"An Audiophile's Guide to Amman," by Djibril Branche
Underground Techno, Arabic Jazz, and Syrian Synth Rock are just a few examples of the variety and richness of the live music I’ve heard since coming to Amman. Amman has a thriving, I repeat, THRIVING music scene and a stable activity of mine on the weekends is to seek out whatever live music I can regardless of genre. In doing so I have been exposed to music of all different types from across the MENA region. In these next couple playlists I hope to give a sample of the amazing different music I have heard here (as well as some blurry concert photos - like the photo above Ft. Habibi Funk).
Shams el Balad
This was the poster of the first concert I went to featuring Idreesi, Zaid Khaled, and El Waili. Photo credit: Branche, 2022.
This first concert took place at what quickly came to be my favorite concert venue: Shams el Balad. Idreesi is a singer and songwriter based in Amman and has been a staple in the indie music scene in Amman for almost a decade; Zaid Khalad is another Jordanian Music artist who began his music career in earnest during the lockdown. El Waili is another big name in the indie music scene not just in Amman, but across the MENA region, and has recently produced an album with Zaid Khaled called Tayarat o Sayarat that I highly recommend. This was my first time ever hearing any of these musicians before and them coming together at this concert produced an eclectic sound unlike anything I’ve heard before. I made a playlist featuring some of my favorite songs from these artists including a few I heard live.
Favorite song off playlist: El Genina
Love the lighting, the acoustics and the energy of this space just off Rainbow Street. Photo credit: Branche, 2022.
The Garage
The Garage. Photo credit: Branche, 2022.
The Garage is a music venue located literally in the garage of the Strand Hotel near 6th circle. The music played here is very underground (… get it). It features a ton of house, techno, EDM, drum and bass, and metal. I am not a super huge fan of all of these genres, but coming here definitely put me on to some of this music and I was delightfully surprised to see that this type of music has such a thriving community here. In lieu of a playlist here are some social media handles of the amazing DJs I heard here if you want to hear any of their DJ mixes:
Habibi Funk
The view from the 20th Floor of the Regency Hotel, which was the venue for Habibi Funk. Photo credit: Branche, 2022.
The most famous musician I’ve heard during my time in Amman is ironically not from the MENA region. Habibi Funk is a DJ and a record label based in Germany that is famous for reissuing Arabic Funk and soul bands from the 1960s to 1980s. They license music from all across North Africa and the Middle East, they are intentional about avoiding orientalist language and forms of exploitation as 50% of the profits go towards the artists or their families. Many people in the West, including myself, have found their favorite artist or sound from the many albums and artists on the Habibi Funk label.
At the concert we heard music from Libyan Egyptian singer Hamid Al-Shaeri, Lebanese composer Issam Hajali, Egyptian band Al-Massrieen, as well as many others. My only regret is not hearing a song from my favorite musician Sharhabil Ahmed. Below are a few playlist from the Habibi Funk label that I cannot recommend enough.
Favorite song on the label: Ya Galbi Leih by Sharhabil Ahmad
As you can see I had a great time jamming! Photo credit: Branche, 2022.
Thank you for reading this short post. Please know that this is only a small sample of the diversity of music that you will experience when traveling to Jordan.
