Mawazine sessions: Egyptian pop singer Amal Maher is a modern classic

Amal Maher says she wants to act her age. It’s a rather risky move, as the 30-year-old Egyptian has built her glittering career by evoking the classic sounds of the past.

Discovered as a promising talent at the tender age of 15, Maher enrolled in a music conservatory, and before long she was performing regularly at the famed Cairo Opera House.

Since then, she has released three albums of what can best be described as sophisticated pop, blending modern music sensibilities with classic influences of legendary Arabic singers such Umm Kulthum and Fairuz. It’s the kind of music to soundtrack a blissful night drive or a dinner party.

Maher’s fourth album, Welad El Naharda, marks a turning point in her career. Released this year, it is her most pop-friendly offering to date, featuring elements of EDM and super-polished balladry.

“I don’t look at it as a sudden change,” she says before performing at the Mawazine Festival in Morocco. “I think it’s something more gradual.

“I do feel like I have grown in all aspects, from the personal to the artistic. I think I now know how to fully engage with the audience, whether they are older or younger. The development didn’t come from specific moments, but came naturally with experience.”

Original article by Saeed Saeed

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Mawazine sessions: Egyptian pop singer Amal Maher is a modern classic