Hamid El Shaeri
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Born in Benghazi in 1961, Hamid El Shaeri — "El Capo" — was the pioneer of the El Geel: he married Western synthetic pop to the Arabic song and produced the greatest Egyptian stars, before being rediscovered by the whole world.
Abdelhamid Ali Ahmed al-Shaeri was born on 29 November 1961 in Benghazi, Libya, of a Libyan father and an Egyptian mother. Adolescent, he founded in Benghazi the band Sons of Africa, before moving to Egypt, where his career took off: first album "Ayonha" in 1983, then the success "Raheel" in 1984.
Nicknamed "El Capo", he became the pioneer of the El Geel, the "sound of the generation": Western synthesizers, dance and rock, married to Arabic melodies and rhythms. He also shaped the sound of others, including the production of "Nour El Ein" by Amr Diab, "Law Leki" by Ali Hemeida and "Ainy" by Hisham Abbas.
His catalogue, which was confined to the Arab world for a long time, enjoyed a second international life: the Berlin label Habibi Funk devoted in 2022 to him the compilation "The SLAM! Years (1983–1988)", and his titles from the 1980s were played in clubs around the world.
He is still active, publishing new singles on his official channel "El Wasf" and "Dah Begad" in 2025, and seeing his classic "Ayonha" remixed that same year. From Benghazi to Cairo, Hamid El Shaeri remains the tutelary figure of modern Arab pop.