Music of Egypt

Music has been a big part of Egyptian culture since ancient times. Egyptian music helped shape ancient Greek music, and through the Greeks, it also influenced early European music during the Middle Ages.

Because Egypt was a powerful country for thousands of years, its culture—including music and musical tools—spread to nearby lands. For example, the instruments mentioned in the Bible that the ancient Hebrews used were all from Egypt, as shown by Egyptian archaeology.

Today, Egyptian music is very important in the Middle East. This is because of the popularity of Egyptian movies and music, Egypt's strong role in the area, and because Egypt has produced many talented musicians and composers, especially in the 1900s.

Eastern music uses special scales called maqamat, which are a bit like the modes used in Western music. The rhythms in Eastern music follow patterns known as iqa'at, which are made from a mix of strong beats and rests.

History

The ancient Egyptians believed that the goddess Bat and the god Ihy created music. Over time, Bat’s cult became part of Hathor’s, who used music to help bring order to the world. Another goddess, Bastet, was also seen as a music goddess in ancient Egypt.

In very old times, music and singing were used in magic and rituals. People used simple rhythms and small shells as whistles. Later, during funerals, people sang chants while clapping or playing flutes. By the time of the Old Kingdom, people played arched harps, flutes, and double clarinets. Over the years, percussion instruments and lutes were added to bands, and cymbals were used along with music and dancing.

During the Middle Ages, music in Egypt was very important even though some thought it could lead people to do bad things. Still, people loved music. Workers used it while they worked, and schools taught the Quran by singing it. Male musicians were called Alateeyeh and were not highly respected, but they played at parties for fun. Female musicians, called Awalim, were more respected and earned more money, often performing at special events for wealthy families.

In the 1800s, a new kind of folk music called Hasaballah started in Cairo, using brass instruments like trumpets and trombones. By the early 1900s, people began recording Egyptian music. By the 1930s, Cairo was a center for classical Egyptian music, mixing old traditions with some Western styles to create pop music.

After World War I, many of the Middle East’s biggest music stars came from Egypt. Important musicians and singers like Sayed Darwish, Umm Kulthum, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Abdel Halim Hafez, and Baligh Hamdy helped shape modern Egyptian music.

A popular type of music called Shaabi, meaning “of the people,” comes from everyday Egyptian life and is common at weddings and festivals. A newer style called Mahraganat, which is louder and uses electronic sounds, became popular around 2011 during a big change in Egypt.

Main articles: Shaabi and Mahraganat

Western classical music

Western classical music came to Egypt in the middle of the 1700s. Egyptians began using instruments like the piano and violin, and opera grew more popular. One famous opera called Aida by Giuseppe Verdi had its first show in Cairo on December 24, 1871.

In the early 1900s, the first group of Egyptian composers started writing music for Western instruments. Later, more composers like Gamal Abdelrahim joined in. Today, composers such as Mohamed Abdelwahab Abdelfattah from the Cairo Conservatory are known around the world.

Religious music in Egypt

Religious music is very important in traditional Sufi Muslim and Coptic Christian celebrations called mulids. These celebrations honor a special saint or a respected Muslim figure. During these events, people often play the Egyptian flute, known as the ney. The music used in the Alexandrian Rite is also a key part of Egypt's musical traditions and is thought to keep many sounds from ancient times.

Folkloric music

Egyptian folk music is very similar to the music from ancient times. It includes traditional Sufi dhikr rituals and has kept many of the same rhythms and instruments as ancient Egyptian music.

Folk and roots revival

The 20th century saw Cairo become a center for bringing back traditional music. Musicians all over Egypt are keeping folk traditions alive, like those of rural Egyptians (fellahin), the Saii'da, and smaller groups such as the Siwa people, the Egyptian Romani, the Sinawis, and the Nubians. Mixes of folk and pop music have also grown popular in Cairo.

Since the Nasser era, pop music has grown very important in Egyptian culture, especially for the many young people in Egypt. Egyptian folk music is still played at weddings and other traditional celebrations. In the last part of the 20th century, Egyptian music helped share social and class messages. Some of today’s most popular Egyptian pop singers are Sherine Abdel-Wahab, Mohamed Mounir, and Amr Diab.

Sawahli (coastal) music is a popular style from Egypt’s northern coast. It uses ancient Egyptian instruments, especially the simsimiyya, a stringed instrument from ancient times. The simsimiyya likely came to the coast from the Nile valley in the 19th century with workers on the Suez Canal. Well-known bands that use the simsimiyya include el-Tanboura, which also plays other ancient Egyptian instruments.

Egyptian musicians from Upper Egypt play a folk style called Ṣa‘īdi. Metqal Qenawi's Les Musiciens du Nil are the most famous Ṣa‘īdi group. They have toured Europe for over three decades and performed at many music festivals.

In Egypt, Nubians live mainly in southern Aswan, though some are in Cairo, Alexandria, and other cities. Nubian folk music is still heard, and new styles have developed through mixing with other types of music. Ali Hassan Kuban has become well-known in world music, and Mohamed Mounir has gained fame for his pop music and social messages. Ahmed Mounib, a mentor of Mohamed Mounir, was a famous Nubian singer who performed in both Egyptian Arabic and his native Nobiin. Hamza El Din was another respected Nubian artist who worked with the Kronos Quartet.

Egyptian musical instruments

Many instruments used today in music around the world started in ancient Egypt. Some of these old instruments are still played in Egypt now, like the darbuka, the simsimiyya, and the Egyptian ney.

In the past, during the Abbasid and Ottoman times, Egypt was an important place for music in the Middle East. After 1923, Egypt became a leading place for music in the Arabic-speaking world. Popular instruments included the oud, qanun, and ney. A common group of musicians, called a takht, had players of the oud, qanun, ney, and violin. This style was common in the early 1900s before more orchestral instruments were added by famous composers like Mohamed El Qasabgi, Riad El Sunbati, and Mohammed Abdel Wahab.

Electronic music

Egypt has a rich history in electronic music. Halim El-Dabh, an Egyptian, is one of the earliest composers of purely electronic music. In 1944, while still a student in Cairo, he created The Expression of Zar, one of the first works of tape music, by recording sounds from the streets of Egypt.

Today, Egyptian electronic music is popular in forms like techno, trance, and dance pop. In the 2010s, a style called Mahraganat music became well-known. This type of music often includes messages about important topics and is enjoyed both in Egypt and around the world.

Reconstruction of ancient Egyptian music

In recent times, people have become more interested in the music of ancient Egypt. Researchers like Hans Hickmann, who worked in Egypt, helped start this interest. Now, Egyptian musicians and experts, led by Professor Khairy el-Malt at Helwan University in Cairo, are working to recreate the musical instruments used by ancient Egyptians. This project is still happening today.