Hamid El Shaeri

Biography

Abdelhamid Ali Ahmed al-Shaeri (Arabic: عبد الحميد علي أحمد الشاعري, romanized: ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ʿAlī Aḥmad ash-Shāʿirī; born 29 November 1961), better known as Hamid al-Shaeri (also al-Sha'eri and al-Sha'iri; Arabic: حميد الشاعري, romanized: Ḥamīd ash-Shāʿirī), is a Libyan-Egyptian singer, songwriter, and producer. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Arabic pop and has been credited for incorporating Western music styles of synth-pop, western dance, and rock and roll influences alongside traditional Arabic musical features, which came to be known as El Geel.
Born in Benghazi to an Libyan father and Egyptian mother, al-Shaeri first achieved fame in Libya as a founding member of the Sons of Africa during the 1970s, before he was forced to move to his maternal country Egypt, where he released his first album, Ayonha, in 1983. Initially unsuccessful, al-Shaeri received widespread critical and commercial acclaim with his second album, Raheel (1984). In addition to his solo work, al-Shaeri has also been noted for his work as producer, including the songs "Law Leki" (1988) performed by Ali Hemeida, and "Ainy" (1997), performed by Hisham Abbas.

Early life

Al-Shaeri was born in 1961 in Benghazi to a Libyan father and an Egyptian mother. One of sixteen children, al-Shaeri was raised in a polygamous household; his mother died when he was 13. He briefly studied aviation in the United Kingdom, where he was first exposed to synth-pop, though his father originally forbade him from pursuing a career as a musician.

Career

After returning to Libya, al-Shaeri briefly served as an organist in the Libyan Radio Band, before becoming a founding member of the Sons of Africa group, composed of Arab and African musicians, which found particular success within Libya. Al-Shaeri subsequently moved to Alexandria, Egypt, reportedly after witnessing the public burning of Western music instruments.
After moving from Alexandria to Cairo, al-Shaeri released his first album, Ayonha, in 1983. Composed of songs recorded during his time in Libya, the United Kingdom, and Egypt, the album found limited commercial and critical success during its initial release. Al-Shaeri's second album, Raheel (1984), received much more acclaim, in addition to it being a commercial success in Egypt.
In addition to his solo career, al-Shaeri also worked as a producer from the 1980s. His song "Law Leki" (1988), performed by Ali Hemeida, featured cymbals and drum machines alongside traditional Libyan clapping and cymbals; the song has since been called emblematic of the al-Jeel genre, which al-Shaeri spearheaded; the song's production techniques were described as "dominating" the next decade of Arabic pop music.
Outside of the Arab world, al-Shaeri received renewed attention in 2017 when his song "Ayonha" was featured on Habibi Funk's seventh compilation. American music website Pitchfork described the song as the "most exciting track" on the album. As a result of renewed interest in al-Shaeri's work, a 2022 compilation of his early songs, entitled The SLAM! Years (1983-1988), was released, also by Habibi Funk.

Politics

Al-Shaeri was critical of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and following the outbreak of the First Libyan Civil War, he wrote several songs that were used by the Libyan opposition movement. He described Gaddafi as a "disgrace to Libyans", and called on Egyptians to support Libyan citizens.

Criticism

Al-Shaeri faced criticism for "infringing" on Arabic culture and heritage. Egyptian composer Helmy Bakr accused al-Shaeri and other up and coming musicians at the time of tarnishing traditional Arabic music due to their lack of musical education. Al-Shaeri refuted this, stating his musical instinct was more important than his musical knowledge. Al-Shaeri and Bakr appeared to reconcile in 1998 when they both contributed to the so-called operetta "The Arab Dream".