Imagine a hot blonde on a donkey, a Bedouin playing bass guitar in the desert, a falah (peasant farmer) on a drum set and a camel with an LSD screen. No, it is not a new PG cartoon. These are the images that represent (and explain) Hybrid records, a new Egyptian-based house music label that breeds local and western music producing upbeat party tunes.
Behind Hybrid Records are two main talents; TV Producer Mohammed Ghorab based in Cairo, and Music Producer Ahmed Azam who lives in San Francisco. Both are prominent names in their fields.
“When we listen to (local) music, everything sounds the same and not only the lyrics. It’s mainly the same composers and producers that are working with the artists across the Middle East, says Ghorab.
What they are trying to create is a new genre, “breeding music by taking a new approach. They are not working with the commercial popular Arabic artists, but instead going back to the roots with Egyptian folk music.
“This is exactly where Om Kalthoum was brought up from, Abdel Wahab, Farid El Atrash. all these names we know from the 50s and 60s era … They based everything on our folklore. It exists in harat (alleys), in ahawy (coffee shops), Aswan, Luxor and so on, Ghorab continues.
So by digging out authentic local talents and mixing their vocals and styles with a western genre, they have no doubt the records will be an international hit although they are not sure how the concoction will be received in the Middle East.
The genre is primarily created for markets in Europe, America, South America, Asia and Australia.
Azam has lived in the US for 15 years now and has always been involved in music. Before moving he played in a band called “Sidewinder , followed by a 26-piece jazz band for four years and then played jazz with the Legendary Dizzy Gillespie all before his 18th birthday.
He then moved to Sacramento where he got his bachelors degree in Business as well as finding his way as a drummer in two already well know bands Buttonhead and the Grammy award-winning The Deftones.
At 24, he moved to San Francisco during the peak of the new electronic music scene which inspired him to get involved – he formed the studio production team called Arabic Breakbeats, which also produced music under the alias Voodoo Acoustics.
His expertise is now in house, jazz and chill out music. He is also known for being one of the best percussionists on the West Coast.
Ghorab is running the label from their studio located in Zamalek, while Azam is working on the production from San Francisco making it convenient for co-producers (mostly from the US) that are now affiliated with the label.
Multi-platinum musicians affiliated with the label include Kenya Baker who has three platinum records and two gold records. Another is Toni Green who is featured on and co-produced the Grammy award winning Roots first album which was released with Geffen records.
Other big names include Miguel Miggs, Jay J and Charles Spencer.
As today, the music industry is moving online, Hybrid Records are working with internet distributors like Apple’s Itunes, MTV online, HMV online, Napster and Virgin online.
Through their website one can stream their music, buy a song or order the whole album that will be sent through Amazon.
So far, they have finished their first album which is due for release in March 2007, and are working on their second album.
The first album entitled “Sunny Daze does not touch on their theme as they had not yet reached their philosophy. It is an uplifting house album with high energy summer tunes featuring three artists from San Francisco.
The second however is in the pipeline, entitled “Beats Medamis . So far they have signed some local artists (all unknown) and are still on the look out for more. Their scout’s team is constantly on the look out. There is a major international artist working with them on the record, but they do not want to announce it just yet.
Azam says the concept is, “In this time of great unrest and prejudice in the world, especially for the Middle East, we wish to create a common bond for all humanity through music.
