Tag: Global Cultures

From Egyptian Pop to Indian Bollywood, R3HAB Tastes the World’s Many Sonic Flavors

April 7, 2020

These days, Dutch house producer R3HAB is looking past borders and across the seas for inspiration.

His songs usually fit along nicely with those of fellow Dutch DJs like Afrojack and Hardwell, delivering pulsing beats with a pop flourish. But recently he teamed up with a force from farther south—Egyptian superstar Amr Diab, whose warm, lively croon sails over sparkly synths and a syncopated Dutch thump on a remix of Diab’s 2019 hit “Youm Talat.”

Mixing music of different cultures is often easier said than done, but for R3HAB, this and other recent globe-trotting collaborations came about naturally. “I love the Middle East. I love Southeast Asia. I love India. I love the food, I love the culture, I love the people,” the 34-year-old DJ and producer tells For the Record. “I always listen to all types of music, so it doesn’t matter where it’s from. Spotify stimulates this with their playlists from music all around the world. I just turn those on, and I don’t try to put what I hear in a box.” R3HAB’s appetite for music from all around the world is on full display in his new track—a collaborative cover of the Radiohead song “Creep” featuring DJ/producer/remixer GATTÜSO. Their creative take on the rock classic is the first-ever “mint Singles,” a spin-off of the popular Spotify Singles series and companion to our flagship dance playlist, mint.

Born Fadil El Ghoul, R3HAB grew up in the southern Netherlands city of Breda, where Hardwell also grew up. Dutch house has long had an eclectic streak—Afrojack’s “Moombah” remix was the source code for the freaky fusions of moombahton, after all. And R3HAB takes his own free-flowing approach to dance music, borrowing and reinventing at will.

But he hit a whole new level of cultural engagement when he performed last year at MDL Beast, a massive music festival in Riyadh where R3HAB delivered show-stopping performances. Tens of thousands of fans sang along as he laid down remixes and pumping beats for the likes of Egyptian star Mohamed Hamaki and Saudi legend Rabeh Saqer.

Diab also appeared onstage at MDL Beast, where he and R3HAB unveiled the remix of “Youm Talat.” R3HAB loved the idea of working with the Egyptian great; his mom is a huge fan, and he’s made an indelible mark on pop music from Cairo to Times Square. Diab reached out to R3HAB before the Riyadh festival, sending him the studio recordings of the track and other songs so the younger artist could rebuild them as remixes.

The original “Youm Talat” bursts with Diab’s trademark Mediterranean rhythms and lovestruck lyrics sung in the Egyptian dialect. On the remix, R3HAB keeps Diab’s vocals—instantly recognizable to any fan of Arab pop—but swaps out the Andalusian accordion and Cairo party beat for a silky-smooth sound fit for the peak hours of a late-night dance party. “We made a totally new version with a totally different feel, and he loved it so much,” R3HAB says. “We’re actually working on more music now.”

In addition to reworking Diab’s music, R3HAB teamed up recently with Indian songwriter Qaran Mehta to record “Ki Kehna,” a nightclub ballad that combines Dutch house with swooning Bollywood pop. It’s projects like these that distinguish R3HAB as a global-minded innovator. 

“R3HAB is a really talented DJ and producer, building his career very well over the last years,” says Wilbert Mutsaers, Spotify Head of Music Benelux. “He’s in our perspective one of the most hardworking, friendly, and motivated Dutch DJs we know, and also very actively involved in promoting his own music and collabs.”

Indeed, wherever R3HAB is, he’s always hungry for new sounds and collaborators. “It’s actually similar to my food,” he says. “I like to taste all kitchens all around the world.”

Hit play on Spotify’s flagship dance playlist, mint, to hear R3HAB’s and GATTÜSO’s new remix of the Radiohead classic “Creep.”

7 Artists and Creators to Stream During Arab Heritage Month—and Year Round

April 19, 2019

April marks Arab Heritage Month in the U.S. To celebrate, we’re featuring Arab American artists, comedians, and actors in our key Yalla Araby playlist. We kicked off with a message from comedian Mo Amer, and will be continuing with several other artists and actors, including French Montana, who released the first single to his upcoming new album this week.

Our playlists builds on the excitement of our Arab hub, which unites the full spectrum of Arab audio culture and creativity, past and present, in one place. It launched this past November, with playlists like Women Wa Bas (Arab female artists); ’90s Arabic Hits (big at Arab wedding parties); and Arab Indie (emerging Arabic tracks and artists), to name just a few. Listeners all over the world have used the hub to connect to the music of Arab culture.

Get to know some of the Arab-American creators featured on the playlist. And don’t worry if you can’t get to all of them in one month—their stories and sounds are available to stream year-round.

  1. Bazzi – Bazzi, whose father is Lebanese, learned from a young age to play Arabic instruments such as the oud and guitar. “Growing up with a Lebanese family, you really learn the importance of having a good base,” he says. The singer-songwriter has built a true musical foundation, touring with Camilla Cabello and Justin Timberlake, as well as several K-Pop groups. Stream his “Beautiful” remix featuring Camilla Cabello.
  2. French Montana – The Moroccan-American rapper has collaborated with everyone from Swae Lee to  Drake. “I want to share the things I love the most about my heritage,” he says. “Tajin (a type of stew), baghreer (Moroccan pancakes), karmous (figs), kora’en (sheep legs), and barkook (dried prunes), you know what I’m saying?” Stream his hit, “Unforgettable.”
  3. Mo Amer – “One of my favorite instruments is the tabla,” says Mo. “Tabla gets everyone moving, a little Dabke going on, it can break out at any moment.” He’s toured with Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart, and now you can check out the Palestinian-American stand-up comedian’s brand-new Netflix special, The Vagabond, which details his life from refugee to citizen.
  4. Abir – The Arab-American singer-songwriter from Fez, Morocco, says, “My Moroccan heritage influences everything I do, from the colors of Morocco to the sounds of Morocco, to the Moroccan mint tea, which is so good, and influenced my last project, Mint. I’m so happy to be celebrating the culture.” Stream her album, Mint.
  5. Massari – Massari is a Canadian-Lebanese singer who is known for combining elements of Western and Arabic culture in his music. He has credited Syrian singer George Wassouf with being a big musical influence. Stream his hit, “Number One.”
  6. Faouzia – This teenage Moroccan-Canadian pop singer has a commanding voice with a rich tone beyond her years. “My heritage has played a huge role in my career,” she says. “When I was younger, my parents would play Arabic music. I’d listen to the artists and push myself to practice the trills and runs that they did with their voices. To this day, I still use these trills and runs in my music.” Stream her hit single, “This Mountain.”
  7. Ramy Youssef – Prepare yourself for the comedian/actor’s debut Hulu series, Ramy, about an Egyptian-American millennial balancing his cultures, faith, family, dating and friendships. Tune in to the first episode, out on Hulu today.

Let’s go – stream Yalla Araby below.

Bollywood Breaks Ground on Spotify with Arrival of T-Series Catalogue

January 16, 2019

For more than thirty million people of Indian origin living overseas, Spotify is where they can hear the sounds of home. And, with this week’s addition of an expanded catalog from T-Series, users can now enjoy thousands of songs from India’s leading music and film company.

The T-Series catalog is full of beloved Bollywood and regional movie soundtracks, as well as albums from established and emerging artists. These additions expand our new Desi hub, which launched in June. Desi features music from Indian genres like Bollywood and Bhangra, and in regional languages such as Punjab and Tamil, to showcase the rich diversity and culture of the region’s artists.

“For us as a diasporic Indian community—to be able to find one place where we can listen to both the Western music we grew up with and the Eastern music that we relate to—this is so significant for lovers of this culture,” says Himanshu Suri, Spotify’s Desi hub editor.

“Bollywood” is the most popular search term for fans of Indian music on Spotify. The T-Series catalog boasts more than 160,000 songs, including Bollywood favorites, some of which are considered to be the most popular Indian songs recorded over the past thirty years. “Clearly, we’re excited, and we know Bollywood lovers will be too, about adding all the incredible hits from T-Series into the mix,” explains Himanshu.

With the addition of T-Series, Desi (or, “from the land”) music lovers everywhere can get excited for plenty more Bollywood—from modern hits such as “Aankh Marey” to nostalgic favorites. Take a listen to the top ten most beloved Bollywood songs on Spotify to date.

  1. Bom Diggy – Zack Knight and Jasmin Walla

Just as the audience for the Desi hub originates from outside of India, so does the first song on the list. UK artists Zack Knight and Jasmin Walla recorded this track in Punjabi, English, and Bengali, and it was featured in the Bollywood movie Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.

  1. Imran Khan – Satisfya

Dutch-Pakistani, urban Punjabi singer Imran Khan released the Punjabi song “Satisfya” in 2013.

  1. Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) – A.R. Rahman

This English, Hindu, Urdu, and Punjabi song is considered to be one of the most well-known Indian songs for Western audiences, thanks to the 2008 Hollywood blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire.

  1. Proper Patola – Badshah

Badshah’s EDM-influenced song rounded out the soundtrack to Namaste England.

  1. Channa Mereya – Pritam

This eleven-award-winning love song, which translates as “The light of my soul,” comes from the 2016 Bollywood film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

  1. Bole Chudiyan – Jatin-Lalit

Sitar-filled and sweet, this song comes from the 2001 Bollywood nostalgia film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Sometimes There’s Happiness, Sometimes There’s Sorrow).

  1. Thumka – Zack Knight

The second Zack Knight song to grace this list alludes to Latin artist Shakira. “I see Punjabi music as the most likely Indian genre to cross over like Latin music has,” says Himanshu.

  1. Enna Sona – A.R. Rahman

This track is one of two on the list from the 2017 Hindi-language movie OK Jaanu (OK Darling).

  1. The Humma Song – A.R. Rahman

The second song from OK Jaanu. Himanshu notes that most fans of Bollywood music search for an actor, rather than a singer, to find their favorite Bollywood hits.

  1. Maahi Ve – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

2003 Bollywood film Kal Ho Naa Ho (Tomorrow May Never Come) featured this song alongside an Indian take on Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” called “Pretty Woman.”

 

For more Indian music, from Bollywood to Bhangra, take a listen to the Desi flagship playlist, Desi Hits. You can also learn about our Global Cultures Initiative here.

Mabrook! Spotify is Deepening Our Commitment to Arab Culture Around the Globe

November 14, 2018

From Arabic classical and pop to gritty folk, funk, and hip-hop sounds, Arabic music is alive, poetic, energetic, and complex. This is why we are excited to announce that today, Spotify is launching in 13 new markets across the Middle East and North Africa—and making these unique sounds available to music lovers around the Arab world and beyond.

The Arab region is richly diverse, with varied musical styles and genres. Now, all users in the Middle East and North Africa will have access to Spotify’s entire catalogue of over 40 million tracks and billions of playlists, including a library of brand new, fully curated playlists available exclusively for listeners in the MENA region. From Today’s Top Arabic Hits (أفضل الاغاني العربية)—the finest and freshest hits from the Arabic world—to Feel Good Arabic Hits (احساس جديد) and dance-floor favorites on Arabic EDM (بالعربي) music fans in MENA can enjoy artists, albums, and songs across every genre for every mood and moment, all in a fully localized Arabic Spotify service with right-to-left text alignment.

The 13 new market launches increase Spotify’s total footprint to 78 total markets globally.

“I am super excited to share with you that, from today, Spotify is now available across the Middle East and North Africa,” says Cecila Qvist, Spotify’s Global Head of Markets. “Spotify is launching in MENA with a full Arabic service, dozens of locally curated playlists for every mood and moment, and access to a full catalog of millions of songs, for both our free and premium users. Music fans will also enjoy Spotify’s personalized music recommendations from day one, which will help them easily enjoy, discover, and share new music from local and international artists.”

Of course, there are many millions of lovers of Arab music living outside the MENA region. So, in addition to these 13 new markets, we are also launching a globally accessible Arab hub as part of our Global Cultures initiative, which will connect the music and culture of the Middle East with listeners everywhere.

“As an artist who lived in the Middle East for 30 years, toured the world as a musician and now lives in the U.S., I’ve experienced the differences and similarities between Arabs around the world—and how close they are, even if they’re from different places,” says Suhel Nafar, Spotify’s Senior Arab Music & Culture Editor. “The Arab hub provides the unique platform that brings the full spectrum of Arab culture and creativity, past and present. Celebrating the different dialects, styles, flavors, and sounds.”

Listeners worldwide can explore the Arab hub to find playlists such as Yalla Araby (“Let’s go Arabic”—hits from the Middle East and North Africa); Women Wa Bas (Arab female artists); ’90s Arabic Hits (big at Arab wedding parties); and Arab Indie (emerging Arabic tracks and artists). More playlists highlight essential hits from various regions and cultures, like Egyptian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Moroccan, and Syrian.

“I wanted to focus on moods and moments that are important in Arab culture and history. Stargazer is dedicated to the Arabs who originally influenced astronomy. Many people don’t know that many stars have Arabic names. ‘Altair,’ shortened from ‘Nisr Al-Tair,’ means ‘the flying eagle’ in Arabic. People can sit back and relax to the instrumental playlist, which features various genres of classical music and maqamat (traditional melodies), and enjoy a piece of our culture.”

The Arab hub provides the unique platform that brings the full spectrum of Arab culture and creativity, past and present. Celebrating the different dialects, styles, flavors, and sounds.

— Suhel Nafar, Spotify’s Senior Arab Music & Culture Editor

From the Arab hub, listeners can also navigate to Arab X, which features crossovers of songs by artists and producers from the Arab diaspora, whether Lebanese-Colombian artist Shakira or Moroccan-American rapper FrenchMontana. Newcomers to Arabic music should start with Yalla Araby or Mahraganat, also known as electro-shaabi. (“When you walk in New York past the halal carts, those are the songs they will be playing,” Suhel says.)

Music is at the core of communities around the globe. Though the instruments used, rhythms created, and topics explored may change, the desire to express ourselves remains universal. That’s why we’re so proud to bring these sounds and stories to music lovers around the Arab world and beyond.

Listen to Yalla Araby and the rest of the Arab hub on Spotify.