Hamza Namira Biography
Hamza Namira is an Egyptian singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was born on 15 November 1980 in Mecca to Egyptian parents, his parents moved from Saudi Arabia to their native country, Egypt, when he was 12 years old.
Hamza Namira Age
He was born on 15 November 1980 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, he is 38 years old as of 2019.
Hamza Namira Music Career.
He started to develop an interest in music when he was 17 years old, and he set about learning the guitar, keyboard, and ‘Oud. He also developed interests in several musical styles including Middle Eastern, Egyptian traditional and folk music, light rock, jazz, and Latin music. From 1999 until 2004, he played in a band headed by the Alexandrian artist Nabil Bakly and went on to form his own group. He composed his first songs and succeeded in getting a few like-minded friends together and established the band Nomaira.
His second album, Insan, also known as Human was released in July 2011. When British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Egypt on February 21, 2011, he was one of a select group of people invited to meet with him and to participate in a one-hour discussion about the future of Egypt.
He held many concerts including at the Library of Alexandria and at the American University in Cairo. He has also performed in many Arab countries. His main musical influence is Nabil El Bakly; a relatively unknown musician, whose group Hamza joined from 2000 to 2001. Hamza Namira is being hailed as the “new Sayed Darwish”.
Hamza Namira Wife
He keeps his personal life private, his girlfriend is not known.
Hamza Namira Songs
| Year | Title | Tracklist |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Ehlam Maaya(Dream With Me) |
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| 2011 | Insan (A Human) |
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| 2014 | Esmaani (Listen to Me) |
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| 2015 | El Mesaharaty |
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| 2018 | Hateer Min Tany |
Hamza Namira Photo
Hamza Namira Tour Dates
Hamza Namira Insan
Hamza Namira Instagram.
Hamza Namira News
Exclusive interview with Hamza Namira: ‘I’m not a politician or activist’
Updated: February 09, 2018
Egyptian artist Hamza Namira, an icon in the Arab world, spiraled to fame with his song issmy masr, My name is Egypt. Directing his words to Israel, Namira highlights his disagreement with the official government stance on the Palestine issue, a sentiment that resonated greatly with the Egyptian public, in particular, the youth.
As the January 25 protests broke out across the country, Namira’s album Insan (Human) voiced clear support to the revolution, bolstering his popularity.
Here he speaks to The New Arab about his music and career since the revolution.
What ideas do you hope to bring across in your upcoming Remix show?
There are many ideas generally that touch upon alienation and artistic oppression, however, I’m interested in dealing with the human aspect of the suffering that occurs in the Arab world. I don’t want to simply focus on beautiful folklore, I want it to also reflect the current existing reality. Tackling ya zareef altoul (Oh tall stranger), a classic Palestinian folk song had echoes of the Palestinian identity. The same happened when we did the Iraqi song, shalshil Ali (Rain on me).
Shalshil Ali, an old song set in the Ottoman era when Iraq was faced with a British threat, has political as well as emotional dimensions, a fact that resonated today with many Iraqis. Many Iraqis commented, talking about the nostalgia of home, of Baghdad. People need to hear songs that tie them to the reality, this is what is expected from art – it doesn’t need to be overtly in your face, but it needs to touch something in the listener.
You said you want to address the idea of artistic persecution, what sort of artistic persecution did you mean by that?
Nearly a hundred years ago in Morocco, there was a singer called Kharboush who criticized an authoritarian tribal leader, and as a result, her songs were banned. There is a similar story for Sheikh Imam, whose songs were culturally boycotted for a very long time. Ismail Yasin sings for the artists because an artist always feels tied in being able to express himself due to the oppression of people, whether that persecution comes socially or politically. But again, that’s just one idea I’ve had.
Have you faced any artistic persecution yourself?
Of course, and that’s clear to all. There are many restrictions placed on me in my home country, my songs cannot be played on an Egyptian channel, as though there is some sort of implicit agreement to prevent my songs from being broadcast or me holding concerts.
It could be due to my political views, or other reasons. I have been accused of being opposition, to being part of the Muslim Brotherhood – and I have nothing to do with politics.
I expressed my opinion purely as an Egyptian citizen, a right protected by the constitution, whether I am a supporter or whether I oppose it. And even if I am against any idea, that does not mean I should be classified as a ‘terrorist’. I believe in an idea, and I will continue in it, and I will continue my art, despite it being hard to know that my art reaches the world with the exception of my country.
Are you forbidden entry to Egypt?
Till now there has been no direct order barring my entry, but the situation is worrying. The unpredictability of affairs makes you unsure and wary of predicting what could happen. This worries me naturally because at the end of the day I’m not a politician nor an activist… I’m an artist.
Do you believe the Egyptian revolution made you more visible?
Of course, and not just me, but a large sector of artists. Perhaps had I not been linked to the revolution then I would not be as undesirable by Egyptian authorities as I am.
You want to present a different line from mainstream art by valuing human feelings. Do you not believe most Arabic songs are expressions of human emotions? Or do you believe that certain aspects are overlooked and others focused on?
The scope of Arabic art is very large, but if we are to consider the mainstream, then it is not too dissimilar from that in the UK, or in Europe, mainly tackling the emotional relationship between a woman and a man, and everything that falls in between. It’s not an issue that only the Arab world suffers from, but the world at large. Art has come down in binary terms of love, separation, and longing.
Of course, Arabic art is not without deep values with a greater dimension, it’s simply that production companies find it convenient and safer to stick with the mainstream.
Do you expect to release an album soon? Or a concert?
I’m putting the finishing touches on an album I hope will be out in March, “I’ll fly again”, all in the Egyptian dialect with the exception of one in standard Arabic. I’m also preparing for a concert in London, and another in Jordan late April.
Do you think the Arab public has been fair to Hamza Namira?
It’s too early to respond to this question, but at this moment in time, I’m very happy with the interactions with the audience, be they Egyptian or from the Arab world, and there are challenges and ideas that I still want to provide.
What level of stardom do you seek? Do we see Hamza Namira as a global star like Omar Sharif?
It’s not a specific goal of mine, I strive to express things inside me, and hope to be able to impart it on others, what happens after that, success or failure, I have no idea. Of course, I dream about my voice reaching the world, but there is the language barrier because I don’t sing in foreign languages. It’s not my talent, but it can be a starting point, such as Rai music, Tuareg and others that have had far-reaching effects.
Source: https://www.alaraby.co.uk