Egypt’s Musicians’ Syndicate announced on Sunday 17, October a temporary ban on mahraganat music (also known as electro-folk or working-class rap). The ban includes suspending permits issued to mahraganat singers under the decisions of regulating the artistic criteria and investigating bribery allegations. The decision coincides with Egyptian singer Mostafa Kamel taking the position of newly elected head of the syndicate after his predecessor Hany Shaker. Shaker, who headed the syndicate since 2015, resigned from his position in June 2022. “The temporary suspension of Mahraganat singers will remain in effect until a discussion is conducted between the board, music, and cultural icons to study the phenomenon and to define regulating criteria,” announced Kamel in the press conference on Sunday. Shaker had led multiple campaigns against what he called an “unacceptable” genre, issuing a decision in February 2020 to ban mahraganat performers from clubs, cafes, hotels and concert venues. Mahraganat music and artists have become a staple in Egypt’s street music scene after rapidly rising to popularity in the last decade. The genre, which blends a style of colloquial rap, bustling beats of a simple techno hip-hop, and a hint of Egypt’s…
