We have outstanding musicians in the Arab world whose songs and performances are always in demand in foreign films. They bring a fantastic spirit with their songs and energy that has never been witnessed before! Malouma, Mayssa Karaa, Yasmine Hamdan, and Souad Massi added a wonderful touch to foreign films by incorporating an atmosphere that expresses art and beauty, all combined to create soundtracks that don’t just match the picture, but expand it in a beautiful way.
To clear things up, here are five songs from five different foreign films, one of which was even nominated for an Academy Award!
White Rabbit
The song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane is well-known and has multiple interpretations. However, when singing a re-imagined cover of this song for the Oscar-nominated film American Hustle, starring the stunning Amy Adams and the talented Christian Bale, the Lebanese singer, Mayssa Karaa expanded on it. It comes up in the scene where we’re introduced to a fake Arab sheik. Additionally, when you listen to it, you immediately become mesmerized by Karaa’s voice.
Raoui
We’ve all watched The Dictator, one of the funniest films mocking current politics in a sarcastic way that transcends all of our prejudices and biases towards a particular ideology or doctrine. Raoui, a song by Souad Massi, a talented Algerian musician, was used in the film. Massi has always been able to fascinate listeners in a variety of ways with her bizarre voice, and her inclusion in this film is a fantastic touch from the filmmakers!
Hal
Yasmine Hamdan’s voice is excellent, and she is often seen performing in a breathtaking manner. The Lebanese singer’s voice is incredible, as she can achieve high notes with complete confidence and artistry. Only Lovers Left Alive, a film starring Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton, used her song Hal. Hiddleston approaches a bar where we later witness Hamdan sing her song, and he is utterly enthralled by her melancholy mood, which we can’t get enough of!
Yarab
Yarab is a song by Malouma, a Mauritanian musician with a distinct voice that contributed a lot of dimension to the film. The Mauritanian is a dramatic film about Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who battles for his freedom after being detained and imprisoned by the US government for years without charge. When Slahi is finally released from Guantanamo prison, her song is played in the final scene of the film!
Ghir Enta
Now we’re back to Souad Massi, who continues to dazzle her audience with her exquisite music, which this time was included in the Italian film Naples in Veils. Ghir Enta is a love tune that goes wonderfully with this true story of a medical examiner in Naples who has a passionate one-night stand with a man who subsequently comes up as a corpse on her examining table.
It is a huge honor to have these musicians’ work featured in foreign films, which, if nothing else, demonstrates the region’s wealth of creativity and originality. A true inspiration and a call to other Arab musicians to pursue their goals, as music is frequently a stepping stone to other disciplines, such as acting!