Egyptian singers achieved wide fame during the nineties of the last century and the beginning of the new millennium through their albums that they rel
Egyptian singers achieved wide fame during the nineties of the last century and the beginning of the new millennium through their albums that they released via cassette tapes, but with the changes that occurred in the singing scene in Egypt and the Arab world during the last two decades, many singers of that era retreated from releasing albums. Singers, content with releasing “single” songs.
Hosni mediates with Mustafa Qamar and Ihab Tawfiq (Hossam Hosni’s Facebook account)
Although Amr Diab is among the Egyptian singers who shined in the era of the nineties of the last century, he is considered one of the few singers who still regularly release albums through new digital platforms.
The works of “stars of the nineties,” such as Mustafa Qamar, Mohamed Fouad, Khaled Ajaj, Hisham Abbas, Mohamed Mohy, Hamid Al-Shaeri, Simon, Fares, Ihab Tawfiq, and others, form part of the conscience of the public, or rather the generation of the eighties.
According to Egyptian art critic Ahmed Al-Samahi, the singing scene has witnessed radical changes over the past two decades, which contributed to the disappearance of most of the singers of that era from the list. “Because they did not keep pace with the times and the rapid development that changed the form of the song and the rhythm,” he said, adding that “the smart singer who is aware of the changes of the era is the one who himself survived the flood of modern technology.”
Artist Simone participates in dramatic works ({her Facebook account})
A new generation
Al-Samahi attributed the reasons for the disappearance of the stars of the nineties from the scene, and their content with releasing single songs, to “the emergence of a generation of poets, composers and distributors who possess a tone that is in line with the changes witnessed by the Egyptian street.”
The Egyptian critic stressed, in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, that “financial support is a major factor in staying on the scene, as some singers of the nineties do not have enough money to produce albums for themselves, after the production companies that used to produce cassettes for them were closed, with the exception of some companies.” The few that are content with distributing singers’ albums that they produce at their own expense.”
Muhammad Mohy during his participation in the {Cassette 90} concert organized by the Saudi Entertainment Authority in Jeddah a year ago ({his Facebook account})
Al-Samahi accused piracy and theft of causing the closure of Egyptian production companies after suffering huge losses.
Egyptian singer Hossam Hosni, who became famous in the 1990s with the song “All the Girls Love You,” returned to the scene years ago and released “single” songs, the most recent of which was “The Girls are Beautiful.”
Hosni also recently participated in acting experiments. Among them are the series “Revo” and the movie “Grapes,” which is currently showing in cinemas, but with his real character. In statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hosni said that “single songs are dominant and dominant, while albums no longer exist.”
The song {Mish Fadin} is one of the latest releases by the artist Fares ({his Facebook account})
The “smart singer” himself survived the flood of modern technology
Art critic Ahmed Al-Samahi
Hosni explains, “This trend is not only related to the stars of the nineties, but rather it is a general trend,” pointing out that “the album takes two years to prepare to include 10 songs, for example, but technological development has made it possible to release them immediately after they are completed.”
Hosni supports releasing the “single” successively, so that it gets its share of spread and views, and maintains the artist’s presence on the scene, via YouTube.
Hosni also pointed out that “holding concerts requires new works constantly, and (the single) helps to do this to attract the largest segment of the audience to the concerts.”
Artist Mohamed Fouad recently suffered from a health problem ({his Facebook account})
Some singers don’t have the courage to break the mold and risk change
Lyricist Antar Hilal
A number of stars of the nineties participated in acting in addition to singing, including Mustafa Qamar, who starred in several films. The most recent was the movie “Children of Karim’s Harem,” as well as Simone, who participates in dramatic works, Mohamed Fouad, and Hossam Hosni. In addition to acting, many of them are keen to sing in artistic programs, in addition to performing artistic concerts. Among them is the “Cassette 90” concert organized by the Saudi Entertainment Authority in the coastal city of Jeddah a year ago, and other private parties, weddings, and songs from drama productions.
Egyptian lyric poet Antar Hilal confirms that “cassette production companies were defeated by the invasion of technology and were completely closed, and despite the presence of companies seeking to make some attempts, the production of the stars of the nineties declined.”
Artist Khaled Ajaj released the song {I Am Faqooq Ya Dunya} last year ({his Facebook account})
Hilal, who has good relations with many singers of the 1990s, points out that “some of them were content with the famous works they presented, in addition to the decline in the quality of their vocal capabilities, so they preferred to withdraw out of respect for their career and people’s memories of them.”
He stressed that some singers do not prefer to risk producing new albums at their own expense and wait for producers, and their ability to keep up with current music such as “rai,” “rap,” and “festivals” is difficult, and some of them tried and failed, as he put it.
He pointed out that “age affects voice and movement, and weight gain leads to unhealthy physical changes, and art requires self-confidence, creativity, and presence.”
Singles are dominant and albums are no longer there
Hossam Hosny
Hilal accuses some of the singers of that era of “still being in a box that they do not want to get out of, and they preferred to sit on the spectator seat, even when they put out single songs, they resembled their old logic with the same themes, melodies, and musical status, and they did not have the courage to break the mold and risk change,” he said. His expression.
Many singers of the 1990s were content to release “single” songs on their YouTube channels, while albums were absent in recent years, especially the channels of Mostafa Qamar and Mohamed Fouad, who recently fell ill and released, a year ago, the song “With You From the First Day.” », while Khaled Ajaj released the song “Nafsi Afouk Ya Dunya” last year, while Fares released songs two years ago, which is what the singer Mohamed Mohy also did.
Egyptian art critic Fayza Hindawi believes that the popularity of the stars of the nineties declined with the emergence of a new generation, until their old works began to be viewed as nostalgia.
Conclusion
The singing scene in Egypt and the Arab world has undergone significant changes over the past two decades, leading to the decline of many singers from the 1990s. The rise of new generations of poets, composers, and distributors has contributed to the shift towards single songs, which have become the dominant form of music release. The lack of financial support and the closure of production companies have also played a significant role in the decline of the stars of the nineties.
FAQs
Q: Why did the stars of the nineties decline in popularity?
A: The stars of the nineties declined in popularity due to the emergence of new generations of poets, composers, and distributors, as well as the lack of financial support and the closure of production companies.
Q: What is the current trend in music release?
A: The current trend in music release is towards single songs, which have become the dominant form of music release.
Q: Why did the stars of the nineties prefer to release single songs?
A: The stars of the nineties preferred to release single songs because it is a more feasible and cost-effective way to produce and distribute music, especially with the rise of digital platforms such as YouTube.
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