47SOUL, the electro Arabic dabke (shamstep) band, are set to tour Cairo as part of the launch of their new album, Balfron Promise. Cairo Jazz Club will host the now London-based group this Wednesday, the 4th of April. The band will also feature in Etisalat’s battle of the bands semi-final on Friday April 6th at Al-Horreya Garden.
47SOUL were formed in Jordan in 2013 and have since performed at several renowned festivals including Womad (World of Music, Arts, and Dance), and Glastonbury. Their live performances are impressive and highly energetic, as they repurpose the traditional Levantine dabke, with electronic hip hop with a mixture of English and Arabic lyrics. Their latest album, Balfron Promise has already received acclaim and was the Guardian’s January pick for world music album of the month. The album does not veer from the band’s reputation of providing politically charged messages as they hope to generate more crossover appeal in the United Kingdom, in addition to their audiences in the Middle East. The name of the album is a reference to the Balfour Declaration, and the Balfron Towers in London, where they once resided, combining Palestinian politics in the 20th century with 21st century gentrification in London.
