From left, Ayman Seleha, Shahd El Shaarawy and Mohamed Magdi of Young Pharoz. Courtesy: Sony Music Entertainment Middle East
From left, Ayman Seleha, Shahd El Shaarawy and Mohamed Magdi of Young Pharoz. Courtesy: Sony Music Entertainment Middle East

An ode to the World Cup from Egypt



World Cup anthems are not just being scored by leading pop stars – some of the region's emerging talent have stepped up to record their own unofficial celebratory odes.
The X Factor Arabia finalists Young Pharoz have released their debut single to coincide with the sporting event.
Yalla beena Na'eesh is an uplifting pop track recalling the dance-sound of The Black Eyed Peas, with the rappers Ayman Seleha and Mohamed Magdi trading verses and the singer Shahd El Shaarawy delivering the hooks.
An English version has also been recorded, with the title Flying the Flag.
Speaking from Cairo, Seleha says the regional response has been favourable and the track is presently on high rotation on Arab radio and music channels. The trio capitalised on the attention with a string of gigs in Egypt.
"We have received some great feedback," he says. "We spoke to some producers and they said the song has a really good sound and it's very energetic. We are all very happy with it."
Yalla beena Na'eesh/Flying The Flag is the first offering from the group after reaching the final of last season's The X Factor Arabia.
The song also completes the group's transition from socially conscious hip-hop crew towards being a party band.
Seleha says the change in styles was not purely driven by commercial factors, explaining that the trio's experience in The X Factor Arabia allowed them to hone their sound. "The show gave us a lot of challenges and we wanted to change the themes of our songs all the time," he says.
"We also sat with a lot of producers who told us this current style is what suits us. So we said, why not? Let's explore this further. And I think it's working because the people have said it sounds great."
Indeed, there is a lot going for Yalla beena Na'eesh, with its breezy blend of eastern melodies and polished production.
While both Seleha and Magdi deliver competent raps, the song is a showcase for the vocalist El Shaarawy, who delivers a powerhouse performance in the Arabic version.
The less said about the English version, the better – the lyrics are woefully lazy. It's best to stick to the original even if you don't speak Arabic; better to get swept up by the euphoric chorus of Yalla beena Na'eesh than be distracted by Flying the Flag's trite couplets, which include such gems as "Everyone let's follow/Yalla let's follow".
Yalla beena Na'eesh/Flying The Flag (Sony Music Entertainment Middle East) is available on iTunes and can be streamed on www.anghami.com

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young