Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Friday, September 28, 2012

Johnny "Metro" Keep On Making Them Hits


The guy sounds like an indie heart who cares about what he sees around him. His latest is a duet with a young lady where they are asking their listeners to befriend their trouble and sadness. This is a song that might be weird outside the Middle East--but in Arabic and in poetry they likes images, they pretend that anything that bothers them or pleases them is a person and then they can talk to that person.

I know this is strange, but it works and if done right it conveys great messages, and yes sometimes it can be cheesy. His label placed a huge investment in him and hope it translates to sales

His upcoming album Metro will feature a number of songs that sounds like they speak to the ones that has not been spoken to before. Johnny is a guy I am ready to like and have already wrote about few times on this blog.

Johnny - Edrab Sohobeya / جوني - إضرب صحوبية

Thursday, September 20, 2012

This Music Video Got 14 People Fired Gangnam Style



A group of the pool manager and 13 lifeguards who were dismissed from the local aquatic center for posting “Lifeguard Style,” a parody of the Korean pop hit “Gangnam Style.”The city had fired them for “a clear unauthorized use of city property” in making the video at the El Monte Aquatic Center in their lifeguard uniforms. Do you see a problem?

I think this is not a new problem, people do not understand how the internet works, and people who fired them do not understand that the world have changed. It's not an easy decision. People made a fun video and it went viral. I do take issue with them using the pool--but these things are meant all people to use. The mayor who fired them is now in hot water--he does not have the power to fire people as it turns out.

I think these people should be given their jobs, and they may get a slap in the wrist.

Lifeguard Style (Gangnam Style Remake)


PSY - GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V

Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Sheikh Who Listens To Metal Also Wants To Ban Elissa, Haifa, and Nancy


One religious Sheikh took to Twitter to attack some ladies who like to sing and made a career out of entertainment. Meet Fadel Suliman, a preacher who spreads the message of Islam took an interesting turn when he attacked three lead pop stars. (The story can be read here in Arabic)

Mr. Fadel admitted to liking Hard Metal in his youth he would go to concerts to enjoy this kind of heavy metal rock. However Heavy Metal Rock has a crappy name in Arabia as many marry it to devil worshiping. So the sheikh defended heavy metal and argued that going to concert for Elissa, Hiafa, and Nancy Ajram is closer thing to worshiping Satan.

The religious figure disagrees with people who want to ban Heavy Metal like the calls in Egypt now as some calls have been made to cancel concerts at the El Sawy Culture Wheel (more here). He defends his favorite kind of music yet attacks people for going to female concerts. Fadel belongs to the Muslim brotherhood and has made similar calls in the past about certain female singers. He has even doubled down and attacked other Lebanese songstress like Marwa and Nicole Saba.

Fafel Suliman is a Muslim preacher who comes to the United States and talks about Islam, he has authored a number of books on his religion of choice.

Why is making this case now and why is he only picking on entertainers form Lebanon are my questions.

إسلاموفوبيا - الإسلام انتشر بالسيف (بدون موسيقى)

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Pop Music Has Gotten Louder and Less Original


You know your dad's old buddies have always told you the music you listen to is too loud. Your old man told you about your favorite pop music "it's unoriginal" I think they might have been speaking some truth to you.

Because as we learn today about a computer analysis of nearly half-a-million songs recorded between 1955 and 2010 and reported in Nature Scientific Reports Thursday. “We have been able to show how the global loudness level of music recordings has consistently increased over the years,” study author Joan Serra of the Spanish National Research Council said in an email exchange.

Similarly, the team found the diversity of chords and melodies has “consistently diminished in the last 50 years”. “This yields a clear recipe for contemporising old songs: using more common chord changes, changing the song’s instrumentation, and record it louder,” said Serra.

The study spanned a variety of genres, including rock, pop, hip hop, metal and electronic. “Much of the gathered evidence points towards an important degree of conventionalism, in the sense of blockage or no-evolution, in the creation and production of contemporary Western popular music,” said the study.

I am sure Arabic pop is not much different, it has gotten a lot louder, thanks to Euro trash and house music invasion. Plus, the lyrics have been recycling for ages now, we just have to have a long term memory. At least, this is what science has concluded. I would add, thanks to having songs written by teams now, no longer would one person author one hit alone----it takes a village to doctor a good song.  

Sunday, July 8, 2012

This Is What Passes For Oriental Nights In Lebanon



This is the 6th time this music festival takes place in Lebanon! They bring only Lebanese singers to party with the massive crowds who are hungry for music and good times. I find most of the music acts have to say something or sing about Lebanon--a good place.

Nawal Al Zoghby put on a good dance show--she filmed it too for promotional purposes and a music video. Assi Hallani turned the heat up with his all Lebanese style, just see the folks dancing up as he sang away. Ramy Ayach owned the night even though he performed last--his fans would wait for this handsome devil and his new single "The Apple".

It seems that each of the festival appearances had a new summer single to treat their fans to at this large music festival knows as the oriental music festival. The festival had a a young up and coming singer Sabine who was featured on the festival to lure in the younger fans. Sabine relied on her outfit and dance movies to stand out.

P.S. MTV, the Lebanese TV network is the force behind this music festival--I tend not to approve of the MTV's political agenda, but their musical one is a different story.

عاصي الحلاني كواليس مهرجان الاغنية الشرقية السادس 2012


نوال الزغبي - كواليس مهرجان الاغنية الشرقيه السادس 2012


سارا الهاني - كواليس مهرجان الاغنية الشرقيه السادس 2012


رامي عيـاش كواليس مهرجان الاغنية الشرقية السادس 2012

Thursday, December 31, 2009

French Montana

rapper.French Montana was born in Morocco North Africa. At the age of 13 he immigrated with his mother and his little brother to the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx, leaving the rest of his family behind.In 2002 French Montana created the “Cocaine City” DVD imprint as a means to showcase his talent as an underground artist and a new voice from the New York streets. To gain a broader fan base, French incorporated interviews with major artists, as well as some up and comers. What started out as simply a medium for developing an audience quickly grew into one of the top selling “street DVD’s”, having sold nearly a million copies to date with national and international distribution.The international success of the DVD series helped to launch French’s rap career to an entirely new level. By creating and producing “Cocaine City,” French Montana evolved from an aspiring rapper in the streets of the Bronx, to the newest signee on platinum selling recording artist Akon’s record label, Konvict Music. By early 2009, French had flooded the streets with various mixtapes, including “Live from Africa,” “In Demand” with DJ Lazy K and “Laundry Man” with Evil Empire. His frequent collaborations with Harlem-bred rapper Max B have also helped keep a steady buzz, and helped fuel the success of the duo’s latest project, the mixtape/DVD combo “Coke Wave.” All togeather there have been 13 Cocaine City. DVDs as of 2009.WIKIPEDIA
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Amel Bent

Amel Bent, from its true name Bentbachir, was born on June 21, 1985 with Play-The-Turns (France) from an Algerian father and a Moroccan mother. She is initiated with the music by her cousin and, even if she never has took course of songs or musical theory, Amel manages to compose some melodies. But its principal preocupation remains the studies, in final S, it fails the vat proof. It then decides to try its chance in the emission of New television "Star". Thanks to its voice and its charisma Amel Bent allures the public and arrives until in half finale of this contest of song. The producers decides to give him his chance and it records in 2005 its first album: "One Day Of Summer". Each title is a true happiness of soul and R' B, and first individual "My Philosophy" rises quickly at the head of the sales and obtains a Victoire of the Music. In 2007, Amel Bent leaves its second opus, "A 20 Ans" from which individual "Nouveaux Français is extracted" which makes a paperboard.http://www.stars-celebrites.net
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Friday, November 6, 2009

Les Boukakes

Les Boukakes at WOMEX 2005Image by flykr via Flickr

Les Boukakes stand for music created in exile – for the perfect symbiosis of orient and occident. “Rock ‘n’ raï”, that’s how the six musicians from Algeria, Tunisia and France call their music style, a speedy mix of rock, raï, gnawa and châabi, which they catapulted within a few years from the streets and clubs of Montpellier onto the big festival stages and into the French radio charts.The success story of Les Boukakes starts in 2004 when they participated in the well known music competiton Printemps de Bourges. Celebrated as the new discovery of the festival, the European TV channel ARTE produces a documentary on the band touring throughout Europe and sharing the stages with famous musicians such as Manu Chao, Natacha Atlas, Rachid Taha or Femi Kuti.The exciting year 2005 was rounded up by the release of their second album Bledi which promptly resulted in an invitation to the biggest international World Music fair Womex in Newcastle, UK. With their fantastic concert – which the British magazine fRoots called the “Womex Hit” – Les Boukakes did not only convince numerous festival organisers but also made the rock legend Robert Plant dance and headbang to their music. A USA tour and many concerts at the biggest European World Music festivals followed. Finally the year 2006 culminated in a nomination for the BBC World Music Award 2007. After two successful years of touring Les Boukakes went back to the studio to work on their new album. On August 15th 2008 their third album "Marra" was released.Sourse http://www.atlasmusicpro.com
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Saturday, October 24, 2009

EMAD BATAYEH

Emad was bor on October 3rd 1982, to a loving Jordanian family. Emad is the youngest of six wonderful sisters. It was not long after Emad was born, that he grew a remarkable passion for his music. Emad watched his father, who was also a musician, play the keyboard and followed in his footsteps. At the age of 5, he was know as the "kid genius". trouhht tv and parties he attended. Soon after he became a keyboard player for most of the local singers.

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Amal Maher

Amal Maher is one of the rising, talented Egyptian young singers.Amal Maher grew up with only one sound Oum Kalthoum’s. Seduced by “Essit” art, she dreamed of a heady singing career. It was her husband, Mohamed Diae” who gave her the opportunity to achieve her childhood dream by proposing her a song and a music video. “Ely Binak W Binha” was a great success and was aired on all music TV Channels earning Amal Maher the recognition she sought and huge sales on her album.

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

Saber el Rubai

Tunis Zitouna Great MosqueImage via Wikipedia

The Tunisian singer Saber el Rubai has a very nice voice. He is very elegant, sensitive and honest with himself and with his audience. He was born on the 12th of March in Tunisia. He started singing when he was twelve years old, encouraged by his family for his father played the Oud and his brother was a singer. Besides singing, Saber plays the Oud and the violin.He started the singing as his profession at 17 years old impressed by great singers among which Mohammad Abd El Wahab, Abd El Kader El Asaly, Wadih Al Safi, Abd El Halim Hafez, Karem Mahmoud. Saber composed some of his songs’ melodies among which the song “Word” (Kalima) with an outstanding rhythm. His work with Hilmi Baker, Salah El Charnoubi and Dr Abd El Rab Idriss was a great success. Great singers such as Sayyed Makkawi and Warda were very impressed by his voice.

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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

May Kassab

Maii Kassab was born in 8th December 1981. Born in Tanta, a city which is the capital of gharbeyya province. Maii born in an artistic family somehow. Her father was a lawyer and at the same time was an author also he was an active member in author´s union in Cairo. Her father was a good fan to most of famous music artists and he lived this music until he discovered maii´s talent. Her mother was a teacher and at the same time was a very good music fan. Her elder sister was the same somehow, even used to sing in school and she was a good singer too. Her elder brother was the only different music fan in the family as he was a fan to western music bands also he was a vocal in a small band in Tanta but this ended so fast. Rest at http://www.nogomi.com/biography.asp?ID=162

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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Jil Jilala

Gnawa musicians in MoroccoImage via Wikipedia

Jil Jilala is a Moroccan musical group which rose to prominence in the 1970s among the movement created by Nass El Ghiwane and Lem Chaheb. Jil Jilala was founded in Marrakech in 1972 by performing arts students Mohamed Derhem, Moulay Tahar Asbahani, Sakina Safadi, Mahmoud Essaadi, Hamid Zoughi and Moulay Abdelaziz Tahiri (who had just left Nass el Ghiwane). In 1974, they released their first record Lyam Tnadi on the Atlassiphone label. It was only a matter of time before Leklam Lemrassaa, Baba Maktoubi, Ha L'ar a Bouya, Jilala, and Chamaa became popular classics.In 1976 they wrote Laayoune Ayniya about the Green March. The song becomes almost a national anthem that is chanted when Moroccans from all over the country marched as one towards the Moroccan Sahara, then occupied by Spain.Contrary to Nass El Ghiwane, who were primarily influenced by the Gnawa music, Jil Jilala took their inspiration from other form of traditional Moroccan music like the Malhun, sung in a classical and old form of Moroccan Arabic, or the spiritual music of Jilala, a traditional sufi brotherhood. The goal of these groups was the rejuvenation of traditional Moroccan music.he Eighties saw the coming of the wonder gnaoui Mustafa Bakbou from the formation Tiq Maya. Bakbou, sometimes written as "Baqbou" is considered to be the number one Gnawa musician of Africa!Although Jil Jilala have had a lesser influence on the Moroccan music as did Nass el Ghiwane, they have brought much novelty to it. For years it seems that the line-up changed with the seasons. We see the leave and return of Sakina Safadi and also Mustafa Bakbou set out to return again. Even Tahiri will leave the group to return 10 years later. Just a few months before Mohamed Derham, heart of the group, left.Derham, today, works in a communication agency. Mustafa Bakbou now has his own group GnAwA, including wife and children, continuing the very old tradition to keep the fire burning from father to sons and daughters. Since 2006 Jil Jilala are recording and performing together with Uve Muellrich and Marlon Klein of Germany's Dissidenten.
Jil Jilala was found before lemshaheb, it was the second band after Nas elghiwan, and Moulay Abdelaziz Tahiri was a member founder of nas elghiwan, he later joined jil jilala. He was not a founder of this band. Nass El Ghiwane, were not influenced by the Gnawa music,they were influenced by Al majdoub folk music which was put on the Casablnca theatre by Attayeb Seddiki.The play was called " Sidi Abed arrahman Almajdoub". On the other hand, Jil Jilala was influenced by Gnawa music, which was displayed daily at the main square " Jamma el Fana", later on after Moulay Abdelaziz Tahiri joined the band, they went on exploring " El Malhoun" which is a great deal for people of Marrakech. As per the different reunion by some of Jil Jilala members, it was due to Derhem amd Moulay Abdelaziz Tahiri who were the only productive, the others have great voices and great singing ability, but could not compose nor write lyrics.The standards were always high. Derhem and Moulay Abdelaziz Tahiri expected more refined projects, while the others were after the financial gain. Nass El Ghiwan appeled to mass due to their simplistic tunes and lyrics, not complexion in rhythm or melodies.

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Saturday, June 20, 2009

Khaled

Khaled Hadj Brahim (Arabic: خالد حاج ابراهيم‎, born 29 February 1960), better known as Khaled, is a raï singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Sidi-El-Houari in Oran Province of Algeria. He began recording in his early teens under the name Cheb Khaled (Arabic for "Young man Khaled") and has become probably the most internationally famous Algerian singer. His popularity has earned him the unofficial title "King of Raï".WIKIPEDIA

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Friday, June 19, 2009

SaidaFikri

Saida Fikri
( سعيدة فكري ) is a Moroccan singer-songwriter well known in North Africa and Western Europe for expressing powerful personal and social themes in an original, cosmopolitan style of music.

Saida’s eclectic songs combine elements of rock, blues, jazz, folk, pop, country and reggae, but all with a subtle Middle Eastern touch. The ‘eastern’ traces in Saida’s music include gnawi, rai, chaabi, Andalusian, Berber and classical Arabic rhythms. Her lyrics are written in the Moroccan dialect of Arabic, French, and English.

The result of this global fusion is one of a kind : Saida has taken in the best of the world’s musical traditions, yet she doesn’t sound like anyone else in the world.

In terms of orchestration, Saida’s repertory can be divided into two kinds. On the one hand, ‘big’ songs like “Zmane Naga” and “Ait Mankhabbi” are supported by numerous instruments and backup singers. Their ‘fast’ and exciting rhythms always inspire the audience to sway and dance along.

On the other hand, Saida is also a master of the ‘small’ and ‘quiet’ song in the style of Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell, performed solo with a guitar, or sometimes as a duet with another acoustique instrument. The best example of this genre is the much loved “Misiria” , a blistering attack on the indifference and hypocrisies of fatcats and corrupt officials. Or in the words of Mohamed Lotfi, a journalist for Radio Canada, "One voice, one guitar and words which bluntly portray a society where injustice, inequality and patriarchical abuse of power are still the rule".

Saida’s music is thus not just music. It is also something serious, conveying complex emotions and social statements. Her music displays a special concern for the hardships, struggles and suffering of the ordinary people of Morocco. There are nostalgic meditations on the experiences of emigrants. There are elegies to the forgotten people of society. There are cries for justice. There is social criticism. In other words, Saida is a principled artist whose principles are justice, truth, and honesty. Asked "what does Saida sing?", a young man of 18 at a Saida Fikri concert in Rabat replied, "She sings about our problems".

Saida Fikri is also a social pioneer in the Middle East and North Africa. Normally, a female singer in this part of the world performs the songs written for her by men. But Saida not only sings, but also writes her own outspoken lyrics, composes her own music and performs with the guitar. In fact, Saida was the first Moroccan woman to appear in public holding a guitar.

This troublemaker, a native of Casablanca, grew up listening to the songs of Joan Baez, Dolly Parton and Bob Dylan. She started playing the guitar at age of 8 and wrote her first song at 12. She soon found herself in the formal study of music at the Conservatory of Casablanca. Her musical career of tackling her country's biggest taboos took off in 1994 with her debut album “Nadmana”, at a time when the freedom of expression was still limited, well before the political liberalisation started by the current king.Her music being an immediate commercial success, it was not long before Saida was touring all over Morocco and Europe. The government of Belgium invited her to sing as the representative of the modern North African woman, a performance before tens of thousands in Brussels’s Great Square. Saida has also performed at the prestigious Paradiso club in Amsterdam, a presitigous venue reserved for big international stars. In April of 2008, Saida and her group of 5 musicians went on her first North American tour, performing on stage in New York, Boston, Washington DC (the Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre) and Montreal (Kola Note).
At the concert held on 20 May 2008 in Morocco’s capital city of Rabat for the Mawazine International Music Festival, Saida performed before a cheering crowd of over 30,000 who sang along with her and recited her repertory word for word.http://www.saidafikri.net/

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Friday, June 12, 2009

Jannat Mahid

Singing was in her blood since she was 5 years old, unlike children in her age playing with dolls; she used to listen to Umma Kalthoum, Abd El Wahab & many other great singers, she is the Star Jannat. She was raised in her family with her 3 brothers, where she wasn't just the only girl, but the youngest. She was always surrounded by their care and attention since she was the youngest & by this attention her family noticed that her ear in listening wasn't interested in kids’ songs as the kids in her age, she used to choose heavy songs and she started singing those songs. Her family then started supporting her specially her mother, who had herself a beautiful voice, but she only used it in singing for the family or in the family events. When she was 8, she participated in a singing competition in Morocco & stood on stage with a band and audience. Despite she was very young, she had no fear. Not only that, she won the first place in this competition. After that she participated in another 3 competitions in morocco & she one the first place, 1 in Alexandria & she also won the first place and the last one before she started her album was in Dubai shopping & tourism festival "Mahragan El Seyaha Wel Tasawok" & she also won the first place. She was then invited by Dr. Ratiba El Hefni as a guest of Horner to sing in the opening of the Arabic music Festival in the Opera. She paused for a while until she graduated from marketing. From there she started taking singing as a career & not just a talent; in 2004 she launched a single song in a Clip named "Efhamny Habibi". During that time the producer Ahmed Desouki was looking for new voices to introduce, he liked her voice so much & signed with her in 2005, since then, they had been working on her first album with Good News for Music "Elly Beiny W Beinak" till it had been launched in July 2006, it took them a year and a half preparing this album, as the producer Ahmed Desouki wanted her album to be a hit, it took them a lot of time & effort. It was really a hit. She shot "Aktar men sana" as the clip and the audiences say that her voice is so tender & warm & her feelings are high & this is reflected on the songs & her voice. The album has a total of 10 songs, a mix between love, sadness & being hurt & songs to show a strong woman. She's also shot another song from her album called "Bahebak" with the director Mohamed Gomaa. She launched two singles in Collection “Good News Vol-1” called “Habeby Ala Neyato” & “Alek Beeh” in July 2008. She is now working with Producer Ahmed El Desouki on their second album together which will be released on 2009.

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Oumeima El Khalil

32/365 (Alternate): Sing a Song of SixpenceImage by hyperbolic pants explosion via Flickr

Born in Al Fakiha in 1966, Oumeima El Khalil started her career as a singer at twelve. She lived in an art-loving family; this is how she was discovered at an early age in the singing world.
El Khalil pursued her secondary studies in the Bekaa, and then moved to Beirut where she studied music theory and vocal techniques.
Meeting Marcel Khalifé at an early age was a good occasion for Oumeima to venture into the world of singing as it gave her the opportunity to sing as a solo in his "Al Mayadin" band where she showed a high level of professionalism in the domain.
The 12-year old girl had her own songs that she interpreted worldwide for over 27 years at high-level concerts in which Marcel Khalifé and his band participated.

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Friday, May 29, 2009

Koor195

Koor is one of the pioneer singers who made oriental rock music a commercial music in Arab world that is why his fans called him (King Of Oriental Rock), actually he is composing and writing most of his songs trying to make a new image for the oriental music to reach the global music classifications.
Koor had a bachelor degree in interior designing engineering and started music Professionalism year 1997 after he returned from U.S.A with a lots of English rock concerts in Egypt after that he launched his first Arabic rock album (Ayesh Amir) year 2001 and recently he released his second Oriental Rock album (DownTown - Wust El balaad) Aug 2007 and more than 7 unique music videos since 2002.sourse web KOR195

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Monday, May 25, 2009

Azam Ali

Azam Ali was born in Iran but spent most of her early years in India before moving to the US in the mid eighties. She is a vocalist of astonishing diversity with a range covering music from the mediaeval European to the classical Eastern - Persian, Lebanese and Indian.In November 1995, along with Greg Ellis, Ali formed Vas, producing four albums: Sunyata (1997), Offerings (1998), In The Garden Of Souls (2000), and Feast of Silence (2004).In 2002 she released her first solo album, Portals of Grace, which saw her expand her repertoire even farther and prove her to be equally as adept in singing in 13th century French-Provençal, Galician and Ladino as she is in Arabic.In 2005, Ali worked on a new project called Niyaz with solo artist Carmen Rizzo and Axiom of Choice member Loga Ramin Torkian. Its self-titled album, Niyaz features Ali’s vocals sung in Urdu and Farsi, backed up by more electronica-style music.In June 2006, Ali released her latest solo album, Elysium For The Brave, where she includes English singing in her repertoire.LAST.FM

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Mohamed Nour


Mohamed Nour : Was born on January 18th in Cairo . His handsome looks and strong physique have made him very popular with the ladies and turned him into an admired heartthrob with the fans. However, his looks do not undermine his passion and talent for music. His love for the violin and the passion of his lyrics are all indications of a very talented artist. Mohamed is one of the founders of the band and is considered the vocal power behind it. His participation at an early age in international concerts, playing alongside big stars like Rachid Taha and Cheb Khaled, has added value and experience and has helped him mature into a serious artist. He looks up to Mohamed Abdel Wahab and Michael Bolton. His goal is to reach people with his music, and with it, reach the heights of fame.

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