Basata, the Egyptian band that has made a formidable impression on the Egyptian music scene since their inception, gave a free performance at the Sun City Mall on Friday that was met with joy from fans and random shoppers alike. Maybe it was the advantage of having a crowded mall at their disposal to fill the space, but the turnout was excellent and it was clear that many people were there only, or at least primarily, to see the band perform.
The stage was set up in the middle of the mall and the band started playing with no big entrances or delays, faithful to their name, which literally means ‘simplicity’ in Arabic. The band’s name comes from a number of factors that play into their music; their carefree lyrics, their emphasis on acoustic music, their opposition to garish, flashy performances, as well as their attitude towards each other and their fans.
The band was formed as a reaction to mainstream Egyptian pop music that is usually concerned with love songs and tried-and-true formulas that rarely change. In fact, one of the band’s mottos is: “we will sing for love, and other things.”
Basata decided to focus on producing something different musically and one of their main focuses is finding lyrics that “speak to the mind and the self,” according to their mission statement. Their mission also aims to provide social commentary through song, emphasising Egyptian identity, focusing on acoustic instruments and underlining the social aspect of music.
Though their goals may be ambitious and it is debatable whether they are meeting them, their sincere efforts to stay true to their intentions is what ultimately makes their performances and their music meaningful.
Whether or not Basata performed well, however, was not something that was easily discernible last Friday, due to the terrible acoustics of the shopping mall. Thankfully, their live performances can be seen easily on their website and confirm they sound great whereas it was hard to discern their quality with the vocals sounding muffled and the instruments harsh.
Basata’s music in not particularly unique at this point in time, and their lyrics can sometimes sound dated when they rely on their older but more popular songs to get the audience going. Then again, Basata does not pretend to offer something radically different. They are upfront about what kind of music they want to make and they do it, for the most part, quite well.
There is something genuine about Basata, which is obvious during their concerts whether you are a fan of their music or not. Not many bands formulate a mission statement that leaves nothing to the imagination. Basata makes it very clear that they are undertaking an artistic enterprise for a specific reason, though never with a formalistic attitude and their music is still heartfelt and spontaneous. There is no doubt that what they have to offer has been matched in many areas by other bands but the same can be said for most things in the Egyptian music scene.
Summing up: this means that as an audience you know what you are signing up for and considering their detailed goals and philosophy, there is no chance that you will not. Basata’s performances are enjoyable, accessible and genuine enough to promise a concert that will leave you smiling.
