Following a massive campaign on social media that attracted hundreds of fans of the Jordanian musician and singer Aziz Maraka, El-Sawy Culturewheel in Cairo hosted two concerts for the singer on 25 and 26 November.
During both concerts, Maraka performed many of his original hits, and was well received by the audience. With hundreds of people in attendance, many of his fans described the events as “flawless”.
While the first concert attracted a sizeable crowd, many more showed up for the second after hearing about his music. Maraka was introduced to a whole new set of fans in that second event, and the two-hour structure of the concert was perfectly suited to his music. The flow of his work kept the audience engaged during the whole concert.
Maraka not only sang and performed with the piano, but he also played the violin, saxophone and guitar. He even performed a guitar solo, which the audience responded to with enthusiasm. In all, concertgoers were satisfied with the experience, and have called for more performances from Maraka in the future.
The two concerts attracted hundreds of people. Culturewheel founder Abdel Moneim Al-Sawy said during an opening speech at the second concert that the concerts have proven to be a big hit, and promised there will be more Maraka concerts in the future.
Maraka’s audience had previously called on him and his group to perform in Egypt, however due to the band’s size and their lack of sponsors the group has found it difficult to hold a performance in Egypt.
During a press conference held by Maraka on Thursday shortly after his arrival, he explained that his band is comprised of musicians from many different nationalities, making travel harder for them.
Regarding his music, Maraka said that his song lyrics usually pertain to personal experiences and the experiences of his relatives and acquaintances. He said that he wants to perform new songs because he does not see the point in repeating the same music that people have already become familiar with over the years.
Regarding his opinion on electronic music, Maraka said that he was not particularly fond of it when he was younger, but has since realised that it can be used positively; however, he prefers to adhere to classical music because it feels more original to him. He added that he prefers to sing in the Jordanian dialect, and has no intention to change that.
Maraka is a Jordanian musician who studied piano and music theory. He is also the founder of a band and a music style called Razz, which combines rock, Arabic and jazz music. His band was formed in 2006 as part of his graduation project for the University of Arkansas in the United States. While his professors liked his project and he found an appreciative audience in the US, it would take some time before Jordanians would warm up to his style.
Maraka is not the first Jordanian musician to introduce Jordanian underground to Egypt. Bands such as Autostrad, Jadal and Al-Morabaa have held several concerts in Egypt.
