How many times have you gone on YouTube and accidentally stumbled across a cover of your favorite song? Maybe it’s a cover by Pentatonix, the famous acapella YouTube band, or maybe it’s a cover from The Voice or X-Factor. But usually the singers aren’t Egyptian, let alone Arab.
Well, ladies and gents, get ready to be impressed with these covers featuring Arab singers. You know those singers who make your jaws drop and keep your fingers glued to the repeat button? Here they are:
Hassan Ramzy – “Breath of Life” (Florence and the Machine)
Covering the mesmerizing Florence and the Machine, Hassan Ramzy left his mark by making this song even more captivating with his magical voice and phenomenal musicianship. This song isn’t the only one that Hassan covered. He has also done covers of Coldplay and Gotye.
Be sure to also check out his original work!
Malak El Husseiny – “Born to Die” (Lana del Ray)
This young lady, now hopping around Cairo from one event to another, was first featured on YouTube in a small studio covering Lana del Ray’s “Born to Die”. Malak’s stunning cover gave my friends and I the chills. There’s just something so unique about her voice. First, we thought she was copying Lana’s voice. But throughout the covers, we were so proved wrong. Her voice is as unique as Lana’s – even better, given the age difference between both. Other covers Malak has done include Lana Del Ray’s “Sweater Weather” and “Stay”.
Ahmed El Haggar ft. Layla Mostafa – “Crazy” (Gnarls Barkley)
Well, if it isn’t the son of the great Egyptian singer, Aly El Haggar! Ahmed doesn’t do many English covers but this one was a hit! It went viral on Facebook and YouTube in no time. Not only does he have a beautiful voice and perfect harmony with Layla Mostafa, Ahmed is also a composer and he owns his own producing studio.
I believe he did a very good job with the oriental production of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy”. I love it! A bonus track – Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” with his dad is featured on his YouTube page.
Alaa Wardi – “Stay” (Rihanna)
Alaa is a Saudi YouTube sensation. I personally adore him. He owns his own creative studio called “Telfaz” and is making a living off of his unique, outstanding and inventive mind. I have no idea how he isn’t signed! Alaa does a cappella songs using human sound instruments (such as clapping) to keep rhythm. He does very diverse covers from English to Arabic and Hindi.
I’m very impressed by his work. Please visit his channel and get ready to be blown away. He has recently started engaging his friends and other YouTube sensations as well.
Omar El Farouk – “It’s Time” (Imagine Dragons)
Omar is a part of El7afla productions and perfectly covered Imagine Dragons’s “It’s Time”. El7afla is a startup YouTube channel that features Egyptian singers who do covers of their favorite songs. You can spot one or two extremely good vocals on this channel, but Omar for me was the standout artist.
Try playing his song in the background while you’re working or writing. You’ll fall in love with him for making you more productive! Also, check out Summer Salama’s cover of “She Will be Loved” and Dina Fayed’s cover of “Let Her Go”.
WE SAID THIS: A new, unheard Michael Jackson will be released in May! Read about it here.