All photos shot by @shanazdeen Styled by @randaeidstylist wearing @helenamagdalenadesign Wearing @talabarbotinkhalidy Makeup by @m1lkdudd
WHO IS FELUKAH?
Felukah is more of a concept than an artist. it’s a way of life. We are bounded by love, an innate knowing that the universe does work in our favor, and that we shall flow along the river of life, guided by the wind. Just like a felucca فلوكا along the Nile River. We will always find our way. That’s just how we do.
Where you from in the US and beyond?
"I’m unofficially a New Yorker. From Masr, not Egypt. Umm El Donia."
What’s your sign and would you say your sign is accurate to who you are?
Oh yeah, Aquarius energy till i die. All your favorite artists are Aquarius. We rise above the bullsh*t and see the bigger picture. Also super eccentric and we love experimenting with life. I love being an Aquarius.
How has being Egyptian shaped your sound, your storytelling, or the way you move through the music industry?
I think a big part of Egyptian culture that i cherish is collective-based or communal living. I see myself as a vessel for the divine, and it’s only through meaningful collaboration that this divine can really shine through in the work that we do. My story is unique, but it also mirrors the stories of the women and people who came before me. We are all born with dreams, some are lucky enough to see them through. The beauty of my culture is embedded in my work. The radical joy and care for each other, it’s all in the music. Alhamdulelah.
What first pulled you into music?
I think drums. I was dancing to the Tarzan soundtrack in my diaper, my parents have videos of me making laps and shaking my little booty around the living room in Cairo. Those drums got me GOING, then I discovered poetry in my early tweens. Khalil Gibran, Rumi, Nayyirah Waheed, then RAP like Tupac, Lauryn and Princess Nokia. It all just keeps coming together, piece by piece. This is what I was destined to do.
Was there a specific moment or influence that drew you toward it?
I can’t talk about early beginnings without mentioning my older brother Malik. He discovered the poet/lyricist in me before anyone and would play the piano or guitar and ask me to freestyle. He’d be like “write me something to this!” and that’s really how the flow came about. In high school, I was lucky to have an English teacher who really believed in me, Ms. Z. She told me I'd be an important writer one day and that i need to keep honing my skills for something major. She gave me so much faith in the written/spoken word and taught me the power of language.
When was your “Lesh La2? I’m going to be an artist” moment? The moment you decided to go all in, even if it didn’t make sense.
Ooooh after i dropped “The Rain” on Soundcloud, my friends were like yo, you gotta call way more boys out on their bullsh*t. my sister and my friends were telling me wild things like they’ve never felt so seen by a song. to be sharing our experiences authentically and truthfully like that. and for it to sound so good where you don’t know if you wanna dance or frame the bars above your bed. that kind of alchemy. i said LESH LA2? let’s go.
What do you wish someone had told you as a MENA artist when you were starting?
"Don’t you worry about a thing, queen. we need you here. stay up and break those doors down, we have been waiting for you."
---
Your favorite songs?
Arabic (old / new)
Old: "Ana Lak Ala Toul by Abdel Halim Hafez"
New: "El 3asal by Donia Wael"
English (old / new)
Old: "Nothing Even Matters by Ms. Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo"
---
Felukah's release, BETTER DAYS, feels like a natural extension of her artist philosophy—turning faith, resilience, and radical hope into sound, reminding us that even in the in-between, we are always moving toward something brighter.
Stream BETTER DAYS!
0 comments