This mix was put together by Art Badivuku from the Hammam Blues show on Reform Radio, Manchester, and London-based photographer Kalim Badi. It explores Libyan sounds from the mid-20th century to today, and delves deep into the vast cultural influences of Libyan music.
Starting with the more modern interpretations of traditional Libyan folk in the vein of Mohammed Hassan, the mix moves on to the Berber, Arab and African-tinged sounds of Nasser el Mezdawi who dominated the Tripoli music scene across the 1970s, in to the funk and reggae influenced sounds of the world famous Raï singer Ahmed Fakroun, to the Libyan-Egyptian Arabic pop singer Hamid El Shari. The mix is rooted in Libya’s cultural diversity and attempts to showcase the broad array of sounds that have emerged from the North African state, culminating in the modern day finale of Cheb Ziram’s Libyan Reggae.