For many decades Egypt was at the heart of Arabic music, and a pioneer of Western classical music practices in the Arab world. Egypt’s Golden Age (1950s-1970s) was known for setting trends and ...

The ancient-looking PA system was not meant to handle the immensity of sound produced by famed Nile Delta folk music ensemble El Tanbura as they warmed up for a show on the streets of Ismailia on a ...

Few figures in Egypt’s modern history are more synonymous with “vulgar cassettes” than Ahmad ʿAdawiya, one of the pioneers of shaʿbi music, a contentious genre regularly disparaged by critics. Born ...

The Egyptian singer and musician Ramy Essam first made headlines back in 2011 during the Arab Spring and the Egyptian Revolution when he sang in Tahrir Square in Cairo. He was in his early 20s and ...

Mohamed Ramadan becomes the first Egyptian to perform at Coachella — an attention-grabbing milestone that critics say reflects his self-styled stardom more than Egypt’s cultural soul. Credit: ...

Sixty years ago, the compact audio cassette debuted at the German Radio Exhibition. Behind this innovation was Lou Ottens, a Dutch engineer who, the story goes, was home one night listening to music ...

As they navigate the narrow streets of Cairo, tuk-tuk drivers blast mahraganat from their speakers. The music’s sound is distinctive: the Egyptian ri’ (tambourine) and tabla (drum) are combined with ...