47SOUL

47SOUL single-handedly sowed the seeds of the Shamstep genre. The Palestinian musical collective formed in Jordan in 2013 with Tareq Abu Kwaik, Ramzy Suleiman, Walaa Sbait and Hamza Arnaout taking influence from hip-hop, electronica, and R&B and melding it with the sounds of Dabke, a traditional folk dance, and other Shaa’bi roots music from the Levantine region.

Shamstep, their groundbreaking debut EP released in 2015, not only helped coin the genre’s name but also brought a new audience to the traditional music of Bilad Al Sham. After the group relocated to the U.K., they followed their EP with the release of their debut album, 2018’s Balfron Promise and headline and festival run exceeding 160 shows live appearances.

The group set about recording their second album the following year and in 2020, 47SOUL dropped Semitics, which saw them collaborating with the likes of Lowkey, Fedzilla, and Shadia Mansour.

Over the decade since their original formation, 47SOUL have toured the world and built up a formidable following across Arab countries, the global Arab diaspora and beyond including memorable appearances for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert and KEXP session. They continue to march the Shamstep movement forward with their unmistakable sound, infectious energy and thought-provoking Arabic and English lyrics exploring all themes from the political and philosophical to direct calls to the recognition of the common humanity of all people.