Hamza Namira

Career

Beginnings Namira started to develop an interest in music when he was 17 years old, when he set about learning the guitar, keyboard, and ‘oud. He also vested interests in several musical styles: Middle Eastern, Egyptian traditional and folk music, light rock, jazz, and Latin music. From 1999 until 2004, Namira played in a band headed by the Alexandrian artist Nabil Bakly. Although a relatively unknown musician, Namira later said that Bakly was his main musical influence. He then went on to form his own group. Namira composed his first songs and managed to get a few like-minded friends together to establish the band "Nomaira".

In light of Namira's debut album, which had a main fan base of college students,

Breakthrough success Namira's second album, Insan [Human] was released in July 2011. This coincided with the Arab spring, which he declared was a main factor in his popularity. According to him, he wants to express the real issues of his generation that mainstream works don't cover due to concerns of musical market needs and pressure from production companies.

When British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Egypt on 21 February 2011 (only ten days after President Hosni Mubarak left office), Namira was one of a select group of people invited to meet with him and to participate in a one-hour discussion about the future of Egypt.

Remix series In 2016, Namira launched his own weekly TV series Remix on the pan-Arab TV channel Al Araby. , 3 seasons of the show were released, with a total number of 34 episodes. Along the series, Namira blended different music genres with local lyrics, including flamenco, electro, celtic, and others. Arabic lyrics were adopted from the Maghreb, the levant, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, while non-Arab included Amazigh, Kurdish, and Armenian.

With a running time of around 20–30 minutes, each episode would examine the historical origin and evolution of a work of folklore or pop culture in an Arab region, or sometimes in even other neighboring regions, like Armenia and Kurdistan. At the end of each episode, Hamza would publicly perform a remix of the work, usually outside its place of origin or popularity. A number of songs were performed in London, which is both the headquarter of Al Araby and Hamza's place of residence. Year Title Label Track list

Morgiha – A Swing Ehlam Ma'aya – Dream With Me Konna Wehna Soghar – When We Were Young Fattah Shababeek 'Eeeneik – Spread out Your Eyes Shedd El Hizam – Tighten Up Your Belt Ya Tair – O' Bird Wana Fi Tareeqy – While On My Way Al Taghreeba – Alienation Ya Rabb – O' Lord Ehlam Ma'aya (Acoustic Version) – Dream With Me

Insan – A Human El-Midan – The Square Hansa – I'll Forget Taghreeba II – Alienation 2 Ya Muhawwin – O' Consoler Ewidooni – Promise Me Ibn El-Watan – Compatriot Balady Ya Balady – Homeland, O' Homeland Ya Hanah! – Lucky him! Doori – Roll on Haser Hesarak – Besiege Your Siege Ala Bab Allah – By Allah's Door Wushoosh – Faces Sout – A Voice Hila Hila Ya Matar – Come Down O' Rain! Esmy Masr – My Name's Egypt

Esmaani – Listen Up! Sabah El-Kheer – Good Morning Ya Lala Ay Kalam – Empty Words Dalmet kda leeh – Why The Darkness? El-Atr – The Train Tesmahy- Would You? Ya Sidi – My Master La Tabki – Don't Cry Kollo Beya'addi – It All Pass Ya Mazloum – O' Oppressed One Ma'Assalama – Farewell (Alienation 3)

Dari Ya Alby – Dissemble, My Heart Sheekayyo Hateer Min Tany – I'll fly again Wala Sohba Ahla – Not a Better Company Bos Bos – Look, Look! Zahra El Wad El Abeet – The Naive Boy Dari Ya Alby (acoustic) Madadd – Help! Shuwayyet Habayeb – Some Dears

Mawlood Sanat 80 – Born in the Year 80 El Waqaa El Akheera – The Last Fall Esta'eezo – Seek refuge El Saa'a 6 Sabahan – 6 in the Morning Faady Shuwayya – A Bit Idle Mesh Mohem – Doesn't Matter Yaaba – Buddy Ahkeelak Khofy – Tell You About My Fear Ma'lesh – Sorry El Essa W Elli Kaan – The Story and How it Went Ghenwa Leek Min Alby – A Song From The Heart To You Feeh Naas – There's People

Remix

Extended plays + Year Title Track list 2015 El Mesaharaty (Suhur waker) Zeina Zahma – Jam Ghorba – Alienation Kora – Football Helal – Crescent Manish Darwish – I'm no Dervish Wasfa – Recipe Iblees – Lucifer Nabina – Our Prophet Taraweeh – Tarawih El Omm – Mother Napoleon Khatma – A Complete Recitation Intizar – Waiting Istighfar Akher 10 Ayam – The Last 10 Days Daqqet Tabla – Beat of Drums Leilet AlQadr – Qadr Night Akher Leila – The Last Night

Singles

Videography Year Title 2008 Dream with Me (Ehlam Ma'aya) 2009 Two Birds (Asforeen) 2010 O Israel (Ya Israeel) I'm the Egyptian (Ana El-Masri) 2011 Human (Insan) Hila Hila ya Matar (Come Down O' Rain) Mawaweel 2013 The Square (El-Midan, in Arabic الميدان) 2014 What to Tell You (Wa Ollak Eih, in Arabic وقلّك إيه) 2018 Dary ya Alby 2019 Hekayet Tefl (meaning a kid's story, in Arabic حكاية طفل) 2020 Mawlood sanat 80 (in Arabic مولود سنة 80) 2020 Esta3izo (in Arabic استعيذوا)

Political views Hamza has openly opposed the occupation of Palestine and the official position in Egypt towards the Arab–Israeli conflict.

In November 2014, Namira's songs were banned from Egyptian state radio for "criticising the authorities". In response to questions about the ban and his legal status in Egypt, Hamza declared that he only expresses his opinions as per rights included in the Egyptian constitution, and that he doesn't identify as an activist, nor a politician.

He finally returned to settle and resume concerts in Egypt in September 2022 after spending years in exile.

Philanthropy Namira joined a two-day UK tour organized by Human Appeal International to fundraise for medical equipment and provide training for more than 10,000 medical practitioners in Egypt. He performed in Vienna, Austria in October 2014 in an event organized by Humanic Relief.

In 2019, Namira released Hekayet Tefl in collaboration with United Muslim Relief as part of a fundraiser to support children of refugees of the Syrian Civil War in Jordan.