Undergound Bands doing Albums

Cairo, Egypt- When Ahmed Omar first started playing bass guitar he was sitting on an A’hwa or Egyptian café on Tahrir street with his friends sipping tea and coffee.

Now just ten years later, Omar has come a long way from his days of idly strumming guitar in a café. He is now a popular performer, busily recording songs in a studio or playing with his bands “Wust el Balad” or “El Dor El Awal” in live concerts.

When Independent bands started to appear they lacked support and encouragement in terms of production, venues to play at, and audience to hear them. Until recently, the society started to recognize. Production companies started to produce their music in albums and many places allover Cairo started to invite them to play.

“When we first met, we {the band} just wanted to play music and have fun,” said Ahmed Omar, bass guitarist of “Wust el Balad band” (Downtown).

It’s a dream many independent musicians share but it’s not always easy to accomplish in Cairo. Many production companies avoid signing on independent bands, preferring to stick to those that make more mainstream music. For that reason, many bands have to get creative in getting their music out.

In 2007, “Wust el Balad “the self-titled debut album recorded their first ever CD and cassettes. The album had ten tracks and all songs were composed and written by the band members and produced by Star Gate Company.

Omar said that the tape was the best seller in the independent music section.

“I’ve been listening to these bands for a couple of years and now I stopped and listening to house and trance instead,” said Ahemd Salah, 18, University student. “Most of the bands now are playing similar music and I can’t find something new in it.”

“We never sung a cover and all our songs we make them up,” said Omar. “People hear us because our songs are different from other bands.”

He said that he always been seeing the band as professional because they play and don’t work in another place.

“El Door El Awal” (The First Floor) is the only independent band to recorded two albums “Qarar Izala” (Eviction Notice), and “Aa’tareeq” (The Road) in 2006 and 2009, respectively and produced as part of the Oriental Sounds Project

“It’s now becoming very difficult to practice and rehearse every day,” said Ihab Abdel Hamid “El Door El Awal” percussionist. Bob, as his fans call him, added that sometimes he has to sacrifice outings or important events from his day in order to meet with the band so they can compose new songs.

Part of the problem is getting the right marketing and interest from fans. Salah added that he wouldn’t consider buying an album for any of these bands and he would download the album from the Internet to save money.

“I would pay 20 L.E for Amr Diab but not these bands since they are armatures and not professionals,” said Salah.

To help market their music, many bands are turning to the film industry to spotlight their work.

Video clips, for instance, are a popular tool.

“Video clips are now very important because they help bands to expand audience,” said Bassam Yacout, a freelance sound engineer. “It’s also an advertising tool that is used to make the audience and fans aware of the new songs.”

In the beginning of 2008, “Wust el Balad” launched their first video clip and it was a huge success. The song “Arabily” (come closer) became one of the hits that year and fans went crazy about because of its music.

El Dor El Awal are one of the very few bands to produce two albums.

Abdel Hamid who plays in “Wust el Balad” beside “El Door El Awal said that if the clip is done in a new and unique idea people will like it and buy the tape. He also, added that clips became a necessary part of doing an album that can’t be removed.

Yacout said that it’s becoming essential to independent bands to produce video clips beside their tapes because they are reaching many segments of audiences that probably won’t go to Azhar Park or Cairo Jazz club.

The media blitz seems to be working for Wust el Balad. The band is working on their second album that would be in the markets by summer 2010. They also, recently, won the best musical band in 2009 awarded by Arabic Radio & Television (ART).