Middle Eastern Pop

Middle Eastern popular music, like the traditional music of the region, centers around the singer. Maintaining an uneasy balance between the musical traditions of the region and the influx of Western popular styles, the superstar vocalists of the Middle East draw from an eclectic array of influences. Lebanese chanteuse Fairuz incorporates elements of classical, Flamenco, and Rumba into her music; the lyrics maintain a link with Arabic traditions. Palestinian popular music takes the opposite approach, retaining traditional instrumentation and adding lyrics which often deal with modern themes such as the struggle for statehood. The genre with the most widespread appeal, however, is the Egyptian pop style known as "Al-jil" or "generation music." Over electronic beats, heartthrob singer-icons deliver bubbly melodies supported by synthesizers and squadrons of backing vocalists. Other styles of Egyptian music, such as shaabi, maintain a stronger link to traditions, centering on improvised vocals rooted in Arabic classical music.