Ramy Essam was the one who made me discover Arabic rock. The song “Segn Bel Alwan” may not be the most representative of Ramy Essam’s rock production. But the song feels important. Ramy Essam is an Egyptian singer and activist. Essam stands for gender equality, freedom and social justice.
KIRUNA MAY 2025: Ramy Essam was the one who made me discover Arabic rock. I didn’t even know that Arabic rock existed. Somehow it feels like Arabs don’t produce rock. Now, the song “Segn Bel Alwan” may not be the most representative of Ramy Essam’s rock production. But I chose that song because it feels….important. Yes, important – beautiful Arabic lyrics, an important message, it has everything. And not everything needs to be representative, not everything needs to be categorized.
It might have been better to choose a song like Balaha, a song that can be described as a mocking song. The melody is classic rock, with proper rock riffs with distorted guitars, which brings to mind bands such as Status Quo.
Ramy Essam, born in 1987, is an Egyptian singer and activist. He is best known for his performances in Tahrir Square in 2011, and his protest song Irhal (Resign!) became a signature song of the revolution. His lyrics are often political.
When the army crushed the protests on March 9, 2011, Essam was arrested and tortured. In October 2014, he was the first musician to be offered a two-year asylum in Malmö, Sweden.
Essam is a very progressive voice in the Arab world. Ramy Essam stands for gender equality, freedom, social justice, equity, health care, minority rights, education and peace. His songs feature the themes of corruption, censorship, women’s and workers’ rights, political prisoners, economic exploitation and torture.
