WOMAD

Hakim

From Egypt

Hakim is the king of Jeel, the offshoot of Egyptian Sha'bi street-pop. Influenced from an early age by the great Ahmed Adaweyah, Hakim has a forward-looking sound that remains strongly rooted in the working-class tradition of Sha'bi. Constantly striving to drive his music forward, Hakim has introduced new sounds and fusions of ideas to reach out to a wider global audience and keep Sha'bi music evolving.

He sings about cultural understanding and the need for people to connect and leave their problems behind them, but also offers listeners an opportunity to explore their feelings about love, romance, money - anything that's worth laughing and crying about. Hakim's charismatic, infectious stage presence gives audiences a chance to revel in lively music of Arab origin but also reflects an increasingly global culture.
(Biography supplied by WOMAD Abu Dhabi 2010)

Hakim on