Habibi Funk 024: The Father of Libyan Reggae, by Ibrahim Hesnawi

Habibi Funk 024: The Father of Libyan Reggae

by Ibrahim Hesnawi

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Ramoswe One of the best albums I got this year. Absolutely stunning reggae music. Why on earth isn't this part of the classic reggae heritage, being played on radio all over the world? Thanks for this piece of music!

tartif5 Amazing album!!!!! What a mix! Favorite track: Only World feat. Suzan.

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Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
includes 12 page, 12" booklet w/ unseen photos and interviews w/ Hesnawi

Includes unlimited streaming of Habibi Funk 024: The Father of Libyan Reggae via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
includes booklet

Includes unlimited streaming of Habibi Funk 024: The Father of Libyan Reggae via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

€10 EUR or more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Including 12 page, 12" sized booklet.

Curacao Blue Pressing. 300 of these are made, they won't be repressed.

Includes unlimited streaming of Habibi Funk 024: The Father of Libyan Reggae via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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9 remaining

Purchasable with gift card

€26 EUR or more

1.	Never Understand 03:54	buy track
2.	Tendme 04:39	buy track
3.	Only World feat. Suzan 04:45	buy track
4.	Kesati 04:53	buy track
5.	Tayr Al Salama 03:12	buy track
6.	Al Hob Wal Salam 04:48	buy track
7.	Fouhi Ya Nesma 04:28	buy track
8.	Enti 03:29	buy track
9.	Watany Al Kabir 05:44	buy track

about

We're proud to present Ibrahim Hesnawi release “The Father of Libyan Reggae,” out October 6th. Kingston meets Tripoli in this fiery collection.

Hesnawi crafts restless grooves with evident buttressing from a reggae foundation. Highlighted across the LP is how Hesnawi essentially pioneered such an effortless synthesis between traditional Libyan music and Jamaican reggae stylings, plus the endlessly disparate funk, jazz, and disco accents which firmly situate Hesnawi in a league of his own.

In many countries, reggae was a widespread fad before its popularity gradually subsided. In Libya, however, the genre remained popular since its initial introduction in the late 1970s. Reggae’s thematic throughlines like references to Pan-Africanism, liberation, and the end of oppression and exploitation resonated—and continues to resonate—forcefully amongst a Libyan audience. To this day, you will find countless bands playing variations of the genre as are there Facebook groups with predominantly Libyan members sharing old and new reggae tracks with ten-thousands of members. And no matter who you ask, chances are high that the genre’s popularity in Libya will be largely attributed to one man: Ibrahim Hesnawi.

Born and raised in Tripolis, the capital of Libya, Hesnawi initially was not interested in music, however he credits Bob Marley as foundational to changing his life after having listened to his music in a electronics shop a friend of his was working at.

Reggae is instantly recognizable from the counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat and the offbeat rhythm section. This very particular rhythm is part of the story of why the genre became so popular in Libya as Hesnawi explains:

"The Libyans are inclined to Reggae for a reason, I think due to our traditional musical rhythm known as Darbuka “Libyan Drum” or Kaska, its rhythm is very similar to the one of Reggae therefore the society got closer to this music and the the nation loved the reggae style and embraced it“

There is a handful songs Ibrahim Hesnawi sings in English but the 95% of his output is sung in Libyan Arabic. A conscious choice as this is not only the language that came natural to him but also it allowed him to convey the message of his songs that is so close to his heart in the best way to the young generations of Libya listening to his music.

credits

released October 6, 2023

The album was licensed from Ibrahim Hesnawi. We pay 50% of the profits of this release. Only project related costs are deductible from the gross income, research and travel costs come out of our own share. Publishing rights were not included in our agreement.

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about

Habibi Funk Records Berlin, Germany

Eclectic sounds from the Arab world. DJ & label, based in Berlin linktr.ee/habibifunk مختارات موسيقية من العالم العربي. دي چاي وليبل في برلين.

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