An American Indie Musician Comments on Arab Music

I emailed my friend Steve who does indie music out here, he plays the guitar and base, as well as sing. So as indie music becomes mainstream in Egypt, I thought getting the feedback from a person who understands indie music here in America would be helpful to understand the difference and the similarities. On a personal note, he is an American Egyptian.

Here's what he had to say about Hamza Namira "Insan" music video:

I like this one. It's interesting that "testing" the music boundaries in Egypt sounds like pop music here. I mean, arrangement-wise, he still has many of the main elements of pop music in Egypt. The way the melody and the chords move are still very Eastern. We don't slide around between notes here in the West. He also has a familiar beat in the background, but more acoustic instruments playing them, instead of the synthesized music that seems to pervade Middle Eastern top-40. For us, indie music tests the boundaries and prescriptions of pop music. It sounds like in Egypt, their indie artists are still venturing away from their mainstream music, but it doesn't sounds like our indie. It sounds like our pop music.

I like this. It seems like a step in the right direction for music in the Middle East.


Hamza Namira - Insan | حمزة نمرة - إنسان