Today is the 13th of February… I know this very well. But there’s some sort of occasion… some sort of event tomorrow that we really really can’t ignore! what is it again?! OOOOH yes! Its Valentine’s day!!!! :D
Yes! I can see the eyes of some of your rolling with anger, boredom or disinterest! “It’s a commercialised celebration” some will say …. “I don’t need a a day to remind her/him that I love them” other would scream at me when reading this! HOWEVER, Teddy bears, genetically modified roses and red cards aside, this occasion in its essence is another beautiful day to show love! Not just to a loved one! It could be to your loved one, your family, your country, your belief, something you love and cherish and a lot more!
We do however focus our music in this lovely day on things to do with romantic relationships and this year we went for a completely crazy twist!
Anyone who is Arabic, knows Arabs, appreciates Arabic culture or even visited an Arabic country will understand how emotional we are! They would also understand that the biggest icon of Arabic romance and love EVER is the genius Egyptian singer, Abdel Halim Hafez!!! One of the icons of classical Arabic music….
Classical did he say?! How does this relate to the constantly Electrofied Funkyfied world of DJ Funky Pharaoh and Funky Pharaoh Music?! Well…here’s the challenge! This release which is titled LUV HALIM-A-FIED consists of TWO tracks!
1. LUV HALIM-A-FIED [Classic Mix] : A selection of some of the most beautiful and romantic Abdel Halim Hafez love verses put together in a really really emotional medley (Remember, here there is NO remixing involved!! It’s all about the music selection and the words and melodies)
2. Ala Ad EL Sho’ [Funky Pharaoh DUBSOUL Remix] : Here things get a little interesting and very edgy / dangerous! This particular song is not just an icon from Abdel Halim’s catalogue but an icon for Romantic Arabic music in general… So what happens when we add a LITTLE dubstep, a little glitch, a little electro and completely chop it up??!
Let’s wait and see!
One important thing to mention however, As this Valentine’s is following just before a weekend… and as majority of you may be waiting for Friday or Saturday to celebrate….and in true Funky Pharaoh crazy manner! I shall NOT announce a release date yet lol it could drop on the 14th, 15th or 16th ;)
Now go buy some flowers, a present, some lovely food and get ready to enjoy Valentine’s with a loved one this weekend!
I’ve always been a fan of all forms of performance art that is a little unique.
I LOVE it when a band or an artist or a group of some sort give me something unexpected….different….something that stands out but in a good way!
Today I’m gonna present you with a very very special group out of our beloved country of Egypt and this is a group called “THE PERCUSSION SHOW”.
The Percussion Show are a number of drummers / percussionist who present their music by fusing a whole lot of different sounds and inspirations from Afro-beats to flamenco to Latin and a little more!
The reason I wanted to spotlight them today is because they are the epitome of the rule that states:
“A true musician and band player will always love the sound of the whole band more than the sound of his individual drum”
Majority of Arabic music fans (whether they enjoy his music or not) are always excited to check out Tamer Hosny’s albums! Maybe because they like his music, maybe because they just want to criticize the guy, maybe because they disagree with his social or political views and wish to use his music as a portal to take shots at him, or maybe because they are Arabic music fans and wish to give him a fair chance!
No matter which of these groups you belong to, you need to admit that you WILL sit down and you WILL give it at least ONE listen!
On the other side, 2011/2012 have not been the smoothest of rides for the star! After the release of his last album “Elli Gai Ahla” which I personally thought was a very good record, he seems to make a string of wrong choices, from his disappearance on a North African tour which seemed too long to the terrible collaboration with Shaggy to Snoop’s collaboration which never even saw the light of day.. things were not at their best! (and that’s a polite way of putting it)
However, after alllll the trouble that has occurred it seemed that Tamer is back in Egypt, back with the record company that made him and made his best hits in his golden era (FreeMusic Egypt and Mr. Nasr Mahroos) and from the samples and exclusive tracks I got sent by FreeMusic last night, it seems that he is back as focused as we always wanted him to be!
Now, it has been confirmed that Tamer plans to release his next studio album, ” Bahibak Enta ” on Valentine’s day!
With a big list of lyricists, composers and producers can the dynamic duo of Tamer Hosny and Nasr Mahroos bring back some much needed glory for the him???
It seems literally like yesterday that I was gearing up excitedly about printing and dropping our first Mix Compilation “The Pharaohmatik Theory” . That PROMO-ONLY CD flew out before we could teach you how to pronounce the tongue twisting title…. and it really made me smile when I saw people wanting it, emailing me about it, fighting over it, blasting it our of their cars in London and other cities and even going to the extreme of burning their own and printing their own covers lol (Bilal in Sharm El Sheikh I see you :p ) !
A year later, a lot more mixes, more mash ups and more adventures… now we are ready to send off for part TWO :D
The Pharaohmatik Theory 2 has just gone off to the duplication factory people!!1
It contains FIVE of our favorite mixes from last year all mixed in together into one bass blasting compilation. These are:
1. MMXIII
2. Tiesto Vs Tamer
3. Día Del Faraón
4. Guetta Vs Diab
5. Sinai Dreams
I will be taking loads of these to our gigs and journeys in Feb and March. But if you think that you truly deserve one, tell us why..and we will post you one to your home as well as a sticker pack and some goodies ;)
Before I begin with this review I would like to declare some very important things:
1. I’m a big fan of Elissa and will always be. I really appreciate her innovative musical style and her desire to push the boundaries and challenge herself a little more with every release.
2. If this review sounds harsh or angry, it’s because I have love for our music and would like to see things done properly and not feel that we are always inferior to what happens in the west….
_________________________________________________
The release of Elissa’s album, “Asaad Wahda” this summer has been one of the landmarks of Arabic music in 2012. Mainly because album releases since the start of the Arab spring in various countries have been dwindling in a painful way..and secondly because in the last 6 years, Elissa had managed to release a number of very successful albums and then took a long two-year hiatus while working on this one… We were all thrilled to see what she will come out with.
The album was released and it did extremely well … almost 6 months after its release it still sits in the top 5 in most Arabic music physical and online stores…and then two days ago…. the video for the lead single “Asaad Wahda” surfaced on TV and online.
Now whether you like it or like to admit it or not…. by listening to Asaad Wahda, it is very easy to realize that the song has strong Electro inspirations. Yes the strings section was very Arabian, yes Mohamed Yehya gave us a great Egyptian melody…but Tamim (The song’s producer) was in an Electro mood! You’d therefore assume that naturally, the video should adapt or at least fit in that style of music to make this a pleasant experience for the listener (and the person who is watching alike).
First Mistake - The Director’s Choice….
The most natural thing to do if you are delving into an unknown field is to do your research. This does not apply to music or arts only but to literally EVERYTHING.
It seems that director, Salim El Turk was completely unsure of how to deal with an Electro / House inspired track and hence decided that the safest option is to inspire a little bit of everything trendy! Simple rule: Jack of all trades … Master of NONE. Here he decides to start off with some 3D animation extravaganza (a cheaper version of Mostafa Amar’s Monaya video) then into a completely dismantled club scene (a cheaper version of Amr Diab’s Banadeek Taala) followed by a rather random, cheap and unfinished session of green screen activities that looks like it WAS done on a green screen…. completely defeating the purpose of the technique :s
It is such a heart breaking experience to watch this video and see that after all the heroic efforts done by some genius music producers we have in the Middle East like Tamim, Tooma, Hassan El Shafei… after all the efforts that WE did here at Funky Pharaoh Music to introduce people to the concept of [Electro.Arabian.House] on a bigger scale, after all the efforts done to convince our standard Middle Eastern artists to be brave enough to jump on such creative beats, that we are still faced with the difficulty of a suited person sitting behind an air conditioned desk in an Arabic record label thinking that HE / SHE knows best… and that the Arabian audience are not ready to see what the international EDM audience see.
We as workers in that industry and audience refuse to accept such insults to our intelligence….The most basic details were literally omitted here to make this a successful video… Let’s look at a few points!
1. How can THE SICKEST Bass drop in the whole song be visually translated to Elissa looking into a mirror and then doing an awkward orchestrated waltz dance???!
2. Who on this earth goes to club (supposedly playing house music!!!) wearing a swarovski drenched dress with a dude wearing a blazer with everyone dressed in formal wear?!!!
3. Which club have you ever been to where the DJ was not visible??!!
4. Why is there random kids running in a video for such a hard dance beat? and what is the relationship between the song and Elissa doing a Matrix Style walk on the walls in what seems to be an ancient temple?!
Please! Whoever is reading this and is involved in the decision making process in producing any artist to the world DO NOT insult out intelligence.
I remember vividly that Mohamed Hamaki asked Tamim and I to recommend to him the best possible sound engineer to mix and master “Min Albi Baghanni” because he wanted the music to never be compromised and wanted the Electro, House, and Glitchy style beats to come out just as the producers intended….I remember him telling me SPECIFICALLY that the “Nefsi Abaa Gambo” and “Hayoolo” remixes that will come out later this year inshallah should NOT be diluted… He asked me to go as hard as I wish for it to go!!! And THIS is the attitude we need…
Directors… PLEASE… before you embark onto the tricky job of bringing out a video of an Arabic artist who was brave enough to sing on top of House beat… do your research! Watch Guetta’s videos, Tiesto’s videos, KNOW what a club looks like and what DJ’s actually do in there (NOT put one hand on headphones and rub the decks… we DO NOT do that unless we simultaneously have ear pain while cleaning the decks looool) and DO NOT be afraid to push the boundaries…
And artists… do not be afraid to collaborate with young directors, producers, and writers…they might just give you the push you truly need….As for the record company dude, he’s very valuable indeed… listen to him! very carefully!!!! then do THE OPPOSITE!
LOOL with my rant now over, here’s the video… OPINIONS PLEASE!
2012 has been one of the most exciting years for us here at Funky Pharaoh Music. We’ve challenged ourselves by mixing the best of Arabic music with the craziest styles in beats in the beautiful world of EDM from Chilled House all the way to progressive!
It was only right that we start 2013 with a mix that spans across all of these genres and a little more! Allow us to introduce you to MMXIII : one hell of a Mash Up Marathon that sees DJ Funky Pharaoh jump between Hard House to ComplexElectro across to Moombahton, Moombahcore, Dubstep and even a tiny bit of trap, classical and opera! All by dropping various Arabic vocals across to create the ultimate [Electro.Arabian.House] mix!
Firstly, We would like to wish you a very very Happy new year! Hopefully the festive season is now officially over and you are ready with your resolutions to get and keep happy and healthy and fit and fabolous and all the rest of it… lol
I know that we have disappeared slightly in the last month of 2012 but this is for two valid reasons! Firstly because the political and cultural situation in our beloved homeland of Egypt did not allow us to constantly release stuff as we did not feel it was right to do so…and secondly because we used that time to cook up some of the best mixes, remixes and gigs coming up for your pleasure in 2013 inshallah :D
We will be changing our site slightly in 2013 where the tumblr will be a separate informal blog to keep in touch with you through longer rants and chats than we can fit on twitter :p and the site will have all the usual professional stuff lol
Meanwhile… lets reconnect back here ;)
We are uploading our latest mix on soundcloud as we speak… the first of 2013!!!
Get ready to enjoy it shortly as there’s a lot more coming :D
The announcement of Hamaki’s brand new album in the last week of Ramadan has sent waves of happiness and excitement across the whole world! His fans were super happy! and even the delay of the album slightly did not faze them!
But while we all await the release of this amazing record, we decided to gift our fans with a beautiful present on the first day of Eid!
A video that we prepared to celebrate Hamaki’s career…
10 songs over the course of five minutes remixing the best of Hamaki’s music into various genres of Electro music… From House to Tribal House to ELectro, Dubstep, Moombahcore and more…
The name of the video -
Mission Impossible : HAMAKI Vs EDM
The feedback for the video was amazing to the level that it was featured on Hamaki’s official site! Click HERE to see the article :D
Now and due to popular demand, we would gladly like to announce that we will also be release the mix as audio through our soundcloud site tomorrow :D
Stay with us as we officially drop it on the site :D meanwhile… enjoy the video here :D
———————————————— NOTE: This video does not include ANY music from Hamaki’s new album “Min Abi Bahganni” - Watch the album promo here and follow Hamaki’s updates on twitter ( @Hamaki ) and his facebook.
First of all, I would like to wish each and every single one of you today a very Happy Eid! and what a present I have for you today :D
A few days ago, we announced that we will be releasing a megamix of the SUPER STAR Mohamed Hamaki to celebrate his musical career in preparation of the release of his new album! and now this music video has finally arrived!
Fans and lovers of the Modern Arabic Electro Pop KING, Mohamed Hamaki have been patiently waiting for the release of his 5th studio album. But while doing so, we decided to gift the fans with a surprise like no other!
In the short space of FIVE minutes, we will take you on a wild journey of Hamaki’s past musical career, remixing 10 of our favourite songs into various styles of Electro music including Tribal House, Electro, Big Rave, Moombahcore, Dubstep and more! ———————————————— NOTE: This video does not include ANY music from Hamaki’s new album “Min Abi Bahganni” - Watch the album promo here and follow Hamaki’s updates on twitter ( @Hamaki ) and his facebook.
Fans and lovers of the Modern Arabic Electro Pop KING, Mohamed Hamaki have been patiently waiting for the release of his 5th studio album. But while doing so, DJ Funky Pharaoh decided to gift the fans with a surprise like no other!
In the short space of FIVE minutes, he takes you on a wild journey of Hamaki’s past musical career, remixing 10 of his favourite songs into various styles of Electro music including Tribal House, Electro, Big Rave, Moombahcore, Dubstep and more!
THIS IS JUST A TEASER - VIDEO OUT SOON!
NOTE: This video does not include ANY music from Hamaki’s new album “Min Abi Bahganni” - Watch the album promo here and follow Hamaki’s updates on twitter ( @Hamaki ) and his facebook.
Man, Music is not just about putting records out, playing concerts and selling merchandise in the aim of making money… or even to get appreciation from your fans and peers…sometimes, the most beautiful moments are when you sing or play music JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO!
I could easily say that some of my most beautiful and musical moments is sitting down with a guitar on the sides of the nile or in Alex singing with friends and being joined by random people who feel happy and excited to hear a song they like from a voice they do or do not know.
This video deserves a blog because it felt like that!
Three artists… from completely different musical backgrounds:
- Amal Maher : Raised on the school of Om Kolthoum and the most classical of the lot.
- Zein El Omor : Amazing Lebanese voice that hardly (if EVER) sang in Egyptian!
They all got together on a TV show that aired on Dubai TV recently and performed, the King Abdel Halim Hafez’s 70’s hit, ” Maood ” .
The performance is sooooo beautiful, it seems that they were completely oblivious of everything in the world apart from their own voices and the song….
ONE thing to mention here! The band is absolutely amazing!!! They are indeed monstrously tight!
Abo El-Leef is exactly the same as Marmite… You either really love it or really hate it!
The only reason I paid attention to the first album was because Mohamed Yehya (one of my favourite composers) and Toma (one of my favourite producers) were heavily involved!
His second album arrives now…and I have to admit, its unusually creative lol
The Shaabi lyrics and style of singing still remains but the beats are very unique ranging from maqsoom to Hip Hop to House.
All songs have been written by The KING, Ayman Bahgat Amar which is obviously a good sign :D
Compositions range from Mohamed Yehya to Amr Mostafa to Waleed Saad and production headliners are Toma and Tarek Madkour.
There’s also a very nice duet with Hisham Abbas that worth a good listen :D
Overall, I’m impressed and I heavily recommend :D
- A sample of “A’ooth Billah” (My favourite song on the album)
Anyone who hears me talk, listens to my choice of music or reads our blogs on regular basis, would know how much love we have for Khaleeji Music here at Funkypharaoh.com . Therefore, when the absolute king of Khaleeji music and my personal favourite, the great Abdel Majeed Abdullah releases an album then its definitely a celebration here :D
Abdel Majeed has blessed us with an EP containing four songs and they are:
1. Hat Mil Akher
2. Low Youm Wahed
3. Ahky Bhamsek
4. Helm
I personally LOVED this and I hope you do too…
Let me share with you my favourite record from the EP, ” Hat Mil Akher”
Welcome me back in my first day in London…..and our first day blogging again since a reeeeaaally long time!
I had promised before I left for the first round of summer gigs that we will recommence our blog with the best in music reviews, the funniest in lighthearted articles and the first in music news!
I want to re-start the blogging bonanza by a funny, light hearted article!
But to start, I want you to take a quick look at this video by my favourite stand up comedian, the great Mohamed Salem….
In this video, Mohamed takes a very lighthearted digg at arabs’ misunderstanding of DJ’s and the concept of DJing..and sadly, he’s 100% correct! … At least for the older generations!
A big part of why me and SamiSam decided to start Funky Pharaoh Music is because we found that there is a massive gap in the market for real Arabian DJ’s. Ones who have an inner believe that they are super stars! Ones who have immaculate mixing, remixing, producing and performing skills! Ones who love the art and wish to promote it and love their brand and want it to get as big as any regular Middle Eastern Star… and thanks to all of you, we are on the way to achieving our goals!
The question always remained in my mind however as to why this is the case, and in my recent trip to Cairo and during one of my sets, I found a big big big part of it….
During one of the gigs I had there, I was introduced to another DJ (at least 10 years older than me) who was opening for me before my set at midnight, and it surprised me and deeply saddened me of how little this particular person respected his own position and how little attention he paid to what he was playing, his technique of mixing and his aura on the stage…. The pleasant surprise came however when my set started and I introduced this crowd to what they have never experienced. I was flying with happiness when I was being asked about how the songs where getting mixed together and people where complimenting that skill, how younger guys and girls where asking me how they could learn this technique and how lots where asking for pictures and autographs towards the end.
Salem’s comical view in the video of how Arabs perceive DJ’s as ” boring technical people who lifelessly stand waiting for one song to finish so they can play the next” is not far away from the truth in most cases, but my colleagues in the mother land have a big part to play here…so guys, I love you all but PLEEEASE love yourselves and respect the DJ in you!!! :D
Now as we are here, let me remind you that DJ Magazine has started their voting for the TOP 100 DJ’s and you need to support ya boy!
DJ Mag is the world’s number ONE dance music magazine and their TOP 100 DJ’s pole is basically like the Oscars to us DJ’s.
Every year, the world’s best in this interesting and amazing field compete fiercely for a spot in the TOP 100… Last year you guys got us really close, and this year we want you to help us get in there!
We’ve had a fantastic year in terms of gigs, releases and radio shows and its time to show the world of Dance music that [ Electro . Arabian . House ] is well on its way to achieve international love!!!
Let’s vote DJ FUNKY PHARAOH into the top 100!!!!
Its a simple procedure and all you need to do is to have a valid Facebook account!
Funky Pharaoh Music is London's hottest urban and Arabic music movement...
We make music and play music because we LOVE music.
We are London's hottest urban record label, Arabic and urban DJ's, sickest producers, remixers and song writters...and very soon freshest clothing line!
For information and bookings, email us:
INFO@FUNKYPHARAOH.COM
