Shaabi Music

Egyptian rapper Sadat stands on a corner near his apartment in Al Salam City. “Sadat’s popularity around Al Salam was made quite apparent as we wandered around the neighborhood. Here we hung out for a bit so I could make some portraits while he hollered at friends and the vibrancy of Al Salam life moved around us.

Alaa Fifty and a friend signal pigeons on a Al Salam City rooftop. “A friend of Sadat’s told us to join him on a roof where he had a bunch of homing pigeons. It was near sunset as Alaa and this young man stood in the middle of bird cages while gazing and whistling at a flock of pigeons gliding around the rooftop. It took this guy about 20 minutes to get some of them to land… this was such a beautiful moment, the flag and whistles, welcoming this graceful flock of birds to come home as the day faded.”

The crowd at a wedding party where Figo, Alaa Fifty and Sadat performed in Cairo.

DJ Figo talks with friends at a local teahouse in Al Salam City. “The artists, especially Figo, really wanted us to feel comfortable. Many times we would stop for tea while learning more about their stories. In places like this outdoor cafe I would quietly observe as the guys interacted with each other. I wanted to get a natural portrait of Figo in the moment… an image with just the right amount of tension and charisma.”

A poster of Egyptian rapper Sadat hangs in his bedroom amongst Bob Marley and Tupac Shakur images. “I made this image while wandering around Sadat’s apartment as he was interviewed by writer Jace Clayton. Sadat was kind enough to bring us into his home and hangout late into the night so we could learn more about his music. I found this scene to be really wonderful; a poster of Sadat displayed proudly amongst these iconic musicians existing in sticker and poster form along with scattered Quicksilver logos. I got a sense of how iconic Western artists and associated fashions, continue to influence young people in all corners of the world.”

Egyptian rapper Alaa Fifty emerges from a local hangout spot in Al Salam City. “For a few days we followed Alaa Fifty and Sadat around their neighborhood in Al Salam City hoping to visualize daily life for the artists. They would take us to friends homes and places like this arcade behind some buildings. As we approached the arcade Alaa emerged from behind some green fabric which made for a somewhat obscure portrait [and] symbolized the idea that this music is beginning to appear from a forgotten or hidden part of the Egyptian landscape.”

Young men dance together with homemade knives and swords at a wedding party where Figo, Alaa Fifty and Sadat performed in Cairo.

Islam Chipsy awaits a haircut at his friend barber shop in Cairo. “Islam Chipsy was a hard man to track down. It took us about a week but we finally made contact and were invited to a small barber shop where Islam and his crew were getting haircuts before an evening show. It was great spending time with this vibrant musician in a quiet setting. I hung around for an hour or so while Islam and the barber shop owner went about their business and prayer.”

A rally for presidential candidate, Hazem Abu Ismail, Tahrir Square, Cairo. “It was important for me to try and give a sense of the political climate that these artists were making music amongst. We were there a few months before the much anticipated presidential election and many of the candidates were gearing up with daily rallies.”

Sadat sits in his families living room as he talks about Shaabi and being a musician following the revolution. “I had arrived in Cairo earlier in the day and after getting lucky with some leads we headed out to Al Salam City on the outskirts of Cairo. Sadat’s apartment was our first photo location for the story…”

A young man climbs the rafters at a wedding party where Figo, Alaa Fifty Cent and Sadat performed in Cairo.

People dance to Shaabi music on a Nile River party boat in Cairo. “The party boats on the Nile became one of my favorite spots… but were the hardest to shoot on. It was my last evening in town and after a few failed attempts to make images on other boats, this small group welcomed me in while they danced together as the sun set along the river.”

Figo, Alaa Fifty and Sadat perform at a wedding party in Cairo. “When the guys had told me they were playing at a wedding party in Cairo, I had no idea what I was in store for. We basically pulled right up to the entrance of an alleyway and filed through a huge crowd of kids partying to the Shaabi blasting on giant speakers… The dance floor heaved wildly around as I was bumped this way and that. A couple guys climbed on the stage rafters and began spinning a giant red sparkler above our heads. In another part of the crowd a group danced together while wielding what seemed to be homemade swords and guns. As soon as Alaa, Sadat and Figo got up to perform the crowd became completely engaged with their presence…”

Islam Chipsy, flooded by fans after performing at an outdoor event in Cairo, signs his autograph for a young woman.

Sadat walks up to his family’s home in Al Salam City. “While visiting the artists homes, we saw that the city of Al Salam was in a rough state. The 1992 earthquake caused major damage around Cairo and 50,000 people were left homeless. The army quickly built this city of crude, poorly constructed cement housing blocks. Ducking into crumbling entry ways and climbing worn, dimly lit stairwells brought us right into the world these guys have come up in.”

Islam Chipsy and his band perform at an outdoor event in Cairo.

Amr 7a7a and friends crowd around his laptop in DJ Figo’s recording studio. “Figo had some friends meet at his recording studio which was a small ground level space filled with huge speakers and lit by black lights and computer screens. Amr 7a7a who lives two hours away, had shown up and began playing tracks on his laptop as the crew listened and chattered about recent social media gossip.”

Sadat and Alaa Fifty walk thru the streets of Al Salam City.

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