Music, crisis and creative spaces in Cairo

Music and social movements have always gone hand in hand. Maybe it’s because of the natural destruction-creation cycle that perpetuates socio-political unrest. In Cairo’s case, the nation-wide curfew, combined with burgeoning music-making platforms, new resources, fresh talent and experienced producers, is creating an interesting breeding ground for emerging musicians during these times of crisis.

There is a plethora of seminal albums and artists birthed out of social movements that irrevocably affected the musical, and sometimes political, landscape of a country.  For example, Paulo de Carvalho’s song, “E depois do adeus” (“After the farewell”) launched the Portuguese revolution led by the left-leaning military factions in 1974. Carvalho entered his song in the 19th Eurovision Song Contest 1974 in Brighton, and while it garnered little accolade from the judges, 18 days later it triggered what came to be known as the “Carnation Revolution.” When the song aired, it acted as a secret message alerting the rebel captains and soldiers to begin the military coup, which later brought about slight democratic reforms.

Or if we look further back to the 1960s, counterculture bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones rose to fame due to their blatant disregard of the authority, morality and conformity that defined their era. Both bands came to be perceived by fans and cultural observers as the embodiment of the ideologies shared by the era’s sociocultural revolutions in England and the United States.

For Egyptians, music has always played an essential part of our societal existence and coexistence. If we look at shaabi singer Ahmed Adawiya and shababi singer Mohamed Mounir, for instance, similar societal reflections ring true. Both artists rose against the backdrop of late President Anwar Sadat’s neoliberal policies, which dramatically widened the gap between rich and poor, particularly due to the “open-door” economic policy he introduced in 1973. With songs like “Zahma ya donya Zahma” (“How crowded is the world”) by Adawiya, or the more poetic “Koon Kohol Beydoor” (“The Universe is Turning”), Egyptians at large began consuming songs that mirrored their issues and vernacular versus the abstract nationalistic tunes of the 1950s and 1960s.  

And while these artists rose to fame largely due to their own devices, one thing all they all had in common was not only the will to create amidst the decay of their society, but also the facilities, resources and accessible expertise to transform their talents into widespread subcultural or musical movements.

The Stones, for example, had their enigmatic manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who gave a similar guiding hand to the band as the prophetic Brian Epstein did for the Beatles. Amongst many other things, Oldham was responsible for adding the pivotal "g" to the Rolling Stones’ name, and dropping the final "s" from Keith Richards’ surname because “it looked more pop.” A similar story goes for Mohamed Mounir and Ahmed Adawiya — without producers like Tarek al-Kashef, Hani Sabet and Atef Montasser, both singers may have simply fizzled into the fading lights of their community rather than becoming mega stars. For example, on Mounir’s breakthrough album, Kashef included a double tracking technique on the singer’s vocals, a technique that Mounir continues to use in his recording process to this day.

And while today the systems of capital, communication and art are entirely different than they were during the heyday of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Mounir, and Adawiya, Egypt — and Cairo specifically — is now becoming increasingly equipped with the tools, resources and professional expertise needed to make innovative, well-produced music. Due to technological advents and Cairo’s DIY (do-it-yourself) spirit, independent musicians have a surplus of content-generating strife, musical facilities and willing professionals that could hopefully lead to the pioneering of new musical genres, artists and bands.

VIBE STUDIO

Take, for example, Vibe Studio, located in Cairo’s Dokki neighborhood. Since opening in 2011, the multi-room studio and musical instrument store has become something of a rehearsal haven for many independent musicians, ranging from solo multi-member bands such as Like Jelly, to solo indie rock projects like Hello Image.

The charm of Vibe Studio comes from the ambience of the many independent musicians coming in and out of the five rehearsal rooms, where they interact, exchange and occasionally collaborate. The studio boasts two control rooms, two rooms for educational lessons and the lounge.

According to the studio’s co-owner, independent musician Ahmed Mohamed, the nationwide curfew that has been in place for over a month has affected the number of patrons coming in and out of the studio. As a result, the management team was forced to innovate in order to sustain its operational costs.

“We figured, if we’re all going to be cooped up in our houses, we might as well be cooped up in a music studio where we can create,” Mohamed says, “jam rather than watching time pass.”

In reaction to the curfew, Vibe Studio has been offering heavily discounted overnight packages, allowing musicians to book studio spots from the start of curfew until it ends in the morning at 6 am. During normal operations, Vibe Studio also offers a number of lessons for a range of instruments, including keyboard lessons taught by Amr Salah from Eftekesat band, drums by Hazem Abdel al-Qader and bass guitar with Samer George from the band Nagham Masry.

In their music store, Vibe provides more than your basic music products and instruments, including Yamaha, Ibanez and Jackson guitars — both acoustic and electric — in addition to accessories like strings, tuners, capos and pedals (single and multi-effect).

Overall, the studio is a creative refuge for independent musicians looking to rehearse in a creative or collective environment. The largest room, which holds upwards of 60 people, is also the perfect space for intimate live studio performances or open jam sessions.

THE MIX

For independent musicians looking for a high-quality, professional recording studio with the most advanced equipment, The Mix in Katemaya is the spot. Conceptualized and built by musician Omar Raafat from Digla band, The Mix is an immaculate, inclusive space with superb sound quality and seasoned production professionals available to consult on all projects.

Currently managed by musicians and producers Negmadeen Shaheen and Akram al-Sherif — best known for their instrumental house band, Soopar Lox — the space is ideal for musicians looking to record a studio album or demo.

“Having experienced recording in a range of studios, I can say that what stands out about The Mix are most certainly the recording and control rooms,” says Shaheen. “The recording space is a medium size room with excellent sound proofing, and an acoustic treatment that allows for the sounds to be entirely accurate. There’s not too much reverb, it’s not too dry or too roomy, so certain frequencies aren’t over or under-emphasized,” he adds.

100COPIES

For art-house, avant-garde, experimental and noise-related musicians, there is no more suitable home than downtown Cairo’s 100Copies, a music space run by the venerable independent music guru Mahmoud Refat. After starting his music label of the same name in 2006, Refat soon realized a growing need for a creative space catering to experimental musicians. For years now, Refat has been something like a godfather for Egypt’s independent musicians, often providing a rehearsal refuge for them, while also creating innumerable workshops, cross-cultural collaborations and music festivals through his 100Copies organization.

100Copies boasts several recording and rehearsal rooms, but its significant advantage is the intimate stage and venue within the space, which allows for gigs with an audience of at least 100 people. At any given point at 100Copies, you can find at least a handful of musicians hanging out, either attending a workshop or exchanging in a musical dialogue, making the space a creative sanctuary in the heart of Cairo.

EPIC 101

Coming in with a DIY attitude towards all facets of music production, EPIC 101 studio in Mohandiseen is the perfect recording atmosphere for those musicians looking to either lay down some tracks, or learn capacity building techniques for bedroom artistry. Opened in 2011 by Ismail Hosny and Hussein al-Sherbiny — mostly known for their electro-pop trio Wetrobots + Bosaina and Mahmoud Shiha — the studio is a seeding ground for electronic musicians.

Equipped with Moog, analog synthesizers, custom-fitted pre-amps, innovative interfaces and the creative energy of its owners, EPIC 101 and its patrons have become a driving force behind the burgeoning dance music scene in Cairo.

For Hussein al-Sherbiny, it is essential that musicians attempt to keep their creative output up during such lamentable times. His studio doors are open to all musicians who wish to collaborate, create and exchange, particularly during these times of crisis.

And while it may be too soon to tell what stars or seminal artist will emerge from these times of unrest, the activity and cross-collaborations currently going on in Cairo’s independent music scene will most certainly lead to something big. Sure, we’ll likely never see anything as great as the Rolling Stones or the Beatles, but with the right combination of producers, musicians, and creative spaces, Cairo is bound to find its seminal sound. After all, if creation is a form of destruction, what better time than now to make some music and noise?