Egyptian culture is in a pitfall; but that’s old news. Whenever this reality is discussed in the media or among peers, many seem to agree that nothing is being done to lift it back up.
As a journalist, you constantly meet new people, brains loaded with novel ideas to help Egypt rise once more. I have come across many who believe that the mere discussion of the need for change, or sporting a Che Guevara T-shirt, for example, makes them revolutionaries. Yet there are always those who are genuinely ready to make a change, even if it’s not entirely revolutionary.
Mohamed Ghorab and Ahmed Azzam are a case in point. The two music enthusiasts have a dream to boost the level of popular music in Egypt and bring Egyptian music back to the glorious eras of Umm Kulthoum and Mohamed Abdel Wahab.
In 2007, the duo founded Hybrid Records, a music production company that promotes “music that is fresh, music that is new, and upgrading the general scale of music in Egypt, Ghorab told Daily News Egypt.
In addition to cultural preservation, Hybrid aims to build up a wider spectrum of Arabic music genres by moving away from the tacky, substandard lyrics and cliché beats that have become the order of the day.
“We want to position this company as a gateway for new talent that is creating something different, he added.
Pop musicians in Egypt are sticking to one winning formula: Make all new music sound the same. According to Ghorab, “It’s nothing that reflects who you are.
Five years ago, Ghorab met Azzam, an Egyptian music producer based in San Fransisco, over coffee and discussed a project they are both passionate about. Under the title, “Zeinouba, the company’s birth project wishes to revive Egypt’s musical heritage and bring it back to the forefront.
The album “Zeinouba brings Nubian, Saidi (Upper Egyptian), fallahi (rural Egyptian), Sufi and Bedouin musicians together in an innovative and progressive mix.
Mixing the old with the new, culturally-rich lyrics written and performed by artists representing different regions in Egypt are fed to modern beats by producer Azzam, a fusion that is 100 percent home-grown.
Scouting Egypt’s niche
One of the splendors of globalization is the fluidity by which cultures cross borders. The downside though is that entire segments of societies are often lost in the process.
“It’s a war between different cultures trying to demolish other heritages . As a society, they [western civilizations] are trying to bury you and overrun you with globalization and all these things that by time you will perish and will have lost your identity, said Ghorab, maintaining that their project, although music-centric, is a political one.
“Cairo in the 1930s used to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Throughout 70 years … something went wrong.
The idea of a family house of music, which historically existed in rural Egypt, has gradually disappeared in the face of higher standards of living that push younger members of such families to go on the hunt for an urban income.
The early stages of the project comprised of extensive research, including going out on the field and scouting out dying, authentic talents.
“When we came up with the concept, we met Adel [a Nubian artist] in Sinai, close to the border with Israel where a lot of musicians come together, they have a little musical gathering . He was the one who stood out the most, Azzam recalls.
After a year and a half of research, Hybrid invited all artists that fit the criteria to their studio for recording sessions.
“When they first came they thought I was an idiot, jokes Azzam, explaining that he made them sing without any instruments, a foreign practice to them.
“I really used the song as the basis and then built the music around it, not the other way around, added Azzam, a technique he believes “keeps the authenticity of the song.
In addition to “Zeinouba, Hybrid signed with renowned Iraqi oud player Naseer Shamma, local rock band Digla and is currently finalizing a deal with Egypt’s greatest living pop star Mohamed Mounir.
“The more artists you have; the more variety of music you can offer; the more albums; the more shows you can have, the better the opportunity of making money, said Ghorab, whose company has produced 14 albums since its inception in 2007.
In 2008, Hybrid Records was endorsed by the American Embassy in Cairo. At around the same time, they were turned down by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.
“At the end of the day, when someone does something they believe in and are passionate about, something that’s for a good cause, you really don’t find people supporting you, unless they’re going to benefit from it financially, said a disappointed Ghorab.
While Hybrid did not ask the government for financial assistance, Ghorab hoped for their project to be backed up, which could lead to facilitation when reserving venues for shooting music videos, a logistical and financial ordeal for any new production company.
While “Zeinouba is yet to debut in May, the duo is already making future plans.
“What I would like to do is to continue to build on this concept, and really dig deeper into our folklore and heritage because we have so much. It’s an untapped resource, said Azzam, adding that after establishing solid ground in the Middle East, Hybrid will cross borders with several remixes of the original “Zeinouba.
“It has a very strong concept that could become a world hit if it’s well marketed, said Ghorab.
Catch Azzam featuring the Zeinouba Project live for the first time, on May 14, 2010 at the Giza pyramids, hosted by Red Bull for the X-Fighters International Tour. For more information visit: www.hybrid-records.com
