and Western sounds. 

Diab’s music career began in the mid-eighties with his album Ya Tareeq. The singer gained quick recognition and especially became popular for his Mediterranean/Arabic music, which mixed Western sounds with traditional Arabic sounds, a style that was new in the music world.

In addition to his music, Diab is also well known for his pop-star image. He is considered by many as being “rebellious” with his more fashionable hairstyles and clothing. The singer had a brief film career in the early ‘90s, but he has more recently focused solely on his music.

The musician also introduced music videos to the Egypt music scene, appearing in his own videos and collaborating with renowned music video directors from the Middle East. One of the most popular videos is 2007’s “Ne'oul Aih,” which was successfully broadcasted on Egyptian television.