January 19 was a special day for London-based Egyptians, as one of their homeland’s most prominent voices, Marwan Moussa, took the U.K. by storm by way of an electrifying hour-and-half performance, cruising through his entire discography from Tesla to the unskippable Batal 3alam. This concert, the first of his long-awaited European tour was the best way to warm up after a chilly day.
In the crowd, Moussa’s energy— a signature blend of Egyptian traditional sounds, with a modern twist— was strongly felt, as everyone could sing, bar for bar, every lyric the chart-topping artist would drop on stage. For some fans, it was the first time they saw the rapper live. “We had to be here,” said one fan who drove all the way from Liverpool for the occasion. Another flew across the Atlantic, from Miami, to attend the highly-anticipated gig.
Always in the right place at the right time, after his high-octane performance, we snuck backstage and sat down with Moussa to learn more about his tour and what he never forgets to bring with him each time he hits the road.
You have just left the Scala stage here in London. How was the first show of this tour?
Marwan Moussa: I loved the show, the energy was incomparable. I prefer to perform in packed, closed venues rather than outdoors. When you perform outside of Egypt, I feel that the audience appreciates it even more because they are homesick and longing for their country. I could have stayed for another hour. I really had a lot of fun on stage.
There was definitely a sense of homesickness in the audience…
MM: I studied abroad in Italy for four years so I know what being away from home feels like. I’ve felt it. Anything you see from your home-country, you appreciate it more when you’re away. I hope I gave them that taste of home.
What are your expectations for this tour?
MM: “I just want to connect with all the diaspora who miss home and do some cool shows. So far, I’ve seen some very dedicated fans and it’s super inspiring. It helps me make better music.”
Tell us, what are the ten essentials you have to bring on tour with you?
Wardrobe: Let’s count the wardrobe in general as an essential, and that includes the outfits for the different shows.
Recording equipment: If I feel inspired by the country, the concert I just did, I can go back to my room and record a new song that will have a different flavor, a fragment of the country I’m visiting.
Film camera: We have it over there, on the counter, so we can take some cool pictures that are not with my phone.
Speaker: I brought my speaker so I can listen to music while I’m in the hotel. My playlist is really eclectic. I’d say it’s 60% Arabic music, mostly Egyptian rap and mahragan, and then 40% American and British rap.
Headphones: A must-have, so I can listen to stuff while we’re traveling.
Merch: We made merch so people could have a souvenir of the show.
Power bank: Very important.
Sunglasses: Let’s add sunglasses to the list, even though I didn’t use them in London. Maybe in Italy!
Thermal clothing: Really necessary, especially in London and Vienna.
Creams: I have very dry skin, I have to apply the craziest moisturizing creams that last 10-hours on skin.