• “Disco Boi Beirut” revisits a song you first created in 2017. How has your artistic perspective evolved since that original version?

Since 2017, my perspective has changed drastically. I’ve gained a lot more confidence singing in Arabic, learned how to make songs more concise, and refined my production and mixing. Revisiting “Disco Boi Beirut” now feels like bringing the original idea into its most focused and authentic form.

• Your music blends NYC energy with Beirut nostalgia. How do these two worlds shape your identity as an artist?

Beirut and NYC both live in my music, but in different ways. NYC gave the original groove, while Beirut shaped how I express it, adding soul, rhythm, and a connection to my roots. This blend defines my sound and identity as an artist.

• Your grandmother played a meaningful role in inspiring the faster, refreshed version of the track. How does family influence your creative process overall?

My family brings me joy and inspiration. Seeing them enjoy my music motivates me, and my grandmother in particular has been a guiding influence throughout my life. She inspired this refreshed version, and I hope to honor her further with a dedicated album in the near future.

• You’ve lived and created music between New York, Boston, Providence, and Beirut. How have these cities contributed to your sound and artistic growth?

Each city shaped the project in its own way. New York brought inspiration from friends like Joe D. Providence gave me the chance to go deeper and connect with collaborators like Aleks K, Isabelle Malhame and Matt Hatch. Boston helped me perfect my craft while meeting amazing people, Matthew Deluccia, Jihad Milan, Gabi Carvajal Poisson, and Karl Deek, who became part of this journey. This project is really a product of all the incredible people I’ve met along the way.

• The track merges English and Arabic to express infatuation and longing. What does this linguistic blend represent for you personally and culturally?

Mixing English and Arabic reflects who I am and where I come from. It’s a way to honor my roots while sharing my story with a wider audience. Culturally, it bridges two worlds, capturing both nostalgia and contemporary experience, and personally, it allows me to express emotion in the language that fits the feeling best.

• The Arabic line “صبية منبعيد ، غنّيلي وتعيد وتعملي حركات” – “Sabiyye mnebeed tghanille wou t3id wou ta3melle harakeit” captures a very specific, poetic moment. What inspired this imagery, and what does it symbolize in the context of the song?

Honestly, the music came first, and I already knew the song would be about her. “Disco Boi” is about trying to get the girl. This lyric came naturally from a specific moment in time. She was visiting Lebanon, and we were dancing at Decks on the Beach at Beirut Sporting Club. She was singing to me from afar, calling me to join the dance. The imagery captures that playful, intimate moment.

• The recording process involved revisiting your earliest studio sessions in Providence and blending them with new Boston recordings. How did it feel to literally merge your musical past and present into one track?

It was a surreal and exciting experience. Listening back to the earliest sessions in Providence reminded me of where I started, while the new Boston recordings reflected who I am now as an artist. Merging them into one track felt like connecting past and present, giving the song a sense of growth and continuity.

• You reunited with long-time collaborators like Matthew Hatch and Isabelle Malhame for this release. How did their contributions help bring this new vision to life?

Working with Matt and Isabelle was incredible. They understand my vision and bring their own creativity and energy, helping me expand the song’s sound while keeping its original spirit. Their contributions were key in turning the refreshed version into something alive and vibrant.

1. In such a fast paced AI digital era, how do you see the future of the music industry and its impact on indie artists?

For me, music is about joy and connection. I make it for myself, my family, and friends, and to bring a little vision to life. I hope AI can help with the boring stuff, like taxes or paperwork, so we can spend more time creating things we enjoy but overall I think the future of the music industry will be more appreciative of the unconventional.

• Finally, tell us more about your 2026 plans.

For 2026, I’m really excited about a couple of projects. First is our upcoming album, Kite Without a String, set to release around March or April. It’s definitely our strongest work yet, guitar-driven folk-pop with strong lyrics, great hooks, and, as always, crafted with love and care. I might even play the title track live acoustically at our December 23 show in Beirut.

Beyond that, I’m also working on an album dedicated to my grandmother. This one will lean more into Arabic language and Middle Eastern sounds, celebrating her influence and the music of my roots. Both projects feel very personal, and I can’t wait to share them with listeners.

With “Disco Boi Beirut,” John Lebanon delivers far more than a nostalgic dance track — he offers a heartfelt tribute to memory, identity, and the moments that shape us. His ability to merge languages, cultures, and eras into a seamless sonic experience reveals an artist deeply connected to both his past and his future. As he prepares for intimate performances in Beirut and a major concert in Boston next spring, it’s clear that John Lebanon’s musical journey is only gaining momentum. For listeners around the world, “Disco Boi Beirut” stands as both an invitation and a promise: the best of what he has to offer is still unfolding.

While this is the first full release under his own name, it is not Hawary’s first venture into solo work. Over the past few years he has shared several standalone singles that were warmly received by fans. “Hekayat Nos El-Leil”, however, is his first complete and cohesive project: four intense tracks clocking in at approximately 14 minutes that present a clear and deeply personal musical and emotional vision.

The EP tracklist:

1. Khayef (Afraid) [Ft. Shams]
2. Da7ketly (She Laughed!)
3. Haya (Life)
4. La Ba’s (Hekayet Shagara) (It’s Okay! – A Tree’s Story)

Musically, the record sits at the intersection of contemporary Arabic pop and the alternative rock roots Hawary is known for with Cairokee, carrying his unmistakable guitar-driven signature throughout.

The title reflects those raw, late-night confessions that refuse to let him sleep. As Hawary himself described the project on his social media: stories and memories that grow louder after midnight and force him to write and record. These restless thoughts are transformed into short, concentrated songs that feel like direct messages, both to himself and to the listener.

“Hekayat Nos El-Leil” is available now on all major streaming platforms worldwide including Spotify, Apple Music, Anghami, YouTube Music, Deezer, and SoundCloud.

Formed in Alexandria in 2005, Massar Egbari has become a pioneering force in the Arabic music scene, blending rock, jazz, and blues with Egyptian rhythms to craft a signature sound that has redefined contemporary Arabic rock. Over the past two decades, their music has resonated deeply across the region, tackling social issues while inspiring a new generation of musicians and fans alike.

In this intimate #ABtalks conversation, the band members reflect candidly on:

• Their journey of nearly 20 years in the music industry

• The role of friendship and collaboration in keeping the band together

• Stories of loss, resilience, and growth

• How their music continues to inspire and evolve with changing times

This episode shines a light not only on Massar Egbari’s extraordinary impact on music and culture in Egypt but also on the personal stories and emotions behind the band’s artistic journey.

…and sometimes, maybe rarely, we even get hit by a song that breaks traditional molds, or a song that’s inspired by a very specific mood and feel.

This is it. This is this song we’re talking about…it’s titled “La Tanhazim” which translates to “Don’t Be Defeated”.

Before delving deeper into the song, let’s get to know the talents behind the song.

“La Tanhazim” – [English: Don’t Be Defeated] – was written and performed by Tarek El-Farouki, an Egyptian artist that started his journey with music since he was a little kid.

Born in Egypt and studied architecture, when Tarek was in college he became friends with other musicians and they began to write satirical songs while working on their architectural projects.

By the end of his college years, Tarek became friends with two brothers, Ahmed Abdelkawy and Tarek Abdelkawy…they were also playing music and for quite the long time too.

The three of them jammed together till they felt like they wanted to take a step with this project and formed a band called “Feel”, that translates to “Elephant” in Arabic.

Tarek wrote the lyrics and performed, while Tarek Abdelkawy composed the music…and they began hitting different venues between 2011 and 2014.

…”Feel” ceased existing, but Tarek still had a lot of topics to discuss through his music…he did a comeback in 2021 by collaborating with professional music producers to continue his journey.

He did four songs, “Wenta Mesh Dary”, with an electronic approach and it talked about how we can get carried away and lose focus with modern life.

…”El Le’ba” with a more cozy acoustic feeling to it, it discussed the rat race that is the work and life that people hates…but are attached to it and can’t escape it.

…following the above, he did “Skoon”, exploring themes of being lost and trying to understand the world around us.

….which leads us to Tarek’s latest release “La Tanhazem” / “Don’t Be Defeated”.

The songs speaks about how we can try to hide our true self in the presence of others and how we life can put pressure on us to not be ourselves…and by the end it delivers us a truly gem of an advice that speaks to our true selves and encourages everyone to shine, reveal their light and be free of this darkness.

Firstly, the message is very relatable to everyone that is living at the moment and everybody who has ever lived, literally.

A very inclusive message that is highly needed at these times we’re living.

Secondly, as I was sharing with you in the very early paragraphs of this article…a rare occasion where you get hit by a song that has a very specific inspiration and breaks current molds…

Let me tell you how this song ticks the boxes of these two points.

One, it’s written lyrically and musically in the style of Japanese anime intro rock songs.

Secondly, it’s performed as a song in the style of an Arabic dubbed version of these songs…yes, in correct formal Arabic language.

Let me tell you something…all Japanese anime have their own intro/outro songs…we know that…

Ok, but what if I told you that a lot of the Japanese anime intro/outro songs get replaced with a completely different version when it’s dubbed into Arabic? even the music, yes.

A very famous example is the intro song of “Detective Conan”…which in English speaking countries is called “Case Closed”.

The intro song is completely different from the original Japanese version! (…pssst…the Arabic version is better…shhhh!)

So Tarek collaborated with Ehab Sami, a well known musician and music producer…who’s famous for being able to play almost any instrument “professionally”…yes, as if he have been playing it for a hundred years, yes.

Ehab is known for his metal roots of course, so I believe he might have really enjoyed producing “La Tanhazim” / “Don’t Be Defeated”.

The song has a very inspiring message and a very energetic musical structure to go with it…

It starts out with a very energetic intro…

Then proceeds to go into a more relaxed verse, with the piano having the spotlight…muted chugged guitar riffs creep in…taking us into the explosive and huge chorus…this is where the song’s message is shared with us…empowering us to be ourselves and just let ourselves shine.

The music production is top notch of course, guitars chugg in the verse and soar in the chorus…

…and yes, of course there is a guitar solo, gotta check that out, I won’t say anything about it.

Mixing and mastering is of the highest quality.

Tarek’s performance is the centerpiece of the whole show (yes, I am treating it as a theme song to an anime show).

It’s very difficult to sing in the correct official Arabic language and he does it extremely naturally and easily, making it sound easy! It’s not.

His performance and delivery are on point and his lyrics deliver the message clearly.

Tarek hits bullseye with this song.

Nothing stopped Tarek from getting his lyrics and music from happening, so I believe that we will be hearing more and more from Tarek…and with his ability to write many styles of songs, I am sure he has a lot of surprises up his sleeve.

We enjoyed the experience of checking Tarek’s body of work and are very excited to hear what comes next.

Highly recommended, go check his songs now and keep your eyes peeled for new releases.

Tarek, we wish you all the best in the world, we’re very proud of what you’re doing and can’t wait for more.

Cheers!

Listen on Anghami