World-famous Egyptian soprano Amira Selim recently released a new song “Benheb El Masreya” that empowers women on YouTube and other music platforms; she has since received positive feedback, according to Egypt Today.
The song is a collab with musician and composer Skander Guetari, Tunisian poet Rafqa Ben Ali, music arranger Youssef Alaa El-Din, and sound engineer Sherif Abdul Majeed.
About the song, Selim stated: This song is a tribute to Egyptian women. We need such innovative ideas. The Tunisian poet Rafqa Ben Ali wrote the lyrics of the song, and I asked her to change the lyrics into Egyptian colloquial Arabic.
She added: I felt that the lyrics should highlight the Egyptian spirit. Additionally, I think that the audiences were surprised as it is the first song in colloquial Arabic by an opera singer.
It’s worth noting that Selim’s song delivers two messages: a social message, as it is a tribute to Egyptian women, and an artistic one, as we prove that opera singers can communicate with all social groups through music that is close to their hearts; they are not restricted to a specific type of art.