Sharmoofers
Sharmoofers are a Cairo-based project of Ahmed Bahaa and Moe El Arkan, who have been performing together with nearly a dozen instrumentalists across the Mena region since 2012 with the aim of sharing happiness through music. Fusing jazz, hip-hop, reggae, funk and comedy to create memorable narratives about their lives, Sharmoofers aim to connect with their audience, Arabic-speaking or otherwise.
Narcy
Yassin “Narcy” Alsalman is an Iraqi-Canadian musician and multimedia artist who grew up between Montreal and Dubai. As a former member of the group Euphrates, he is considered a pioneer of Arab hip-hop. The man who used to perform as The Narcicyst also teaches a hip-hop course at Concordia University in Montreal, did voice-over work for Assassin’s Creed Origins, starred in the 2009 Ali F Mostafa film City of Life and has collaborated with Canadian electronic group A Tribe Called Red, Yasiin Bey (better known as Mos Def) and Black Bear on 2016 song RED.
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Read more: Dxbeats: Yasmine Hamdan unloads baggage from her glory days
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Manal
Moroccan singer-songwriter Manal released her urban Arabic anthem Taj after signing with Sony Music Entertainment Middle East earlier this year. The song’s video begins with an R-rated banner, warning of “Attitude, brains, female opinions, independence and empowerment”. The 24-year-old is seen in the video confidently rejecting a man’s advances and is portrayed as a butcher, mechanic, welder and other traditional male roles. She is managed by rapper and Wu-Tang Clan associate Cilvaringz.
Moh Flow featuring A’Y
Dubai’s Syrian rapper and singer-songwriter Moh Flow has been performing for 13 years, and has released three mixtapes and a debut album, This Is Yo(u). Recently, he collaborated with Pusha T on last year’s song Options as part of the film I’m With the Banned, a Spotify initiative where artists from countries affected by the US travel ban collaborate with American artists. He is supported by his producer elder brother Ayham (also known as A’Y) and he has previously played live shows with Pusha T.
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Read more:
[ Dubai Opera to host Arabic Music Festival ]
[ A decade on, the UAE music scene roars with progress ]
[ How festivals in the UAE offer indie artists a chance to shine ]
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