More Music from Saiga's Destinations

Ben Johnson

Aug. 13, 2024

You loved our last blog about cool music from cool places, so here’s some more for you! We have found these artists after years of travel and countless recommendations from friends and of course, some of this music may have been paired with some dancing and a beer or two!

1. Gulzada Ruskulova – Kyrgyzstan

If Central Asia had their own Beyonce, we would say it takes the form of the amazing Gulzada Ryskulova  (Гулзада Рыскулова) with her epic song called Aikol Manas  (Айкол Манас). This song is authentically Kyrgyz, citing lines from the great poet Manas, and includes background throat singing and of course a mouth harp. Her epic vocals really make this song come alive and should definitely be listened to on any Saiga Kyrgyzstan trip. We have actually been lucky enough to see her live at Independence Day celebrations! Her music videos are visually epic and she's an incredible performer.

2. Moranbong – DPRK

We know some of you will definitely have heard of the famous DPRK group Moranbong.  This all girl band is a combo of pop and rock all with a uniquely North Korean style. All of the members are extremely talented and can all sing, dance and play many instruments. Some of their classic hits you should listen to are Tansume, Let’s Go Study and Let’s go to Mt. Paektu. If you join us on one of our DPRK trips you will definitely hear them being played, and on super lucky occasions you can even go to a Moranbong concert.

3. Zedbazi – Iran

Iran isn’t really known for its rap scene, which is why Zedbazi, who are deemed to be pioneers of ‘gangster rap’ in Iran, are banned in the country. Their song Tabestoon Kootahe’ is considered one of the pioneering Persian language rap songs. The band formed in 2002 and then dissolved in 2014. They resumed working in 2020 and added two new members in 2022. Our favourite pick from them is a relaxing song called ‘ kooche’.

4. Ahmed Ben Ali – Libya

Originally from Benghazi, Ahmed Ben Ali has been producing music in his own home studio since 2008 and focuses on reggae. He has said his style of reggae works because of the similarity with reggae and Libyan folk music. His two biggest hits ‘ Su bhana’ and ‘ Dameek Majeb’ are very easy listening and make great additions to the collection of any reggae fans out there.

5. Omar Souleyman – Syria

One of the coolest artists in the whole of the Middle East, and already a worldwide sensation having played at numerous music festivals worldwide! Omar Souleyman, from Syria’s northeastern Kurdish region, uses a blend of Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian and Turkish influences in his electronic sounds and throaty vocals. His iconic look of sunglasses, moustache and the keffiyeh make for some great album covers of his work as well. We recommend checking out the song ‘ Ya Banayya ’ to get a real feel for his music. This music is very fast-paced and will absolutely fill you with energy on a night out. He also has some collaborations with huge names such as Icelandic singer Bjork with the song ‘ Crystalline’ .

Music is one of the best parts about going to a new country and we love being transported back to a time and place simply by listening to a song from the countries we visit. The best way to fully experience any of these artists is on a Saiga tour. Send us an email to [email protected] to enquire about our group and independent tours.