Various Artists

Jaafar Muhammad and Na'em Al Sheikh and Fahd Fatrawy

Label

Artist Origin

More Info

This live tape combines different songs by three names in Syrian shaabi music from central Syria, specifically from rural Homs: Naim Al Sheikh, Jaafar Muhammad, and Fahd Fatrawi, where each performs some songs separately. Naim Al Sheikh, born in the city of Rastan in Homs, began his singing career at parties and weddings in 1996, and quickly became one of the most prominent Syrian shaabi singers in the early 2000s and throughout them. His name became specifically associated with coastal shaabi music, alongside Tawfiq Habib and Ali Al Deek, and the keyboard player he frequently collaborated with, Talal Al Daour. Al Sheikh gained great popularity in the region surrounding Syria, especially Lebanon, where he performed at many concerts under the supervision of his cousin who worked as his business manager for many years. Over the past two decades, Jaafar Muhammad has sung at weddings, guest houses, and private parties in every corner of Syria, from Aleppo to Hama and from the coast to the Jazira. He has collaborated with many names such as Ahmad Tellawi and Kawthar Mansour, and established his name among the top artists in attaba and shaabi. He remains strongly present today, followed by a loyal audience of several tens of thousands across different platforms. Some internet pages describe Fahd Fatrawy as the wronged artist, perhaps because his fame was lost in the shadow of his relative Kheiro Fetrawi's fame. He likely hails from the city of Rastan like Naim Al Sheikh, and the internet retains records of his collaborations with iconic keyboard player Talal Al Daour.