Cool Music from Saiga’s Destinations

Ben Johnson

Aug. 8, 2024

We get to go to a lot of places with our work which means we are constantly exposed to different cultures, sites, people, foods and of course music! We thought we’d share some of our favourite artists that you may or may not have heard about from the countries we run tours in.

1. Tinariwen – Algeria

Tinariwen is now big on the world stage, hosting concerts in Europe, the USA and across the Middle East. This Tuareg band, with members from both Mali and Algeria, produce some of the coolest music from the Sahara. The combination of traditional Tuareg sounds mixed with western-style rock and roll will transport you to driving through the Sahara. In addition to this, the animation in their music videos is extremely comforting and involves very emotional storytelling. Check them out by listening to songs like Sastanaqqam and Nannuflay.

2. Yenlik – Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s music scene is beginning to push out some great artists in what they call the Q-pop category. The term Q-pop comes from the new spelling of Kazakhstan, which is Qazaqstan, and obviously, because K-pop is already taken. Yenlik is a young female Kazakh artist who sings in her native language of Kazakh. If you like a mixture of hip-hop and chill then Yenlik will be a great addition to your foreign music playlist. We particularly like the songs D.O.P and Ne Isteisin.

3. Mashrou’ Leila – Lebanon

Easily one of the most famous bands in the Middle East, particularly in the Levant. This band (now broken up) has produced some of the biggest hits to come out of Lebanon in the past few years. Their music touches a lot on issues in society, especially regarding topics of Palestine, masculinity and sexuality. They were actually banned in a few Middle Eastern countries from performing live due to the nature of the music and their fans, however they have a huge worldwide following, and concerts in Lebanon and abroad were jam packed. We definitely recommend listening to their music, with the addition of their music videos and subtitles, to really make you fall for them. Our favourite songs by them include, Kalam, Maghawir, Roman and Cavalry.

4. DJ Mubarak – Saudi Arabia

S audi has come a long way from what it was only 7 years ago. DJ Mubarak is proof of the change that has come to the kingdom, bringing rap from the Saudi streets to your Spotify. That’s right, Saudi rap. Now we always say don’t mock it till you’ve tried it, and we think DJ Mubarak has the right amount of rap and chill to make this some easy listening to add to your Middle Eastern playlist. DJ Mubarak is not the first Saudi rapper though, and we’d like to note that Saudi rap has now been around for a while, with bigger artists like Klash also producing some great hits.

5. 47 Soul – Palestine/Jordan

We know we don’t run tours in Jordan or Palestine, however we had to add this one to the list as it is a staple of most bars in Damascus at the moment.  47 Soul was formally formed in Jordan and are the pioneers of a genre they call ‘shamstep’. Shamstep is a mixture of traditional dabkeh-style beats with electronic dance. The term ‘sham’ refers to the great Damascus and Levant region. Their big hit Intro to Shamstep will definitely get you moving!

6. Otyken – Siberia/Russia

Yes, we also don’t run tours to Russia at the moment, however, the traditional Turkic sounds from Otyken from the Sakha region of Russia share a lot of cultural similarities to the other Turkic groups in Central Asia. Otyken sings in both Russian and native languages of Siberia, such a Chulym, and all of their songs are very heavily influenced by their indigenous Siberian culture . The use of traditional instruments such as the mouth harp, as well as their amazing traditional dress and background scenery of Siberia, makes for some super cool music videos. We recommend checking out the songs Legend and Altay. This music fits in well whether you’re in Siberia or driving across the steppe in Kazakhstan.

Of course the best way to listen to this music is by coming on a Saiga Tours trip heading out and experiencing the local music scene for yourself!

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