| Abdelhamid Ali Ahmed al-Shaeri (Arabic: عبد الحميد علي أحمد الشاعري, romanized: ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ʿAlī Aḥmad ash-Shāʿirī; born 29 November 1961), better known as Hamid al-Shaeri (also al-Sha'eri and al-Sha'iri; Arabic: حميد الشاعري, romanized: Ḥamīd ash-Shāʿirī), is an Libyan-Egyptian singer, songwriter, and producer, who lives in Egypt. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Arabic pop and has been credited for incorporating Western music styles of synth-pop, western dance, and rock and roll influences alongside traditional Arabic musical features, which came to be known as al-Jeel.
Born in Benghazi to an Egyptian mother and Libyan father, al-Shaeri first achieved notice in Libya as a founding member of the Sons of Africa during the 1970s, before choosing to move to his maternal country Egypt, where he released his first album, Ayonha, in 1983. Initially unsuccessful, al-Shaeri received widespread critical and commercial acclaim with his second album, Raheel (1984). In addition to his solo work, al-Shaeri has also been noted for his work as producer, including the songs "Law Leki" (1988) performed by Ali Hemeida, and "Ainy" (1977), performed by Hisham Abbas. |
