Rababa Heritage Revival Project

The Rababa Project is a cultural and artistic initiative I founded with the aim of preserving and revitalizing Egyptian heritage, especially its folk and rural elements. Through this project, I strive to present traditional Egyptian culture in a contemporary artistic language—bridging the past and the present in a way that speaks to today’s audiences without losing the soul of our roots.

In Rababa, I bring together poetry, music, wood carving, and visual storytelling. The project seeks to shed light on forgotten crafts, neglected stories, and marginalized voices, especially from the countryside and working-class communities. It is both a space for creation and a form of resistance—resistance to cultural erasure, to commercialization, and to the disappearance of our collective memory.

Rababa is not just about nostalgia; it’s about reimagining heritage as a living, evolving force—infused with rhythm, pain, beauty, and meaning.

Through collaborations with musicians, visual artists, and traditional craftsmen, the project has produced works that blend the raw spirit of Egyptian folk with bold contemporary forms—whether in lyrics, sound, or visual art.

Rababa is a project that reintroduces melodies from Arab heritage with new lyrics, modern arrangements by contemporary popular music producers, and vocals by current talents.

I won’t hide the truth when I say that my main goal, as El-Kahwagi, through Rababa, is to present a modern popular song that embraces heritage as a core component—while still preserving the delightful elements of electronic musical enjoyment.

I thank God, and I thank you all for your support. I also congratulate myself and my colleagues on the early signs of this project coming to life with the release of the song “Sallam ‘Alay”, in collaboration with some truly talented artists from Egypt’s independent music scene.

I congratulate Khateeb for venturing into the trap genre with his golden voice—I wish him more recognition as a powerful, expressive, and beautiful voice.

I also congratulate Molotof for revealing a major part of his talent in “Sallam ‘Alay”—a side of him many of us are discovering for the first time. I hope he continues to create music that reflects and honors our culture. I’m sure it will be, as always, bold and brilliant.

Once again, I congratulate myself, thank all my friends for their support, and promise to keep collaborating with talented artists to produce an alternative song that is rich in meaning, worthy of you, and reflective of our culture and dreams.
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LISTEN TO SALAM ALAY