Habibi Funk

Review by Julia Smith

The short:

German DJ, Jannis Stürtz aka Habibi Funk revives Arab funk and soul from the 60s- 80s as he remixes and reissues vinyl albums.

The long:

Habibi Funk (Stürtz) had long worked in the music industry before he visited Morocco stumbled into an old record shop where he was introduced to Arab funk music. This led to the birth of Habibi Funk Records, which re-releases Arab funk and soul albums from the 60s-80s. His success is widespread across the Arab world as he has worked with artists and their music from Morocco to Lebanon such as the late Algerian singer, Ahmed Malek or Moroccan singer, Fadoul. The reissued album Modern Music/موسيقى حديثة by Egyptian band, Al Masrieen, was featured on the TV show “Ramy.” Habibi Funk presents a fun opportunity to dive into the lesser-known genre of Arab funk and soul.

To listen or not to listen:

Listen! While the music Habibi Funk works with may not be the traditional or modern Arab music we typically hear today, it signifies the rich musical diversity of the Middle East and North Africa. Better yet, attend one of his DJ sets and see the magic in person, you won’t regret it. Habibi Funk’s 2019 performance at the Boiler Room in Beirut https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqKROkY2ZFU