Welcome to Members' Corner! Each month, we run a bounty asking our community members to write about the subjects that matter most to them. July 2024 saw Laser-Bicep explain the many benefits of Judo, Sturmer spoke at length about the art of analog photography, and Lanah Tyra shed some light on a now-defunct Final Fantasy XIV mechanic.
For our first Member's Corner of the month, we have mar1gold introducing us to Habibi Funk Records, a record label that revived a style of music from Arabic funk and soul bands in the twentieth century. It’s exactly the sort of thing we prize on Members’ Corner: niche, interesting, and fuelled by passion. Enjoy and look out for our next MC bounty in early September!
"Habibi Funk is the stage name of Jannis Stürtz, a Berlin-based DJ who became interested in Arabic funk, jazz, and soul music when he visited Morocco. He founded Habibi Funk Records which signed notable names such as Ahmed Mahek, Roger Fakhr, and Ferkat Al Ard. The lead singer of Ferkat Al Ard, Issam Hajali, created the song 'Ana Damir El Motakallim', which has been referred to as Lebanon's answer to 'Stairway To Heaven' because of its epic qualities.
"A lot of Habibi Funk music borrows from Palestinian poetry and discusses issues of oppression, love, life, and American imperialism. It's a very eclectic genre that I was so happy to discover! Many of these artists had a period of being incredibly popular in their respective countries before fading to obscurity and leading normal lives. Habibi Funk Records has re-released music that was previously hard to find, which has led to it reaching wider audiences.
"I think engaging in music from other places and cultures, as we often only know of western artists, is super important and enjoyable. A lot of Habibi Funk music combines western styles of rock and electronic with the traditional music of whatever country the artist is from.
"One of my favourite songs from Habibi Funk Record is 'La Ville' by Ahmed Malek. It's really fun to dance to!
"I'd also recommend this Spotify playlist if you're interested in listening to more music from Habibi Funk Records, as it has a lot of the classics and it caters to a lot of different tastes."
Thanks to Stella for sharing her passion and interest in Habibi Funk Records with us. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments. If you’ve already read July’s other Members’ Corner articles, then check out June’s instead: tomahawk throwing, the modern reverberations of Bristol’s historic links to the slave trade, and the warning signs of pancreatic cancer. Keep your eye out for the next Members' Corner bounty for a chance to be featured next month!
Some text has been edited for brevity and clarity. You can find the original wording at the bounty post.
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