Country

Egypt

45 artists

Artists from Egypt, the Arab world’s largest music industry and the country that produced mahraganat.

For most of the twentieth century Cairo set the terms for Arabic popular music. The orchestral tarab of Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez, the film musicals, and the recording and broadcast infrastructure behind them made Egyptian Arabic the dialect the whole region could follow.

The last two decades have gone in a different direction entirely. Mahraganat came out of Cairo’s working-class districts in the late 2000s, made on cracked software and distributed through tuk-tuk speakers and phone shops before it ever touched a studio, and it has been repeatedly restricted by the musicians’ syndicate without losing an inch of ground. Egyptian trap and rap followed and now dominate streaming charts across the Arab world.

Both histories are represented here, along with the country’s rock, jazz, electronic and independent scenes.

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Abd El Basset Hamouda Abd El Basset Hamouda Pop Abyusif Abyusif Hip Hop Ahmed Elshobokshy Ahmed Elshobokshy Indie Ahmed Samy Ahmed Samy Indie Al Selem Band Al Selem Band Indie Badrawy Badrawy Folk & Singer-Songwriter Bayou Bayou Arabic Alternative Boshra Boshra Arabic Alternative Cairokee Cairokee Rock Dalida Dalida Folk & Singer-Songwriter Daro Daro R&B & Soul Dina Amine Dina Amine Electronic Dina El Wedidi Dina El Wedidi Arabic Alternative DJUDJU DJUDJU Electronic Eslam Fahmy Eslam Fahmy Indie fayrouz Karawya fayrouz Karawya Arabic Alternative Felukah Felukah Folk & Singer-Songwriter Gohary Gohary Hip Hop Hassan Abou Alam Hassan Abou Alam Electronic Kiiko Kiiko Indie Lekhfa Lekhfa Arabic Alternative Lella Fadda Lella Fadda Arabic Alternative Logical Da9ud Logical Da9ud Hip Hop Ma-Beyn Ma-Beyn Arabic Alternative Mahib Sleat Mahib Sleat Electronic Marwan Moussa Marwan Moussa Hip Hop Marwan Pablo Marwan Pablo Hip Hop Maryam Saleh Maryam Saleh Arabic Alternative Massar Egbari Massar Egbari Jazz & Blues Misty Misty Electronic Mohamed Mohsen Mohamed Mohsen Arabic Alternative Nadah El Shazly Nadah El Shazly Electronic Nancy Mounir Nancy Mounir Experimental Odqin Odqin Hip Hop Seif Mrdeny Seif Mrdeny Hip Hop Soulphonic Soulphonic Indie Takh Takh Arabic Alternative Teen Idle Teen Idle Indie Tul8te Tul8te Hip Hop Wegz Wegz Hip Hop YOUNG GIZA YOUNG GIZA Hip Hop Youssra ElHawary Youssra ElHawary Arabic Alternative Zad Zad Arabic Alternative Ziad Zaza Ziad Zaza Hip Hop Zuli Zuli Electronic