Ahmed Fakroun is a singer and songwriter from Banghāzī, Libya, who works in raï and is described as a pioneer of modern Arabic world music. He begins recording and performing in the early 1970s and develops a style that brings together Libyan and wider international influences.

Early life and musical formation

Born in 1952, Fakroun grows up with an interest in rhythm and harmony that leads him first to the Fender Precision electric bass. He also takes up harmonica, guitar and piano, and later uses traditional instruments including the oud, mandola, saz, bouzouki-like saz and darbouka. His approach draws on music from across the world, including Libya, India, Scotland and New York.

His first band forms in Benghazi in 1970 and plays at local school dances and events. He then spends five years in England for upper school, where he makes his first studio recordings with producer Tommy Vance. In England he also performs with three English musicians.

Style and musical identity

Fakroun is known for combining Euro-pop and French art-rock with Arabic and North African musical forms. He is also a multi-instrumentalist, playing bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, mandol, saz and darbuka in addition to singing. His records are associated with cross-cultural pop and rai, and his work is noted for bridging different musical traditions rather than relying on a single regional style.

Recordings and labels

After returning to Libya, Fakroun records the songs that bring him wider recognition, including “Awedny (Promise me)” and “Nojoum Al Layl (Night Stars)”. He then signs with Italy’s Ricordi label, the Polydor/Phonogram label, and the Venezuela branch of Columbia. His early releases include Awedni, Nisyan, Yumma and Shibacik.

His recordings also include Shawara Al Madina, recorded with Enid at Lodge Studio and mixed at Edin Studio in London; Ahmed Fakroun & Jhon Ferre Soleil Soleil; You Son; Love Words, recorded in Paris at Des Dames and Garage Studio; Mots D'amour; Intithar; Sinbad; and Salma. He also records material in Libya for his own Fakrounmusic label or imprint.

Collaborators

Throughout his career, Fakroun works with a number of producers and musicians, including Tommy Vance, Vangelis (Papathanassiou Vangelis), Nicholas Nicorelli, Riccardo Sinigaglia, the classical rock group Enid, Jean Ferre and Mark Harris. Soleil Soleil is recorded with the Bain Douche Paris disc label, and its video is produced by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and features Coluche.

Notable songs and recognition

Among the songs associated with Fakroun are “Oyoun al-Hour”, “Jame' al-Fina'”, “Kalimat Hub”, “Fil Mudun al-Kabeera”, “al-Shams”, “Ya Farhi Beek”, “Ouyounak”, “Shebakak”, “Hareb Fi al-Layali”, “Intidar”, “Lebnan”, “Alxandria”, “Allah Ykhalli al-Hub”, “Soleil Soleil”, “Nisyan”, “Awedni”, “Yumma”, “Ya Blady”, “Samar Allayale”, “Leil Al Garib”, “Alhob”, “Ya layl layyl”, “Aber ya Zaman”, “Shawarh Almadina”, “Moshkifaia”, “La ya hob”, “Tirhal”, “Adeat Ibhoora”, “Sninni”, “Albahar”, “Falah”, “Gilty”, “Baad Al furak”, “Nojoum Al Layl”, “Salif Mardod”, “Suf Eljeen”, “Ouyon Smaah”, “Hiroshima”, “Sandbad”, “Ali Haneeny”, “Temor Sneen”, “Sahra”, “Salifni al gamar”, “Ya nahar”, “Ya sahbi”, “Noras” and “Drago”.

Soleil Soleil becomes a major breakthrough in Europe, and Fakroun receives a youth festival award in Morocco in 1986. He continues to produce and market new material independently from his home studio.

Later work

Later releases include remixes and new songs such as “Drago”, a collaboration with Mudd (Paul Murphy) produced by Claremont 56. He also continues to issue new recordings under the Fakrounmusic name.