YUNIS
Kafr El-Dauwar, Egipto
Through a blend of tradition and modernity, Egyptian producer YUNIS is distilling and reinventing his country’s folklore – finding inspiration in Sufism, the Egyptian wedding and the concept of moulid. His EP ‘Mulid El-Magnoun’, released by Kafr El-Dauwar Records, continues to show why the independent label is ‘one of the most unique in the region’ (Scene Noise). As for the producer, it’s a firm step in the direction he’s been headed since he started making music; to deconstruct and renew the aesthetics of his heritage.
Following his most recent collaboration with celebrated Egyptian producer Molotof on the EP El-Taghreba, Yunis released Mulid El-Magnoun (KDR, February 2021), distilling the popular Egyptian moulid practice and its various manifestations in Egyptian folklore, while closely examining the space between moulid in its Sufi form, with its rhythmic patterns and instrumentation, and as a genre with gritty aesthetics originating from folk weddings.
He was featured in the sold out L'Esprit de Nyege 2020 compilation by Nyege Nyege Tapes, alongside his festival performance as part of the Egyptian Leather Pavillion curated by Nadah El Shazly.
Yunis is based in the Egyptian western Delta province of Kafr El-Dauwar where he co-founded Kafr El-Dauwar Records (KDR), an independent digital record label working to nurture, support and release his hometown’s contemporary and experimental music.
Yunis seeks inspiration in Egyptian folklore. He brought his vision of contemporary wedding music to life in his debut solo album The Blue Djinn Dance (November 2019, KDR) after producing an earlier collaborative record with Ibrahim X, Ya Khal (September 2019, KDR) where they brought the Egyptian practice of wedding MC-ing to the studio for the first time.
Yunis hosts a monthly programme on Ma3azef Radio. His current project, Orouj, is a cross-disciplinary performance based on the progressive structures found in spiritual music, mainly focusing on Takhmir (intoxication/musical ecstasy) songs, which are – as defined by the Egyptian heritage researcher Shawki Abdel Hakim – traditional folk songs sung by people in rural Egypt during exorcisms of spirits or jinn, a practice more commonly known as the Zār.
