Libya

Ahmed Fakroun (Arabic: أحمد فكرون‎) was born in 1953 in the Libyan city of Benghazi. He first began singing daily prayers. From there his interest grew, & he learned many instruments. He plays the bouzouki-like saz, the mandol & the darbouka drum, as well as guitar, bass guitar & keyboards.

Fakroun looked set to make his mark in world music circles in the mid-1980s when his album Mots D'Amour was recorded & released. It combines traditional Arab instruments & melodies with electronic music & dance rhythms. It was released on the Celluloid label in France.

Then came the US aerial bombings of Libya in April 1986, followed by years of international sanctions against Muammar al-Gaddafi & Libya. Evidence surfaced in the international media of terrorist links. This information turned Libya's government into a pariah of the West. It seriously impeded its citizens' freedom of movement. 

Ahmed has stated: "To take a plane to go from my home town to any part of the world, I had to go across the Tunisian border to Jerboa, about 700km, or take a boat to Malta overnight, then travel the next day to the other part of the planet. Imagine the rest of the story."

Ahmed was one of the most talented singers in modern Arabic electro-pop. Record companies did manage to market Arabic pop to international music fans at that time, but Fakroun missed out. Instead, all the action came from neighboring Algeria, as Khaled, Cheb Mami & others introduced the world to the North African sound known as raï music.

However, among raï singers, the pop-oriented Ahmed Fakroun’s style was superior to most all the other practitioners. He was greatly influenced by Euro-pop & French art-rock, not just the generalized rock of the others. Also, he had his multi-instrumental abilities as well as being a singer in both Western & Eastern traditions. At his best, his crossover style deepens into dramatically moving bi-culturalism.

 Ahmed Fakroun – Mots D’Amour, Celluloid 66835-1,1983.

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Face A –

Jama El F'Na

Kalimat Hob

Gelty

Fil Moden El Kibira

Face B –

Love Words
Soleil Soleil
Ya Farhi' Bik
O Ounic

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Abdel Hamid Ali Ahmed El Shari (Arabic:حميد الشاعري), known as Hamid Al Sha’ery, is a Libyan musician & singer. He was born in the Libyan city of Benghazi in 1961. He studied aviation in England, then went on to studied music in Cairo. He emigrated to Egypt in 1974 after witnessing Colonel Gadaffi’s public burning of western musical instruments. As a refugee from his own country’s hostile anti-modern policies, he steadily made a name for himself as a champion of westernized synthesizer pop, known as Al-jil (generation music). Al-jil is a blend of samplers & synthesizers tempered by a distinctively Middle Eastern melodic sound. His 1988 hit single, “Lolaiki,” sold more than a million cassettes between 1988 & 1989. He is truly one of the founders of modern Arabic music.

Hamid Al Sha’ery –Raheel, Slam! – FS4 - 87, 1984.

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Tracklist –

Wein Ayamak Wein

Ya Bonya Khashety Baly

Ya Ghaly

Ya La Yemin

Ya Markeb El Ghaye

Geit Ya Sheta

Raheel

Aatebny

La Ma Nasina 

Ya Saheb

Reit    

Enjoy,
NØ