The Summer of Habibi Funk
Image courtesy of Habibi Funk Records/ Band Camp.comThis past weekend, I visited a friend's house, and we lounged in her backyard, basking in the mid-July warmth of New Jersey. To set the mood, I played "Ghariba" by Hanan, an Egyptian pop record from 1987. My friend's mother, hearing the familiar melody, leaped with excitement and was genuinely perplexed that a song she loved decades ago could be playing in her backyard in 2024. In recent years, with a new generation of global listeners appreciating Arabic talent, Habibi Funk has blossomed as a genre and a record label. Habibi Funk Records is an indie reissue record label based in Berlin, Germany, founded by Jannis Stürtz dedicated to music from the Arab world.
With a variety of musical genres, combining elements of Arab local heritage with external influences such as funk, jazz, and psychedelic rock, Habibi Funk features Arab artists from the late 60s-70s, such as Ahmed Malek, The Free Music, Hamid El-Shaeri, spanning across the Middle East and North Africa. Although Habibi Funk is technically a record label, the term “Habibi,” meaning “my love” or “my dear” in Arabic, resonates with listeners and has been taken on as a genre of music as well.
Image courtesy of Habibi Funk Records/ Band Camp.comFrom Disco Arabesquo to Lebanese folk, this project engages in a cultural dialogue while merging different audiences together. I believe that's what makes it so distinctive; not only does the music bring the nostalgia of the Arab world to life, but the archived photos and sounds combined make the experience unmatched. Habibi Funk has gained notoriety from popular TV shows like Ramy that have an eclectic soundtrack filled with Arabic classics, including the legendary Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez, giving audiences a glimpse of the mystical sound of Habibi Funk.
When looking into reissue labels, a common issue that comes up is appropriate compensation for the artists. In an interview with The Vinyl Factory, Stürtz commented: "If you’re a European or Western label and you’re dealing with non-European artists’ music, there’s obviously a special responsibility to make sure you don’t reproduce historic economic patterns of exploitation, which is the number one thing when it comes to the post-colonial aspect of what we are doing." He also added that Habibi Funk Records licenses the music and reissues it directly from the artists or their families, who get a 50% cut of the profits. Today, the label continues to reissue music and has revived a genre that will only continue to be admired and cherished by listeners all over the world.
