USA Africa Dialogue Series - BANNED MUSIC, No. 6, Mahraganat Music in Egypt

Thanks, to the NPR, I got to know in February, 2020, that an entire genre of music was banned—the Mahragnat. It is a street music, part of what you will call "popular culture". It combines Arabic folk singing with electronic dance and rap, and devastating social commentaries on the sufferings of the poor. Hotels, clubs, public places are banned from playing the music or inviting to play any Mahragnat singer. They cannot even be played for domestic events as in marriages and naming ceremonies, not on radio, not on television, not in public. The police will arrest you.

 

Reason: To the authorities, the Mahraganat promotes moral degeneracy—the musicians and their music have been blamed for promiscuity, drug use, and violence. "It is far more dangerous," declared one official, "than the Coronavirus". I will say more.

Let us start with HaMo Buka, the preeminent figure who has attracted millions of followers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK8QSflUcIY