ClémenceFelukah, Egyptian and New York-based artist, is the rising figure of the current hip-hop and soul scene. To celebrate the release of her second album, we invite you to discover her journey, her inspirations and her world made of music, poetry and dance.
FROM EGYPT TO THE UNITED STATES
Sara El Messiry was born in 1998 in Cairo, Egypt. She grows up in a family in which music, literature and dance are privileged means of expression.
During her schooldays at the American school of Cairo, she is particulary encouraged by one of her English teachers to express her own story, and to find a personal way to tell it.
Growing up in Cairo was interesting because we had a very Western experience in a Middle Eastern context. You go from speaking Arabic to people on the street to speaking New York lingo on the phone with your friends, consuming an almost equal intake of both cultures, constantly.
Felukah
[ Project Revolver, June 30th 2020 ]
Guided fundamentally by her love for words and poetry, she then builds her own artistic project ; to this passion for writing is gradually and naturally added musical creation. The choice of her stage name, Felukah, is also a direct reference to the country that saw her grow up and to its feluccas, emblematic sailing boats of the Nile.
Felukah then leaves Egypt in 2017, and moves to New York in order to pursue Creative writing studies. Inspired by the excitement of the city and participating in open mics and poetry nights, she is gradually making her own place in the city’s artistic scene.
Drawing her energy and her creativity from the unfailing support of her friends and family, she releases her first album « Citadel » with success in 2019. Her brand new album, « Dream 23 », has been released since August 2020.
THE FELUKAH STYLE
Felukah, who describes herself as a « rapper, hip-hop artist from Cairo and New York City », thus creates unique and composite pieces.
By combining the multiple influences of her Egyptian heritage with her adoptive American culture, Felukah achieves a fusion of styles of her own.
We are not bound by tradition, we are fueled by it and moved to the point of crossover: where Middle Eastern essence meets Western delivery. […] I want to see more of my Egyptian and non-Egyptian Arab friends getting their music on Spotify and Apple Music trending in cities like Berlin and Paris.
We are not bound by tradition, we are fueled by it and moved to the point of crossover : where Middle Eastern essence meets Western delivery. […] I want to see more of my Egyptian and non-Egyptian Arab friends getting their music on Spotify and Apple Music trending in cities like Berlin and Paris.
Felukah
[ Project Revolver, June 30th 2020 ]
Felukah thus naturally associates Egyptian Arabic and English within her songs, and claims inspirations from several cultures, both in music and in literature. Female role models, in particular, occupy an important place in her artistic path ; Lauryn Hill, Fairouz, Erykah Badu, Princess Nokia or Missy Elliott embody some of the many references of Felukah.
« Old school soul like Fairuz / Amy Winehouse in my blood »
Line from « The Narrative »
In her creative process, Felukah particularly claims authenticity ; her lyrics deal with daily life, the relationship between the individual and the community, and the quest of a personal means of expression.
Felukah also creates about committed topics, including gender equality and social injustice. She thus inscribes her music in the lineage of a « conscious hip-hop », a hip-hop which highlights the oppressions and inequalities of our societies.
THE CELEBRATION OF DIFFERENCE
I want to bring a smoothness of funk and a lyrical grace to every beat I record on.
Felukah
[ Egyptian Street, August 18th 2019 ]
With her nonchalant look and her visuals, Felukah soon became the cool artist of the actual musical scene. Charismatic smile and bewitching gaze, the identity Felukah emits through her work and looks is magnetic.
Through this unique atmosphere, she invites us to discover an intimate universe, a personal way of perceiving strong emotions, and her process to succeed in then transcribing them into texts and music.
As an « Arab woman in America, and a westernized woman in Egypt » according to her words, Felukah indeed advocates for the difference, the uniqueness of each, and the creating and liberating force that this assumed singularity can bring.
Through her songs, her poetry and the vibes that she conveys, Felukah wishes to celebrate kindness and support between artists, and thus imposes by her aura the women in the rap of the Arab world.
TO FOLLOW FELUKAH
• INSTAGRAM •
• FACEBOOK •
• YOUTUBE •
PLAYLIST : our selection
Click on the image to reach it !
