If ever there was a defining national sound, it is the imposing voice of Umm Kulthum blaring through Egypt’s cacophonous soundscape, setting the tone for the country’s socio-cultural evolution and political life throughout its modern history. Thanks to her inimitable voice and impressive vocal range, the late singer transcended in the 40s and the 50s the very social and gender barriers that continue to face Egyptian women decades later. Spotify’s 2019 Wrapped Lists for Egypt, released last week, reflect the most listened to artists and songs by Egyptians and were not chosen by Spotify itself. Not unpredictably, Egyptian singer Amr Diab leads the pack as the country’s most streamed artist of 2019, followed by American pop star Billie Eilish in an otherwise all-male top 10 list. Similarly, the country’s top 10 most streamed female artists list only features one Egyptian singer, Sherine. “We work with thousands of artists and labels and it is true that the industry is kind of male-dominated. We are, literally, [listing] the music that we are receiving and then we are looking at what is moving very well. There might be an unconscious bias there—that people…
Egyptian Women Absent as Spotify Reveals Consumers’ Top Artists
December 9, 2019
