Ramy Essam Live from the Red Room

Tune into birnCORE on Friday, February 22 at 8:00 p.m. for a performance by Egyptian rock musician Ramy Essam Live from the Red Room at Cafe 939

Ramy Essam is an Egyptian musician best known for his appearances in Tahrir Square in Cairo during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. Ramy was born in 1987 in Mansoura, Egypt. He is one of the few singers in the Middle East to sing hard rock.

Essam’s song “Irhal,” in which he demands the resignation of then-ruler Hosni Mubarak, is referred to as the real anthem of the revolution. The song was ranked no. 3 on the list of 100 songs that changed history by Time Out London. Fame came with a heavy price, however. Essam experienced brutal torture and arrests meant to silence him. His songs were banned and he was forbidden to perform publicly. He resolved to come out even stronger against oppression, saying, “In the revolution, I was born again. The struggle became the purpose of my life.”

One of Ramy’s biggest hits, Segn Bel Alwan (featuring Lebanese rapper Malikah) was released in 2016. The song highlighting women’s situation and the issue of gender equality in his home country became one of the most streamed videos in Egypt in the weeks after its release.