Welcome to In Tune with WBMB, a weekly column where a member of the station covers a new track from the underground. This week’s article is written by Farah Sumpter.
Humid evenings, open windows, and a radio turned up as loud as it gets—that’s the picture Alewya’s “Cairo FM” paints, and it’s a good one to have in mind if you’re headed out to a dance floor. Alewya grew up in West London with Egyptian and Ethiopian heritage, and her debut album, Zero, has been making rounds in the dance scene.
“Cairo FM” is the focus track. Alewya co-produced the album with longtime collaborators Craigie Dodd and Dean James Barratt, and Shy FX was the executive producer. The song was built on a sample, borrowing from El Shab Arrab’s 1993 Arabic pop hit “Lw Kan.” Layered over the sample is an unmistakably disco texture, complete with a springy bassline and thumping percussion.
There is a familiar ‘70s formula here: the bass holds down the lower end, and with the percussive sample resting in the upper register, Alewya fits comfortably in the midrange. She glides over the beat with a mix of rapping, singing, and, most interestingly, vocal percussion. Her voice is a part of the rhythm itself; her addictive “boom ka” chant keeps the beat feeling fresh. She seems to have an elastic sense of phrasing, stretching a syllable here, clipping one short there, and always finding a new pocket of the groove. The track has its hooks, certainly, but the real pleasure lies in hearing little choices like these.
For all its playfulness, “Cairo FM” has something to say. “I feel like Africa / not on the TV” is a particularly striking line, suggesting pushback against the narrow images of Africa so often served up to Western audiences. This is a pointed thought tucked into a song that seems to be all about keeping the party going.
Paying homage to Egyptian funk and London club sensibilities, Alewya takes from both without being confined to either. The influences may be many, but the terms are hers. As she puts it more succinctly on the track: “I am the caller and the receiver.”
“Cairo FM” is the song to put on if you’re getting ready or when you’re walking across campus and need a reason to walk faster. If you find yourself hitting replay, then the rest of Zero is worth the time.
