• Music

    Ibrahim Hesnawi – Habibi Funk 024: The Father of Libyan Reggae

    September 11, 2023 - By 

    The country of Libya is not the first country one thinks of when it comes to reggae, but as it turns out, Libya produced a fair share of excellent artists in the genre.  The ever-estimable Habibi Funk Records have released a labor of love dedicated to one of Tripoli’s finest, Ibrahim Hesnawi.  From the label’s Bandcamp site: “Hesnawi crafts restless grooves with evident buttressing from a reggae foundation. Highlighted across the LP is how Hesnawi essentially pioneered such an effortless synthesis between traditional Libyan music and Jamaican reggae stylings, plus the endlessly disparate funk, jazz, and disco accents which firmly…

  • Music

    Charif Megarbane – Marzipan

    July 13, 2023 - By 

    Habibi Funk presents the latest release of Beirut, Lebanon’s most prolific producer, Charif Megarbane.  Though there are only two tracks available to listen to on Bandcamp, you can surely find more tracks to hear on quality sites like Qobuz or Deezer to check out the album in its entirety.  From the Habibi Funk Bandcamp release site: “Following his previous release of EP “Tayara Warak” in 2022, “Marzipan” is a sonic journey that seeks to capture the full scope of Charif Megarbane’s habitus in 17 tracks. As a composer and producer, Megarbane touts hugely versatile, sometimes volatile musicianship—his 100+ catalogue of…

  • Music

    Various Artists: Habibi Funk 015: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World, Part 2

    August 19, 2021 - By 

    Our friends at Habibi Funk are becoming legendary as their roster grows.  What impresses me the most about the folks who run the label is their absolute passion for music from the Maghreb which has been criminally underrepresented throughout the world for decades.  It’s shameful that the labels in the region didn’t think that the rest of the world wouldn’t appreciate such talent, but Habibi Funk are stepping in to right that wrong, and it will hopefully inspire more and more local labels to release their hidden treasures. Have a listen to the tracks above and sample what’s coming down…