Cairo in Auto-Tune

A clueless Scot in Cairo looking into the spectacular world of Egyptian mahraganat music

[fifteendolphins]

انا مش عارفني - عبد الباسط حمودة

أنا مش عارفني أنا تهت مني أنا مش أنا - I don’t know myself, I’ve lost myself, I’m not myself لا دي ملامحي ولا شكلي شكلي ولا ده أنا - This isn’t my face, isn’t how I look, this isn’t me

أبص لروحي فجأه لقيتني كبرت فجأه - I looked inside and found myself, I grew suddenly تعبت من المفاجأه ونزلت دمعتي - I grew tired of surprises, and my tears came down قوليلي إيه يا مرايتي قوليلي إيه حكايتي - What will my mirror say? What’s my story? تكونش دي نهايتي وآخر قصتي - Don’t let this be my end, the end of my story

أنا مش عارفني أنا تهت مني أنا مش أنا لا دي ملامحي ولا شكلي شكلي ولا ده أنا ولا ده أنا

يا دنيا طفيتي شمعي - The world put out my flame يا ناس كترتوا دمعي والعمر راح هدر - People made me cry so much, my life’s gone to waste كتبت الـ آه بقلمي - I wrote “Oh!” with my pen كسرتوا سن قلمي وبرضه بقول قدر - You broke the tip of my pen, and also I say... ? حزين من صغر سني ومين عـ الآه يعيني - I’m sad, my life’s so short - and who’s...? my dear ووخداني الخطاوي لسكة تايهة مني - And...? took me to a road lost to me

أبص لروحي فجأه لقيتني كبرت فجأه تعبت من المفاجأه ونزلت دمعتي قوليلي إيه يا مرايتي قوليلي إيه حكايتي تكونش دي نهايتي وآخر قصتي

أنا مش عارفني أنا تهت مني أنا مش أنا لا دي ملامحي ولا شكلي شكلي ولا ده أنا ولا ده أنا

يا ليل الجرح يا اللي - Oh, night of pain معايا زي ضلي مآنس وحدتي - With me like my shadow... ? سرقت العمر كله خلاص مبقاش فاضلي - You stole my life, and I already don’t have anything غير جرحي ودمعتي - Except my pain and tears جريح وده مش بيدي مخدتش بس بدي - Hurt, and not my fault, I’ve not taken...? زرعت يا ناس ورودي جنيت الشوك لوحدي - Oh people I planted my roses, and earned my keep by myself

أبص لروحي فجأه لقيتني كبرت فجأه تعبت من المفاجأه ونزلت دمعتي قوليلي إيه يا مرايتي قوليلي إيه حكايتي تكونش دي نهايتي وآخر قصتي

أنا مش عارفني أنا تهت مني أنا مش أنا لا دي ملامحي ولا شكلي شكلي ولا ده أنا ولا ده أنا

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as4rMVy-uTQ

[fifteendolphins]

Authenticity in Mahraganat

One of the dominant debates in any emergent culture is the notion of authenticity. It happened (and is still happening) in hip-hop where identity of the artist and the songs themselves are subject to a continual evaluation of how 'real' they are to the tenets of hip hop, and so many other art forms where there is an underground in opposition to a mainstream. There the underground grows and garners a following away from big media and corporate attention, but there quite often comes the point where the cultural production becomes so appealing to those outwith the underground, that it makes the move into the mainstream and, consequently, is no longer underground. This is quite often called 'selling out' and has been labeled to bands and artists since time immemorial (think U2, Metallica, The Rolling Stones). Whether there is even such a thing (if an artist wants people to hear their music, surely commodification of their work is all but unavoidable), it can contribute to people saying that they have lost their 'authenticity'. The challenge for an artist is to keep on eliciting the same positive responses from their audience as they grow and move away from their roots.

I think of a similar conversation happening when I see Tamaneya fil Miya making an advert for minced meat, using their signature sound but instead of singing about their daily lives in the shaabi streets of Matareyya, they instead sing the benefits of a minced meat 'they haven't found anything like before'. For a genre that has grown up completely in opposition to the conventions of Egyptian music, has shunned and been shunned by the mainstream media and is finding foreign praise for its unique form, the reconciliation with taking part in such advertisements could be difficult for mahraganat's listeners. Tamaneya film Miya make no secret of wanting to make money and be rich. And signing deals with large companies does not necessarily mean that a group will sacrifice their initial creative ideals.

Therefore it is necessary to see what tenets mahraganat is built upon, and through that we can identify the genre in more strict terms. Then the genre can be explored with more certainty as to what is being talked about when we say 'mahraganat'. Perhaps it would be more useful to apply a more fluid definition as opposed to a static one, as it is very much a genre in its infancy which is breaking out with different forms. We have Islam Chipsy with his electric brand of keyboard performance without vocals, Amr 7a7a, Sadat, Fifty and co who are closer to what we hear in the streets, along with Tamaneya fil Miya (the two cohorts have come to lyrical blows in the past, but all seems to have been settled). And there is still a lot I have to learn about the genre to shed more light on its position in the Egyptian musical landscape, and what makes an 'authentic' mahraganat artist. What are the dominant themes in the lyrics? What physical settings were mahraganat performances born in? Is there a political bent to the art? What is the very sound of mahraganat characterised by, and what has it been influenced by? Many interesting questions and I hope to get substantial answers written down very soon.

[fifteendolphins]

8% - Al Wasada Al Khalia

 هاتى بوسة يا بت

هاتى حتة يا بت هاتى بوسة يا بت حبيبى لابس برنيطة ومعلق فى رقبتة شريطة وبياكل حتة شكولاتة وبيشرب مانجة بشفاطة كنت زمان انا وانت فى جنة كان الوقت يمر ثوانى اية فرقنا وبعد بينا اية نسانا احلى امانى أستاذ فى الشياكة و أستاذ فى التناكة موتنى يا ناس بشياكة وسابنى مرمى و خلع شممونى بصلة أغم عليا مقدرتش أققف على رجليا ألوسادة الخالية تعبت منى يا غالية فاكر زمان كنت صغير و فشرعنا بنات حلوين الى تجنن و الى تحير و الى تعقل فى المجانين قلبى إختار البت قدارة ماهو كان قلبى مولع نار جنّنتو شعلّلتو روقتو شقلبتو، شقلبتو ألوسادة الخالية تعبت منى يا غالية هى الدنيا جرى فيها أيه أتغييرتى يا بنت الأيه عشنا أحلى ذكراياتنا بعد ما عدى العمر و فاتنا خلاص يا دنيا تعبت معاكى ناس بتتحك وانا أنا باكى هو انت فيك ايه مظبوت لارفرف نافع ولاكبوت حتى البيضة مفيهاش كتكوت يعنى نعيش بقى ولا نموت ألوسادة الخالية تعبت منى يا غالية حبيبى لابس برنيطة ومعلق فى رقبتة شريطة وبياكل حتة شكولاتة وبيشرب مانجة بشفاطة هاتى بوسة يا بت هاتى حتة يا بت هاتى بوسة يا بت جنّنتو شعلّلتو روقتو شقلبتو، شقلبتو هاتى بوسة يا بت هاتى حتة يا بت هاتى بوسة يا بت شممونى بصلة أغم عليا مقدرتش أققف على رجليا فاكر زمان كنت صغير و فشرعنا بنات حلوين الى تجنن و الى تحير و الى تعقل فى المجانين ألوسادة الخالية تعبت منى يا غالية هاتى بوسة يا بت هاتى حتة يا بت هاتى بوسة يا بت ألوسادة الخالية تعبت منى يا غالية

Give me a kiss, girl, give me a piece

Give me a kiss, girl

My baby is wearing a hat and has a ribbon tied around her neck

She’s eating a piece of chocolate and drinking mango juice with a straw

  Back then, me and you were in heaven

Time used to go by second after scond

What took us apart and away from each other?

What made us forget the best of times?

  She’s a master in looking cool, a master in being classy

Oh, people, she killed me with her style and left me on the floor and walked away

She brought me around with an onion

I couldn’t even stand on my own two legs

  The empty cushion is……….

I remember back then I was young and there were pretty girls everywhere

The ones who sent you crazy, the ones who confused you

And the ones who made the unruly youth straight again

  My heart chose Adara, who set my heart alight with a fire

They went crazy, were alight

…………….

  The world keeps on turning but what’s in it

You changed girl, why…?

We lived the best of memories

And then after age ran on and passed us by

That’s it, the world is tired and with you

People are laughing at you and I’m crying

  What’s in him that’s good? It’s neither the bumper nor the car hood

Even the egg doesn’t have a chick inside it

We’re living and not dying

  (Repetition of previous verses)

[fifteendolphins]

Ramy Essam at the Culturewheel

I paid the Culturewheel in Zamalek a visit last night, to see the revolution musician Ramy Essam play his brand of Arab Rock characterised by stories from the square, hopes for the future and anger at the current political situation.

My expectations were largely met by Ramy and his backing band (including tabla player) which brought a so-so performance punctuated by roaring guitar solos, the people on stage looking slightly uncomfortable the whole time (Ramy included) and a contrived take on rave near the end of the hour-and-a-half show. There was still a definite power in their music, the kind of power that you can get behind and bob your head to. There was the "RAMZ" supporter group who came from other parts of Egypt, and they did not let up in their energetic devotion to a star that they love and call 'Sowt es-Sawra" (Voice of the Revolution). There were girls, young and old, in hijabs and not, boys who had brought banners to show their Ramy dedication, all waving their hands and singing along to every lyric. This artist clearly still has significance for these youths, as a symbol of a revolution that they all believe is very much still in progress. But, being at the Culturewheel with its ticketed performances and out-of-place smoking ban, this concert attracts a certain group of Egyptian who can afford it. This kind of music is less likely to make it to the shaabi areas of Cairo where, instead, free street performances charm the people. 

Ramy Essam found his fame during the January uprisings, where he could be seen in Tahrir singing the unforgettable "3aish, 7orreya, 3adala Igtama3ia" (Bread, Freedom, Social Justice) which plain and straight told Mubarak what the people wanted. He sang "Ir7al" (Leave) and this is what happened. Ramy Essam was an intrinsic part of the revolution along with its myriad other elements, and through this he has his credibility. There are videos of him on YouTube with injuries from clashes, with him showing his steely determination to carry on, which is certainly admirable (especially when we compare him to Egypt's immensely famous pop stars, who were nowhere to be seen when the chants of Ir7al were ringing throughout Egypt). Like much in the revolution, the boundaries between class and religion were momentarily broken down and Ramy found success in this. However, it is unclear whether he has managed to translate this into a large following in Egypt today. The half-full concert hall was not encouraging. 

If he produced a better show that did not feel completely rehearsed, and just feel more self assured in their performance, it would be an altogether more attractive prospect. His revolution ramblings may be getting a bit old too. Time to update.

[fifteendolphins]

Sadat, MC Amin, Amr 7a7a, Filo, Fifty - Egyptian Rap

عارفين مين ادينى فرصة اقولك بصراحة معاك ام سى امين وعمرو حاحا  سادات وفيلو كانسين الساحة خد براحة خد دى بدون قباحة مبنخافش من حد ولا بيهمنا

المزيكا بالرقص الشعبى تسمع راب او تسمع شعبى كلام مضمون فى الجون بنحكى بس استنى خليك جنبى انا اتعرفت على الرجالة وقلنا نعمل اشتغالة لقيت الناس بتقول غريبة مزيكتكم تكون شغالة

كتبت القصة من بابها التحدى كلام وشعبى مش رقص وهندى من المكان  بنحكى حكايات اهالينا كلام طالع من حوارينا اسمع كلامى علشان تفهم متركزش ويا اخينا

  كلام بجد ويا هزار نطلع جن نعمل زار وفى اى مكان بنحضر فيه الدنيا بجد تولع نار مستحيل اقول كفاية قرار وخدته فى يوم ادام مراية ببص اشوف مين واقف معايا

  لقيت سادات بيقولى ايه الحكاية احنا فى الرواية من البداية كلام طالع من جوايا اسمع بس خليك معايا

واسمع منى اصل الحكاية كلامنا ده من خيالنا دايما بنحكى على احوالنا انا وانت وهى

  جوة دنيا مش دايمالنا ماشيين مش شايفين خطاوينا وحاجة تجيبنا تودينا والدنيا بتمرجح فينا بنبص لبعضينا بحر المزيكا مين قده ومين غرقو ومين عدو غضبان وكلامى انا الخطاف واى حد يخاف منه لانه

بيكشف المستخبى 

هكون صريح وماشي دغرى خيال الحيطة ماشي فى ضلى ادور والف لا ده كده مش شغلى

عيشت جوة الف ليلة وليلة شفت ناس كتير انواع كتيرة ليله تعدى وليلة تكون طويلة لحد ماتيجي الليلة الكبيرة

  تاخد الجديد تاخد المفيد جرب تسمع تفهم وتستفيد احنا الاصل والباقي ده تقليد ده مش تعريض ده مش تهديد ده تاكيد افهم يابليد كلامى ليك انت بالتحديد

المزيكا بالرقص الشعبى تسمع راب او تسمع شعبى كلام مضمون فى الجون بنحكى بس استنى خليك جنبى

________

You all know who gave me the chance to speak to you straight

You’re with MC Amin and Amr 7a7a

­Sadat and Filo are clearing out all the crap

Take it slowly, but don’t take that the wrong way

We’re not afraid of and don’t care about anyone

  The music in shaabi dance, you listen to rap and listen to shaabi

Our honest talk is straight on target, but wait and stay beside us

  I got to know the guys and we said let’s have some fun with this

Then people were saying that it’s strange that our music has spread everywhere

  I wrote a story and from the start the words were the challenge

Shaabi isn’t just dancing and neither Indian in the place

  We’re telling the stories of our people

Our words come from our streets

Listen to what I’m saying so you can understand and not concentrate on the other, bro

My words are real and fun, we come from spirits and do exorcisms

And anywhere we turn up, everyone goes absolutely crazy

  It’s impossible to say enough about it

The decision I took was on a day when I was in front of my mirror

Take a look and see who’s standing with me

  I found Sadat saying what’s the story

We’re in a tale from the beginning

The words came from inside us, listen, but keep with us

  Listen to me about the origins of the story

Our words are from our imaginations

We’re always talking about our real lives, me and you and her

  The world won’t last forever

We’re walking and not seeing our steps

And things are coming and going

The world is swinging within us

We’re looking at each other and this sea of music

Who can handle it: who will sink and who will swim?

  I’m angry, me and my words

I’m the anchor for all of this

And anyone who is scared, it’s because he’s revealing the hidden

I’ll become honest and walk straight

In my head the wall is walking in my shadow

Going round and round in circles – no, that’s not me

  I’ve lived inside A Thousand and One Nights

I’ve seen lots of people, lots of different types of people

The night comes and the night becomes long

Until the big night comes

  You’ll get something new and something useful

Give listening a try and understand and get something from it

We’re the originals and the rest are just an imitation

  This is not an exaggeration, this is not a threat, this is making sure

Understand, dunce, my words are for you only

[fifteendolphins]

DJ Figo, Amr 7a7a, Sadat, Fifty, Hesa - Egyptian Rap

 انا جالي في المنام ابو شنب و التوامان و انا جالي في المنام ابو شنب و التواماااااااان و قولت خدها نصيحه بدل ما تبقي فضيحه ياابو كرش مش هتسد علشان انت عيل هرت و كلامي للجرادل

الحلو ابو نضاره ابو شنب بالاماره الحلو ابو نضاره ابو شنب بالاماره عاملي فيها كبير و سايق اتنين حمير عاملي فيها كبير و سايق اتنين حمير طب تاتا تتتاااااااااا تاتا تتتاااااااا

طب بصو انتو التلاته و اهي ماشيه بالغتاته معروف تمامكو ايه ولو خبطت معايا راح اجيبك من البيت متكتف يا تيت انا استاز غلاسه انا استاز غلاسه طب اسمع الخلاصه طب اسمع الخلاصه بالدقن تختم ظار و حضر الخيار ابو كرش خلاص اختار و معاه اتنين شطار و معاه اتنين شطاااااااااااااااااار طب افهم الكلام حرامي جاسوس شمام طب فاكر و لا نسيت لما خدوك من البيت متكتف يا عبيط هتعيش و تموت زعلان و اخش اديلو كمان

بتوع المخدرات عاملينلي نجوم مايكات

بتوع المخدرات عاملينلي نجوم مايكااااااااااات اسمع مني حكاية عيال واحد بكرش و اتنين شمال شماااااااااااااااال كاكك الشاو لو الشاو لو شمااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااال

و لا حبايبنا التانين جوز القرود المغمضين سارقين اسامه و سميره سعيد و يقولك احنا بتوع الجديد حتي عبد الباسط كمان سرقوه جورج و سوف كمان ما سابوه بتوع التنجيد بقي ليهم عين جوز القرود هما الاتنين ابو شنب خلاص بقي فنان الله يرحم ايام مكان يجلنا هنا و يقعد يعيط و يقول يا فيجو انا نفسي اتسيط عايز اتسيط يا حلاوه عايز اتسيط يا حالولي عايز اتسيط يا حلاوه عايز اتسيط يا حالولي )

A guy with a beard and a set of twins came to me in my dream (x2)

I said take it, take this advice rather than letting it become a scandal

Hey, tubby, you won’t handle it because you’re just a gossipy child

And I’m talking to the bucket

  Yeah it’s him, the guy with the glasses and beard (x2)

I’m the big man in this and I’m driving two donkeys (x2)

Well, come on, child, come on! That’s it!

  Right look, you three, you’re so annoying

It’s known where your limits are

If you cross me I’ll go and get you tied up in your house, you BLEEP

I’ve got you, stupid, I’ve got you so listen to this, listen to this

  The beard will finish the exorcism

Get the cucumber ready, tubby

That’s it and he’s chosen and has got with him two charming boys

Right, listen to what I’m saying, thief, spy, addict

Remember and don’t forget when they took you from the house

Tied up, you idiot

  You’ll live and you’ll die frustrated, and I’ll come in and give it to them again

You’re a drug addict, you mic stars (x2)

Listen to a story about some kids – one with a belly and two strays

We don’t love them, that pair of skinny monkeys

They stole from Osama, Samira Said, I’m telling you we are bringing that new shit

Even Abd el-Baaset, they stole from him too, and they didn’t leave George Wasoof

Tubby, that’s it, you’ve become an artist, may God rest your soul

In the old days they came to us, here, and sat crying and said

“Oh, Figo, I really want to become famous”

  I want to become famous, halawa, I want to become famous, halawi

I want to become famous, halawa, I want to become famous, halawi 

[fifteendolphins]

Tamaneya fil Miya - Ya Bint 3eyb 3alayki - Shame on You, Girl

مش حنقول أسامينا

الطحاوى

 عشان احنا عدينت

كام شاب قولتي عليه اخوكي

ع الياهو ضافوك

رقمك وسجلوكي

وفضلو يكلموكي كام واحد بيحبوكي وفي كلام حلو سمعوكي و يرغوا ويعشموكي هيجو يخطبوكي مشيو وسبوكي وضحكوا وجرحوكي تستهلي كل حاجة سبتيهم يشتغلوكي حقهم يثبتوكي للبيت يوصلوكي وفي وسط السكه ع عصير يعزموكي

بتسماعى فى أغانى, ليه مش بتذاكرى

بتسماعى فى أغانى، شعوذة، قال ايه بيسالوكى، و فى الآخر بتعانى

رومانسى ولا شعبى قال ايه بيهادوكى

و الله كده تستاهلى أهلك يرفضوكى

حلاقولك زلابطة و بتلعبى من طنطا

و نكمل الحكاية و نبوس إيد تانى معايا

واغاني رومانسيه قال ايه بيهدوكي

_____________

We're not going to say our names

Because we're done with that

Whoever asks you, it's Oka and Ortega

How many boys have you called brother

And added on Yahoo

How many numbers have you taken

And stayed talking to him (all the night)

How many boys love you? They make you hear a lot of things

They speak a lot and give you high expectations

He's going to come and engage you, then leave and walk away

They laughed at you and hurt you

You deserve everything you get, you let them do their thing

You let them have a hold over you

They took you back home, and on the way back stopped and bought you juice

You're listening to all these songs, why aren't you studying

You're listening to all these crazy songs, she says, and in the end you suffer

Romantic or shaabi, why do they make you so calm

Oh really, you completely deserve for your family to reject you

He's completely bald and you're playing from Tanta (?)

We'll continue the story and kiss another hand that's with us

[fifteendolphins]

Mahraganat in the mainstream media #2 

A slightly jarring appearance from Tamaneya fil Meya in a minced meat advert.

[fifteendolphins]

Mahraganat in the mainstream media #1

Maxibon advertisement

[fifteendolphins]

محمود الليثي سوق البنات - Muhammad El-Leithy - Sou' El-Banat

A song that pretty much anyone in Cairo will be familiar with due to its ubiquity on party boats

Very much evokes an old style mawwal in parts

[fifteendolphins]

Hoba - Shiribt Hagrayn 3ala Esh-sheesha (I Smoked Two Pots over the Sheesha)

مع توتو والسبع وويشا ويانى يانى يانى مش هعمل كده تانى

هوبا هوبا هوبا هوبا

وشربت حجرين على الشيشه

مع توتو والسبع وويشا

وخدنى جعران والكابتن وروحنا عن عماد فيشا ونزلت وانا ماشى فى الشارع شوفت اللى نازل ليه طالع فضلت ماشى مع نفسى وقولت اشوف الى فى نفسى اروح ادور اروح ادور اروح ادور على نفسى ويانى يانى يانى من الحجر الاولانى  طب يانى يانى يانى ولعت الحجر التانى شوفت تعلب كان بينط كان بيلعب ويا البط وشوفت ديك كان شايل فيل شوفت نمله ديلها طويل انا قولت اشرب تانى حجرين  شوفت الواحد بقوم اتنين والله واشتغلت واشتغلت اروح ادور اروح ادور اروح ادور على نفسى يانى يانى ياني مش هعمل كده تانى

اه ياني ياني ياني مش هعمل كده تاني

وقابلنى قطر يا عم البيه غصب عنى اناا دوست عليه انا مش عارف ايه الى انا فيه والى انا قولتو ده يطلع ايه واتهيقلى ان انا فى بولاق واللى شايفها كات وراق اوعو تقولو دماغى مش فيا  ديه الوراق جنب المنوفيه اروح ادور اروح ادور اروح ادور على نفسى يانى يانى يانى مش هعمل كده تانى

ياني ياني ياني

مش هعمل كده تاني

وشربت حجرين على الشيشه

مع توتو والسبع وويشا

وخدنى جعران والكابتن وروحنا عن عماد فيشا ياني ياني ياني مش هعمل كده تاني ياني ياني ياني مش هعمل كده تاني هوبا هوبا هوبا هوبا

With Toto, Sab3a and Wisha!

Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

I won’t do that again

I smoked two pots over the shisha

With Toto, Sab3a and Wisha

  Ge3ran and Captain brought me and we went to 3amad Fisha

I got off and I was walking in the street

I saw the person who was getting off – why was he going up and down?

I stayed walking with myself and I said I saw something in myself

I’m going, I’m searching, I’m going, I’m searching

  Oh my God! Oh my God!

  From that first pot

Well, oh God

I lit the second pot

  I saw you playing, he was jumping up and down

He was playing with a duck

I saw a turkey carrying an elephant

And I saw an ant with a long tail

  I said I smoked the other pot

I saw the person slit in half

  Really now, it’s working, it’s working

  I’m going, I’m searching, I’m going, I’m searching

Oh god, Oh God, Oh God

I won’t do that again

Oh god, I won’t do that again

  And then a train mate, oh yes, my man

It came across me and stepped onto it

I don’t know what’s inside me

And who said that was in Warra’ (area on the outskirts of Cairo)

I mean to tell you that my head isn’t in me

This is Warra’ and it’s beside Manufiyya (area beside Alexandria)

  I’m going, I’m searching, I’m going, I’m searching

Oh my God, Oh my God

  I won’t do that again

  Oh my God, Oh my God

  I won’t do that again

  (Repeat from the top)

[fifteendolphins]

Tamaneya fil Meya (8%) - El 3elba Dahabiyya (The Golden Box)

طول عمره راجل كان ملوى هدومه عدل ورايق من اول يومه وفى ليله حمرا ، والدنيا ضلمه حصلتله صدمه وقال ده عادى يوووووووووووووووووووووووووه وهى جنبه فى ليله بمبى قالتله صينى قالها هندى ، طفى النور رشى بخور يلا قوام هنهد الدور وبعد ثوانى فضل فى مكانه محلك سر تقولش جعر بصتله بصه مابعدها بصه لاقيته قطه قالها لا انا وحش الشقه بلاها خمور وطفى النور مش ههد الدور وقابل صاحبه وقالى اصلى قاله مالك فى ايه يا صاحبى بصله بحسره وفى عينه كسره التانى فهم انه من الاسره وبكل شفقه قله عادى فى ايه يا صاحبى كان يوماتى متشلش هم وكفايه غم نفض وكبر فى حلاتى  بس الاهم والمهم اسمع كلامى روح قوام ، خلى الحوار قوام يتلم قبل الفضيحه ارشى المدام وده كان قاعد حالته حاله بص لقى اعلان زباله سعاده زوجيه فى اللعبه ديا على ايه 0900 ضحك وقال اخيرا فرجت انا انهارده هنام وانا هثبت  راح وطالب والميه شارب وراح بسرعه على الاوضى قالب وده دخل قط وداخل يفط وقال هجرب والى هيقرب وراح مسرب ولاااااا ثغرتله ثغره شافته بقرة قالتله عيب يا راجل مش كل مررررررره وراح لسيد صاحبه حبيبى اخر يوم كان من نصيبه فتحت جامعته وسالها فين قالتله جوه نايم فى سريرة تخنله صوته ودخل عليه ، متخشى يا بطة هاهاهاها عمل عبيط وساب البيت لما دخل عنده البيت بكل كسوف بصله بخوف قام قايله انا عندى ظروف المدام بتشوفنى خروف اعمل ايه ده انا نفسى اشوف عوجها عليه وقاله يا بيه هقولك حل انما ايه مافيش مرازيه فى اللييله ديا بص عليا انا هعمل ايه  كل ده وحلك بسيط فتح الدرج طلع شريط مكتوب عليه العلبه الدهبيه ، قاله بده هتبقى 100 100 ماشى والعلبه فى جيبه فرحان خلاص هيدارى عيبه دخل البيت وقلبه حديد واخد فى نفسه معاه الشريط طلع الشريط وخد حبايه فجاه شاف اسد فى البيت ، شاف نفسه عامل حكايه حس نفسه بجد شديد فجاه شاف اسد فى البيت ، فجاه شاف اسد فى البيت ولعى النور وطفى النور واداها بخور ده اتاخد دور العلبه الدهبيه من 1 ل 100 

(http://forum.3l2ahwa.com/showthread.php?t=1277)

All his life, a man fit his clothes nice and snug

Nothing could go wrong, and he was at ease from the very beginning

On a red night, the world was dark

He had a shock but said it was alright

Yawwwwwa!

She was beside him on the pink night. She asked if he was Chinese – he said he was Indian

He put out the light, lit the incense and said to try it all again

And after some seconds, he stayed in his place - it’s a secret but don’t say that he’s a fool!

She looked at him with a piercing look, and then found that she found out that he was a cat

He said to her, no!, I’m the beast of this apartment! Leave the wine, put out the light, we’re not going to try again

  Then he met his friend and he told me “What’s up? Did you show yourself well?” He looked at him with heartbreak and his eye was broken.

The other one understood that it’s coming from his family

And in his pity he said to him “For me it was a daily thing, don’t give it a care, enough of your worries, put it behind you”

But the really important thing: “Listen to what I’m saying, go quickly, take control before the controversy erupts, bribe the woman”

  After that he was sitting in his sorry state and came across an advert of a happy trash man with in his marriage because of this box.… call 0900!

He laughed and said “Finally! It’s happened, I’ll sleep well and prove myself”

  He went and phoned, then he downed the water and then quickly launched himself into the room

(Woman) A cat came into the room hopping, and he said I’ll try whatever gets near me – then he leaked! He didn’t take anything, of course

She gave him an almighty look and saw him a cow

She said to him “That’s bad, don’t do that every time!”

  Sayyid’s dear friend went to him

The last day was his victory

His wife opened the door and he asked here “Where?” and she said “Inside, sleeping in his bed”

  His voice got bigger and came over him – “Don’t get scared, duck! Ha Ha Ha Ha!”

He played the fool and left the house when all that embarrassment came over him.

He looked at him with fear, he got up and said:

”I have a situation. The wife is looking at me like a sheep”

  What do I do? That’s what I really want to know.

  He unloaded his lengthy experience on him and said,

“Oh, rich man, I’ll tell you a solution that’s the bomb!

There won’t be any reminder of the unpleasantness on this night

Look at me and what I’m going to do”

After all of that, your solution is so simple! He opened the drawer and brought out a sheet of medicine

Written on top of the golden box, it said “After you start, you’ll become absolutely perfect!”

  He left, and the box brought him happiness, that’s the unpleasantness over with

He went into the house with his new woman, striding and with him the sheet

He took out the sheet, took a pill – and then a shock! There’s a lion in the house! He looked at himself as part of a tale and felt that was he was so bloody serious

  Oh shit! There’s a lion in the house! Oh shit! There’s a lion in the house!

He lit the light and put it out and she thought that the he had been taken over

The golden box – takes you from 1 to 100!

[fifteendolphins]

Tamaneya fil Meya (8%) - Ana Aslan Gamed (I'm Really Tough)

اوكا : ايش تبغى تكون حصرى واصلى بوراك تشوف وتئامن الشرق هم حسود انزل من فوق وشوف الثانى اتحدى الاصل اتحدى الاصل هوا احنا معاكو مش ناو يتحدى الاصل بالتلكس ونزلت معاكو ميدان اورتيجا: قصدت الباب ونازل قدام بيت الجيران  واحدة عملتلى عمل على الارض وعلى الحيطان  وانا ماشى واخد بالى وعملت فيه عبيط  مضمنش اللى يجرالى يمكن يجيلى عفريت ومشيت من طريق تانى علشان اشوف بقى حالى انا راجل رايح شغلى وعايز اجمع مالى الناس عايزة ايه الناس بتعمل ايه عين صفرا والتانية حمرا قولولى اعمل ايه ياطاهرة يام الحسن يام الحسن والحسين عين الحسود والحسد يكفينا شر العين اللى مش ناويلى الخير واللى عايزلى الشر والتانى بيضرب بص لفوق وبيتمنالى القر  وعملنا عقدة لناس بعد مكانو الاساس ارقام على التلفون العاقل والمجنون اللى يشتم يتريق واللى بيشكر بجنون  عينى ليلى ليلى سيدى ليلى ليلى  وزة: واحد عمال بينق ويقول دة عندو وعندو ايشى 100 ومليون وبينقل للى جمبه دة كلام الناس كتير دة كلام الناس بيحسد  الزن ع الودان بيقرب مش بيبعد انا درويش وماشي ماشي فنور الله واللي معاه ربه

عمره فيوم ما تاه

(Oka)

What do you want to be – exclusive and original

Behind you the East sees and feels safe in their jealousies

Come down from there and see the other guy

The original challenges, and we are with you

We don’t intend to challenge the original by Telex

And I went with you to (Tahrir) square

  (Ortega)

I went for the front door and reached the front of the neighbour’s house

And there, on the ground and the wall, someone had written my curse

Then I went on walking, took my attention somewhere else, and played the fool

I’m not sure who did it, but maybe it will bring me demons

So I took a different road to stick to my business – I’m just a guy who’s going to work to earn his pay

  What do people want! What are people doing!

The evil eye here, the eye of envy there!

Oh, Sayyida, tell me what to do, Oh Hassan and Husayn

Oh, protect us from the eye’s evils

The eye that doesn’t wish well upon us, only evil

And the other is hitting – look above! – he’s wishing me poverty

And we felt peculiar towards the people, after they were our base

I’ve got numbers of the crazy and the normal on my phone

People that make fun and curse

And people that are crazily thankful

  (Wezza)

Someone’s going on and on, and saying he’s got this and that

Oh, what’s that, one million one hundred – and he moves it beside him

People talk a lot, that’s jealous talk

The irritating buzz in my head isn’t going away, it’s getting closer

  I’m a crazy rambler and I’m walking on

Walking in the light of God

And the one who is with his god

His life won't get lost in a day

[fifteendolphins]

Taking a first look at mahraganat

A raucous, feverish scene as the music plays at mahraganat performer Sadat's wedding (storiesfromcairo.blogspot.com)

There was always one thing that I had my eye on from before I came to Cairo for my year of studying Arabic: the music scene. Initially my interest was piqued by the hip-hop in Cairo. I was drawn in by the near unanimous praise Arab and diaspora Arab rap has received from various magazines and newspapers where I come from, primarily for what is seen as it playing a role in the Arab Spring in voicing the concerns of the average revolutionary and Arab citizen living under tyrannic rule, and perhaps myself seeing an easily applicable Arabic corollary for the Western hip-hop that I have loved for many years. There are many things that I love about Egyptian hip-hop: the utter ease with which the lyrics in Egyptian dialect flow from the emcee, the ferocity with which it critiques the authorities, the international spread that it has managed to achieve, and that it is integrating and collaborating with hip-hop artists from other parts of the Middle East and the Arab diaspora. 

MC Deeb (above) has been prolific and has taken his music outside of Egypt

Before I arrived, I saw myself spending a lot of time exploring this scene of Cairo. But then I realised that it, really, isn't the kind of genre I thought it was. I had in my head a romanticised image of an Arab Public Enemy, with the rappers being people who lived directly in the circumstances they rapped about and attracting a large following as the result of ordinary people's concerns being articulated in rhythm and rhyme. But this is not the case. A lot of the hip-hoppers in Cairo hail from parts outside of Egypt, come from the more established middle classes, exude an image that is slightly foreign and unfamiliar and have an unmistakably Western sound to the music they make. This does not chime very strongly with the majority of ordinary Egyptians, it seems. I'm not saying that this makes the genre in this part of the world irrelevant or unworthy of examination, but I do think that, despite its earnest efforts, it cannot connect with its audiences quite in the way it would like and inspire a following like, for example in another resistance context, the radical Black Nationalist rap in the States did amongst blacks, Latinos and other marginalised groups. 

I didn't hear hip-hop as I walked through areas of Cairo which are very different from each other like Mohandiseen, Zamalek, Dokki, Downtown, Shoubra; I heard a sound that was infectious, oppressive and ubiqituous. The scooters, tuk-tuks, microbuses and boys and girl's mobile phones were all playing mahraganat ("festival") music.

Amr 7a7a (middle left) and DJ Figo (middle right) make up part of No Comment, a popular mahraganat group

The first thing that you are struck by when listening to it is the urge to move, dance, clap, grab a friend and just follow the music's fast rhythm, scruffy yet charming production with its emphatic drum machine-ing, high-pitched repititions and, of course, healthy dose of bass. It reminds me in certain ways of the techno hardcore that back in Britain which seems to follow similar production values in terms of pure sound. It is certainly loud (and Cairenes have a penchant for playing it so until the speakers crackle under the weight of too much bass) and it features something close to emceeing as we know in hip hop, but almost exclusively cloaked in the divisive Auto-Tune. The genre as a whole passionately divides opinion within Cairo, but that is something I will come to in a later post. 

Ahmed Adaweya, one of the founding fathers of modern shaabi

Mahraganat, unlike Egyptian hip-hop, is a genre of music that hails from the shaabi (working class) areas of Cairo like Matareya, Shoubra and Ain Shams. The people who live in such areas are poor, essentially left behind by their government, are prey to drugs and crime, have little opportunity for work. They live from hand to mouth and have to struggle to get by. But, they do, despite these challenges. And in this environment has proved throughout the previous decades to be a perfect starting ground for musicians that have shaken up the establishment and garnered passionate followings. Music named after these areas themselves, shaabi music, has a history that stretches back many decades and, in its most recognisable form, to the 70s when artists like Ahmed Adaweya and Shabaan Abd el-Rahim offered a radically different approach to music making that was at once controversial and immensely popular. In contrast to the greats like Umm Kulthum and Abd el-Halim Hafiz who specialised in long, winding poetic masterpieces that dealt heavily in abstract ideas and evoke a sound of a classic Egypt, the shaabi crowd sang about the mundanity of daily life with winding and emotional mawawil at the beginning of songs, and quite often feature lyrics that don't hold back (albeit through the scope of symbolism and metaphor, particularly due to the strict censorship in Egypt at the time) from talking about various vices and 'real' issues that Umm Kulthum and co. would not deal with.

Mahraganat can be seen in a similar light to the music in Egypt today. The greats are still immensely popular, as is the ultra-polished pop of Amr Diab and Tamer Hosny. Post-revolution, there has also been a lot of music on just that, revolution. But mahraganat is not any of these. It does not offer a sharp political critique that the revolution music does, it does not engender an appreciation from the older generations, and it isn't favoured by the traditional media (yet). Like shaabi before it, this is the music of the poor people of Cairo and Egypt. It speaks directly to everyday struggles and situations of a street life from people who have lived such lives in areas like Madinet el-Salaam and Matareyya, and this is precisely one of the reasons why it can be heard literally anywhere and everywhere in Cairo's myriad streets. It also acts as an avenue to vent these stresses, through manic performance and dancing at weddings and street performances.

Tamaneya fil Miya, another popular mahraganat group

At once it is Egyptian, but unlike shaabi before it, mahraganat also welcomes influences from further afield whilst still maintaining a unique identity. The language is unabashed, filled with curses (the language of the youth), takes on a rap feel from time to time whilst still retaining a sung nature. Some of the most viewed mahraganat songs on YouTube are quite often the ones that would most disturb, especially given that swearing is exceedingly rare to find in Egyptian music in the first place. A listener can spot sampling from reggae to deep boom-bap hip-hop, as well as shout outs to more classic songs like Delida's 1979 number "Helwa Ya Baledy" which was covered/sampled/reworked by Tamaneya Fil Meya's recent song of the same title. It can deal with a whole range of topics that are rare and also refreshing to find: drugs, sex, superstition, as well as whatever else is deemed worthy for comment. One of the biggest innovations that mahraganat has brought to the Egyptian music scene is its electronic sound. Some call it unskilled keyboard bashing, others a cheerfully improvisational and democratic (its easy for anyone to get started with a laptop and some basic software) approach to music making. And although mahraganat hasn't been able to make its way onto any big music channels or find radio airplay, it is starting to garner media attention (Tamaneya Fil Meya has appeared on several magazine shows, debate roundtables, quiz shows, and have performed their music). It is becoming 'cool' even for many outside of the working classes, and it is rapidly in the ascendency. 

I'll be posting translations of songs, further comment posts and other interesting tidbits on mahraganat on this blog. Keep on coming back.