47 SOUL – Musicalista

ATTENTION! THE 47SOUL GROUP IS ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING RISING STARS OF THE MIDDLE EAST

THE BAND PRESENTS SHAMSTEP TO THE WORLD

The name of the group alludes to 1947, the year iwhen it was still possible to meet in Greater Syria, where freedom of movement, now foreign, was breaking down the borders between Jerusalem, Amman, Damascus and Beirut; the year before the founding of the State of Israel and the First Arab-Israeli War. The same boundaries that the 47 Soul want to erase, celebrating the memory of that 1947 to the sound of music.

The band presents to the world their own and unique musical genre called “Shamstep” – a powerful mix of street music, traditional of the Bilad al-Sham region (which includes Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, parts of Jordan, Iraq and Turkey) combined with deep electronic rhythms and influences from funk, hip-hop and rock.

47 SOUL connects melodies that have crossed the Arab world for centuries with analog synthesizers, hypnotic guitar lines, singing in a mix of Arabic and English.

Their first hit single Intro to Shamstep has reached over 4 million views on Youtube and also the live 47 SOUL is a unique experience since every single show is an explosion of unstoppable dances and trances both on stage and among the audience.

After founding the group in Jordan in 2013 and releasing the first tracks throughout the Middle East, the four talented musicians found their new home in London. They have already completed four tours through all major festivals in the UK (Glastonbury, Womad, Boomtown Fair, Bestival) and have performed at some of the best music venues in London. Even in Europe they have won audiences at festivals such as Roskilde Festival, Esperanzah, Amsterdam Roots or c/o Pop.

Shamstep refers to the hissing sounds of synths and syncopated rhythms that accompany the dabka, traditional folk dance originating from the region of Bilad al-Sham; the bands accompanying the dances usually play with drum machines and keyboards set to reproduce his traditional instruments such as mijwiz and arghul. But dabka is much more: it is above all a particularly powerful tool for Palestinian musicians and activists, their way of asserting their own identity.

Today shamstep songs are heard in local bars and clubs in Damascus, rising to the soundtrack of Arab youth. With the term “Shamstep“, 47 Soul wants to metaphorically erase boundaries to encourage a broader and more inclusive mood, emphasizing in a single word unity and diversity.

47 Soul has built a multicultural fan base from Lebanon to London. After the success of “Shamstep“, their first album Balfron Promise was released in February 2018, followed by the highly anticipated Semitics, released in August 2020 (their third release and second full album), which mixes uncompromising dance music with powerful new songs and inspiring lyrics, both in Arabic and English. Each song is unpredictable, constantly shifting between different textures and melodies, thanks also to the different band members who provided their voice and the impressive number of special guests that add to the mix.

The album was recorded in London and includes a cast of artists from around the world, from German-Chilean MC Fedzilla to British-Iraqi rapper Lowkey and British Palestinian rapper and singer Shadia Mansour. Then there are musicians based in the Middle East including two of the best known Palestinian rappers The Synaptik and Tamer Nafar.

The music is adventurous, but the bilingual lyrics are even braver. After all, the album is titled Semitics – one of the most emotionally charged words in the English language, especially when preceded by the word Anti. Tareq argues that “the term is used in a strange way, and in a lot of propaganda. People need to know that Semites does not only mean Hebrew alone – Arabs are included”. After all, the ‘Semitic’ languages include both Hebrew and Arabic “.

“The album is called Semitics because it has many of these theological/historical/geographical themes – but it’s a dance album!”.