Friday 24 October2025 | 22:00 CET | Orient Express
This edition of Orient Express is dedicated to the folk singers of Egypt’s Nile Delta.
The Nile Delta—a fertile stretch of land in northern Egypt—has a rural culture and is known, among other things, for the singers who perform folk songs and epics (long, narrative songs) at weddings and other celebrations and at religious festivals.
They enjoyed great popularity in rural areas but generally received less attention than urban singers. Their raw, powerful, and sometimes hoarse or nasal voices, and their performances, did not always resonate with Cairo’s more refined musical tastes.
Nevertheless, some of them also achieved recognition beyond their own region. Orient Express focuses on the powerful and earthy voices of these Nile Delta singers.
Oriënt Express is compiled by Hatim Suleiman. Click here for the playlist.
