It’s been two years since we last heard from Egyptian indie-rock pioneers Wust El-Balad after they put out their 2021 single ‘Nefsy Ahbek’, and they’ve just broke their hiatus with the release of their new track, ‘3al Wa3d’, coupled with a music video produced by Gamma Music that has already gotten over one million views!
The song starts off in typical Wust El-Balad style with a soft acoustic guitar intro, and vocals from Sudanese guest artist Abia Ndima. There’s an Afrobeat-Reggaeton influence throughout the song, elevated by congos, maracas, bouncy electric guitar licks and folksy notes from the accordion.
The song has an uplifting essence to it: the lyrics follow the tale of two young lovers, who - despite the intrusive forces of life - manage to keep their promise to one another to reunite.
The video comes with a beautiful dancehall performance by Yara Saleh and Craig Black Eagle, eloquently choreographed by the former.
Since their establishment in 1999, Wust El-Balad has grown to become a pinnacle in the region’s independent rock scene. Bringing together traditional Arabic sounds with a modern rock taste, they’ve delivered cult-classics like ‘Shams El-Nahar’ and ‘Antika’ which garnered over three million views on YouTube.
Wust El-Balad announced the track with the hashtag #Revival - a sign of a new era, perhaps?
