Hot Arab Talents Felukah and The Synaptik Collaborate for Shubbak Festival

Two heads are even better than one, right? With this in mind, it’s no surprise we’re excited about the impending collaborations from Felukah and The Synaptik. Two of the most sought-after Arab hip-hop, trap and rap talents, the pair have combined forces for the Shubbak Festival.

Showcasing contemporary Arab culture, the Shubbak Festival runs from 20 June to 17 July. The UK’s largest festival of its kind, Shubbak brings new and established artists to London every two years. It returns this summer with a packed programme of Arab visual arts, film, music, theatre, dance, literature and debate. Not in London to catch any live shows? No problem. Shubbak sessions are broadcast globally online.

Premier

Felukah and The Synaptik will perform solo shows at London’s Jazz Café on Saturday 3 July, before taking to the stage together to premier two collaborations commissioned especially for the festival. It kicks off at 10pm (UAE). Discover more details on how to watch here.

Cultural Issues

Hailing from Cairo and New York, Felukah frequently switches between English and Arabic exploring cultural issues through her verse. Dubbed by Scene Noise as “the neo-soul artist bringing the Nile to New York”, Felukah entered the music scene with her Yansoon EP in 2018. Albums Citadel and last year’s Dream 23 followed. Felukah’s next EP Kawkab is slated for this month. Check out her latest track What She Does below.

New Wave

Palestinian-Jordanian rapper/singer The Synpatik is at the forefront of a new wave of sound for young Arabs. His lyrics are honest and potent. Scene Noise described his 2018 debut album Om Al Mawjat “a lyrical tsunami”. He collaborated with Syrian/Filipino rapper and producer Chyno on the Terminal EP the same year. Last month The Synaptik released Moseqa Al Qamar. Listen to it below.

Hopeful Steps

“Shubbak 2021 weaves multiple threads between people, locations and ideas,” said Eckhard Thiemann, Shubbak Festival Artistic Director. “It opens a space where personal histories meet political engagement, where identities are re-thought in the light of histories and inequities, and where tentative and hopeful steps can be taken towards new shared futures.” Find out more about the festival here.

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