Meeting Jindi & Fil$ – The New Wave of UAE Cross-Cultural Talent!

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Source: Anurag Ajit (@itsfilsbaby) Instagram account and JindiOfficial Press Photos












How often have you tuned in to the latest singles of Taylor Swift, Diljit Dosanjh or Nancy Ajram? I'm sure you spend 100 percent of your time eavesdropping through their social profiles, music charts and other media channels to stay ahead of the FOMO curve in what we refer to as ‘mainstream music’.

But what if I told you about an emerging market of undiscovered artists in the MENA region? Big Hass, Mazzdidit, Tamer Nafar – you name it are the newbies on the scene. It may surprise you – but these artists along with many others are shaping the future of Hip-Hop and Indie Pop as we know about it currently.

Today, I am here to take you through two such artists whom I had a chance to witness at a recent music festival in Alserkal Avenue. These are none other than Jindi and Anurag Ajith.

Jindi a.k.a Fayya Fayya Fayya is a Sundanese singer-songwriter, producer and composer. Born and raised in the U.A.E, he took a deep interest in singing at the young age of 12. There were two music influences that he quotes that played a significant part in influencing his interest in Afro-Arab Hip Hop -  mainstream music and old-school Sudanese songs.

Source: (@arte___beat) Instagram Post



















At the music festival, I was privileged to have the opportunity to witness the launch of his album – ‘Reign & Fire’, featuring some of his well-known singles – ‘Hassa’ and ‘One Love Sudan’, both of which have amassed more than a million views on social media and other streaming platforms. He was more than just a performer – he was a hit of the masses!

With his excellent emceeing abilities, Jindi was able to get the crowd to their feet and create a jubilant and vibrant atmosphere that the venue has never witnessed before. He further took the lead to introduce two other key acts that performed as part of the Alserkal music festival.

Source: (@arte___beat) Instagram Post



















Anurag Ajith aka Fil$, started his musical journey at the age of 12. Through experimenting with digital audio workstations and softwares, he developed an interest towards audio which later led him to discover his key passion in Hip-Hop/Rap music. I was fascinated when I also got to know that he was raised in Abu Shagara and studied in the same school as myself which further deepened my connection with the artist. Through his music, and his new musical collective - 97 South, he aims to create a voice and an identity for the ‘third-culture kid generation’, which include the wider Indian diaspora that consider UAE and other GCC countries as their home.

It was great listening to two of his hit songs – ‘Malabar Coast’ and ‘97 South’, along with a few other singles. I was personally taken aback by the presence of a large troupe of fans who seemed to know the artist very well and were grooving with the beats as he enthralled the audience with his bang-on hits.

Overall, it was a great experience, having witnessed a live concert by home-grown artists in the region. It really goes to show that there is a lot of promising talent that deserves credit and recognition. Furthermore, if we as fans can do our part to support these emerging artists in the region, we could lead the way towards creating a new ‘third culture movement’ and re-shape the entire MENA music landscape.

 

I hope you did enjoy this short read. Please feel free to follow and check out my new posts on ‘Bryce’s Corner’ from time to time. I would like to give credits to Aaron Fernandes, who through his interaction with the artists, gave me a bit more insight into this written piece






Comments

Jenny said…
Well written, Bryce. Way to go!!!
May 24, 2024 at 10:51 PM
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