Maher Zain releases world’s first Islamic music track in Dolby’s Spatial Audio on the occasion of Mawlid

London, UK, 15th October 2021

Awakening Music commemorates the auspicious occasion of Mawlid (the annual celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth) with the release of Maher Zain’s new single and music video Hubb Ennabi (Loving the Prophet).

Hubb Ennabi is the first ever Islamic Music song to be made available in Spatial Audio, the new Dolby Atmos high-quality audio standard on Apple Music. Listeners will be able to experience the new song in a multidimensional way; its audio omnipresence resembling that of the Prophet’s Islamic teachings, held in the highest esteem by Muslims around the world. 

Filmed in the picturesque city of Konya, Turkey, the city famous for being the home and final resting place of the mystical Sufi poet, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the song and music video will be released in both Arabic and Turkish. 

Directed by French-Tunisian director Idris Kheder – with whom Zain has collaborated extensively over the past few years – the music video expresses the deeply held love and veneration Muslims feel for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the beautiful legacy his message has left on the lives of his followers.

Maher Zain and Awakening Music have chosen to dedicate the release of the song to its lyricist, the late poet Salah Galal, who also wrote the lyrics to many of Zain’s biggest hits including Ya Nabi Salam Alayka, Assalamu Alayka and 

Mawlaya. The late Salah Galal was a friend of Zain’s and of many at the Awakening Music record label. Hubb Ennabi was one of the last songs the lyricist penned before he passed away in 2012 following a long battle with cancer, aged 39.

“Seeing Hubb Ennabi finally come to life after a decade makes it even more special. For one, it holds a deeply emotional meaning about Prophet Muhammad’s love and what he means to me as a Muslim,” said Maher Zain. “But its release now also represents that the legacy of its lyricist, Salah Galal, continues to live on. Salah was a beautiful human being and a very sensitive poet and lyricist, with genuine love for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), whom he wrote about with his whole heart and soul. I’m very excited for everyone to finally be able to hear the song and for Salah’s beautiful lyrics to be shared with the whole world. That these were his final lyrics is incredibly poignant and I hope that listeners will join me in feeling inspired by the depth of the emotions it contains.”

The musical arrangement for Hubb Ennabi was done by Maher Zain himself, with the vocals, piano and strings recorded in Sweden, and other instruments recorded in Turkey and Egypt. The melody was composed by Egyptian singer and composer Mohammed ElSawy. The track’s mixing and mastering was completed in Sweden, with support from the Dolby team in Dubai.

“I was unequivocally moved by Hubb Ennabi when my dear friend Salah Galal shared the initial demo with me back in 2012,” said Bara Kherigi, managing director of Awakening Music. “When Salah tragically passed away shortly after writing it, we kept the song and didn’t release it. 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of Ya Nabi Salam Alayka – another Maher Zain song about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) penned by the late Salah, which became a huge worldwide hit and modern-day classic. Although the release of Hubb Ennabi wasn’t planned this way, it seems now is the right time to honour and carry forward Salah’s work by sharing it with the world. I couldn’t help shedding tears when I finally heard the song after Maher had recorded his vocals; his beautiful musical arrangement and vocal performance made me recall all the times we had spent with Salah in and out of the studio. Awakening Music is honoured to mark the occasion of Mawlid – the Prophet’s birth – with this beautifully emotional song, written by our dear and much-beloved late friend.” 

Hubb Ennabi (Loving the Prophet) is available on Apple Music in Dolby Atmos and on all streaming platforms from Friday October 15th.

Watch the music video of Hubb Ennabi:  https://youtu.be/Mgr5kmBMa-Q

Notes:

1. Awakening Music is the world’s premier Muslim faith-inspired music label. It is headquartered in London and is an award-winning record label nurturing and promoting the finest of modern Muslim talent from all over the world. It has artists from Sweden, the USA, Macedonia, Kuwait and Libya amongst others.
2. Maher Zain is an Awakening Music artist and is the most popular Islamic Music artist, with over 35 million followers on social media and billions of streams. He also remains the most watched Muslim on Youtube, with over 8 billion views for his music videos.

Connect with Maher Zain:

Facebook   Instagram   Twitter   TikTok   YouTube

For press enquiries please email: press@awakening.org

For any other enquiries please contact:  info@awakening.org

Awakening Music marks the arrival of the blessed month of Ramadan with a special release: Maher Zain’s new EP (mini album) – Nour Ala Nour (Light Upon Light) – featuring six songs plus a bonus track. “Ramadan Gana”, the first music video from the EP was released on Friday the 9th of April on YouTube and all streaming services, thereafter a track from the EP will be released every Friday at 12.00 GMT, and the last track will be released on Wednesday May 12th, right before Eid.

The first single, Ramadan Gana (Ramadan Has Come Back To Us), is a modern rewriting of this Ramadan classic, first performed by Egyptian legend Abdel-Mottaleb on Egypt’s national radio in 1943. Zain is reviving the classic with a new musical arrangement, fresh lyrics and a distinct melody for the song’s verses, while keeping the same beloved chorus that generations all across the Middle East and beyond revered. The music video for Ramadan Gana was shot in Cairo, Egypt, and has passed 3 million views within 5 days of its release on YouTube, and trending on the video platform.

“Ramadan Gana is a song that’s dear to my heart and the hearts of generations across the Arab World. Ever since its release in 1943, it has become intrinsically linked with Ramadan in the subconscious of so many who’ve grown up listening to it whenever the month of Ramadan arrives. It’s been a real honour for me to do my own remake of this all-time classic, with new additions to the melody, lyrics, and a completely new musical arrangement” said Maher Zain.

Zain has worked with some of the best known songwriters and music arrangers in the Middle East and Turkey, including well-known Egyptian artist and songwriter Aziz Elshafie (Nour Ala Nour), long-time Maher Zain collaborator Yemeni lyricist and composer Ahmed AlYafaie (Qalbi Sajad), Egyptian composer Ahmed Zaeem (Huwa Ahmadun), Egyptian lyricist and composer Dr. Dalia Emara (Laytaka Ma’ana), and Palestinian songwriter Anwer Hussam (Ramadan Gana). 

The lyrics to the song Hubb Ennabi (The Prophet’s Love) was one of the last songs written by the late poet and lyricist Salah Galal before he tragically passed away in 2012 at the age of 39 after a long struggle with Hepatitis. Salah Galal wrote the lyrics for many of Maher Zain’s biggest Arabic hits, including Ya Nabi Salam Alayka, Assalamu Alayka, and Radhitu Billahi Rabba. The song and its music video will be dedicated to his memory. The song’s melody was composed by Egyptian artist and composer Mohamed ElSawy.

For the EP’s musical arrangements, Maher Zain worked with long time co-collaborator, Turkish music arranger Emre Mogulkoç (Huwa Ahmadun), as well as Palestinian music arranger Mahmoud Ammar in Gaza (Ramadan Gana, Nour Ala Nour), and Yemeni arranger Sarhan Eskandar (Qalbi Sajad). While the music arrangement for Hubb Ennabi and Laytaka Ma’ana were done by Maher Zain himself, the strings arrangement for several of the EP’s songs was written by Swedish strings maestro Erik Arvinder and recorded in Stockholm, Sweden. The EP was mixed by Swedish mix engineer Ronny Lahti and mastered by mastering engineer Bjorn Engelman in Sweden. Recording took place in Stockholm, Istanbul, Cairo, Damascus, Amman, and Gaza.

All the EP’s six songs will be released as music videos on YouTube and TV channels around the world. The six music videos were filmed in Cairo, Tunis, Istanbul, and Beirut, and Maher collaborated with talented Tunisian director Idris Kheder (who directed Maher Zain’s music video Lawlaka) for most of the EP’s music videos, as well as Egyptian director Ahmed Moghazy for the Ramadan Gana music video.

“I’ve had these songs in demo form for a while now, and have been waiting for the right time to share them with the world. I think the occasion of the blessed month of Ramadan is the ideal occasion to do so, given the nature of these songs, their message and overall reflective mood,” says Zain. “In this EP, you’ll listen to a variety of spiritually uplifting songs, where I aim to take the listener with me through a journey that I myself started more than 10 years ago towards deeper self-actualisation and inner peace; what better time than Ramadan – the time of spiritual reflection, self improvement and devotion – to make this inner journey.”

Lebanese-Swedish artist Maher Zain is a multi platinum-award recording singer/songwriter, and the most popular Muslim artist on social media; remaining the most-viewed Muslim artist on YouTube. He has three studio albums released to date, all through Awakening Music: Thank You Allah (2009), Forgive Me (2012) and One (2016), as well as countless single releases. Many of his songs like Insha Allah, Ya Nabi Salam Alayka, Assalamu Alayka, For The Rest of My Life, and Number One For Me have become modern-day classics, with all surpassing 100 million views on YouTube, and Ya Nabi Salam Alayka becoming the most viewed Islamic music video on YouTube with almost 400 million views. Maher’s videos have exceeded 6 billion views on YouTube, and his fan base across social media platforms stands at well over 36 million followers, following for his songs, music videos, and concerts across the globe.

“Ramadan is both a time of reflection, renewal and personal growth, as well as a time where families come together to make lasting memories,” says Bara Kherigi, the managing director of Awakening Music. “We strove together with Maher to make an EP that reflects all those different aspects of this blessed month, and to make songs that will become part of people’s memories of Ramadan; something that will link our children, young people, and hopefully future generations with this most beautiful time of year.”

The EP’s track names and their release schedule are as follows:

Track 1: Fri 9/4 Ramadan Gana (Ramadan’s Come Back To Us)

Track 2: Fri 16/4 Qalbi Sajad (My Heart Is In Prostration)

Track 3: Fri 23/4 16/4 Laytaka Ma’ana (I Wish You Were With Us)

Track 4: Fri 30/4 Hubb Ennabi (The Prophet’s Love)

Track 5: Fri 7/5 Nour Ala Nour (Light Upon Light)

Song 6: Wed 12/5  Huwa Ahmadun (He Is Ahmad)

Notes:

1. Awakening Music is the world’s premier Muslim faith-inspired music label. It is headquartered in London and is an award-winning record label nurturing and promoting the finest of modern Muslim talent from all over the world. It has artists from Sweden, the USA, Macedonia, Kuwait and Libya amongst others.
2. Maher Zain is an Awakening Music artist and is the most popular Islamic Music artist, with over 30 million followers on social media and billions of streams. He also remains the most watched Muslim on Youtube, with over 5.8 billion views for his music videos.

For press enquiries please email: press@awakening.org
For any other enquiries please contact: info@awakening.org

Awakening Music is thrilled to announce the worldwide release of Maher Zain’s new single Antassalam. The highly anticipated single and music video is available worldwide for digital streaming and download, and on YouTube. Singer, songwriter and producer, Maher Zain has become a household name following the release of his first three multi-platinum, chart-topping studio albums Thank You Allah, Forgive Me and One.

Antassalam (meaning: You [God] Are Peace) explores the struggles we face in today’s world: searching for peace of mind, grappling with self doubt, coping with stress, and ultimately finding peace and solace in the Divine. The song features a refreshing blend of English and Arabic, rich contemporary beats and an elegantly stripped-back musical arrangement, combined with heartfelt, personal and spiritually uplifting lyrics.

The music video was shot in Stockholm, Sweden, and directed by Swedish director Guy Aslan.

“I’m delighted that my new single is being released today. I am so excited for people to listen to it and watch the music video. The song explores the themes of searching for peace of mind, struggling with self-doubt and finding peace in the Divine, all of which are things I have experienced personally. Given the current lockdown and  global health crisis, I know I am not alone in feeling this way, and that many will be able to relate to the sentiments expressed in this song. I hope that Antassalam speaks to them on a personal level and helps them on their journey. I have always tried to make music that speaks about personal experiences and comes from a place of deep reflection, and I firmly believe that what comes from the heart will touch the hearts of others,” said Maher Zain.

“Awakening Music is proud to present to the world Maher Zain’s new single & music video. Antassalam embodies the importance of music as a source of healing during these turbulent times the world is facing due to COVID-19. The song conveys the message we want to share with the world: we are all human, facing the same difficulties and grappling with similar fears and insecurities. We are all on the same journey, and we’re all in this together, and we pray that we all manage to find a little peace in these stressful times. We are super excited about the new single and we hope that it will resonate with millions of people across the world,” commented Bara Kherigi, Managing Director of Awakening Music.

Notes:

1. Awakening Music is the world’s premier Muslim faith-inspired music label. It is headquartered in London and is an award-winning record label nurturing and promoting the finest of modern Muslim talent from all over the world. It has artists from Sweden, the USA, Macedonia, Kuwait and Libya amongst others.
2. Maher Zain is an Awakening Music artist and is the most popular Muslim artist, with 26 million followers on Facebook. He also remains the most watched Muslim on Youtube, with over 5.8 billion views for his music videos.

For press enquiries please email: press@awakening.org
For any other enquiries please contact: info@awakening.org

Awakening is proud to announce 2020 as a year of celebration and inspiration, marking the 20th anniversary of the dynamic company’s inception. Over the past two decades, Awakening has established itself as a global Muslim media brand and the world’s premier Muslim faith-inspired music label.

Established in 2000 as a publishing and media company, Awakening ventured into music production in 2003. After 20 years, and a plethora of hit records, record-breaking viewing figures, and global, sold-out tours, Awakening is commemorating its achievements in the Muslim world and beyond. The #CelebrateAwakening20 project aims to share the brand’s success story with the world, and to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs to create a powerful and lasting legacy.

#CelebrateAwakening20 will comprise of a series of exclusive, interactive events in five capitals around the world – including London and Cairo – to connect with and celebrate staff, partners, and supporters. The first such event took place in Cairo on the 24th of February: a black tie dinner, featuring staff awards and the presence of Awakening’s senior management, staff, and long-time supporters and industry partners.

Awakening aims to use the opportunity to continue to highlight and celebrate the creative flair and limitless talent that is so prevalent among the global Muslim community.

“We are very proud of what we have accomplished through the past 20 years. The Awakening story is a very inspiring one; brimming with challenges, dreams, achievements and future ambitions. We are very excited to be telling the world our story through #CelebrateAwakening20,” commented Sharif Banna, CEO of Awakening.

Notes:

1. Awakening is headquartered in London and is an award-winning record label, promoting the finest of modern Muslim talent from all over the world. Artists from the USA, Sweden, Macedonia, and Kuwait are signed to the label, among others.

For press enquiries please email: press@awakening.org

For any other enquiries please contact: info@awakening.org

Awakening Music is pleased to announce that it has signed an exclusive record deal with talented Libyan singer & songwriter Ali Magrebi. Ali will be joining Maher Zain (Sweden), Mesut Kurtis (Macedonia), Raef (USA), and Humood AlKhudher (Kuwait) as part of Awakening’s stellar roster of artists.

Ali was born in Libya in 1993 and has been living in Istanbul for a number of years. His songs are positive, uplifting and thought-provoking. His love for singing was evident from a young age leading him to participate in several local as well as pan-Arab singing contests. He became known in his country, which led to him hosting his own music-themed talkshow entitled “Ali Duo” on a leading Libyan TV channel. Ali has released several singles and collaborations over the last couple of years and is now finalising a number of singles to be released imminently by Awakening Music.

“I’m honoured and excited to join Awakening Music. I’ve always wanted to produce music that will inspire the youth and leave a positive message in people’s hearts in a world where we are surrounded by so much negativity every single day. Awakening is a record label that has given the world so many inspiring artists and so many unforgettable songs over the last two decades, and I am really looking forward to sharing my music with a global audience with the help of Awakening,” said Ali.

Awakening Music is the world’s leading faith-inspired and value-driven award-winning record label. Recognised today as the Muslim world’s premier music label – with 56 million fans online and 9.3 billion views on YouTube – Awakening Music was established in 2000 as a media and publishing company. Awakening is headquartered in London, promoting the finest of modern Muslim talent from all over the world. Artists from the USA, Sweden, Macedonia, and Kuwait are currently signed to the label, among others.

Commenting on Ali Magrebi’s signing, Sharif Banna, CEO of Awakening said:

“The addition of Ali Magrebi to the Awakening family of artists will add great value to our work and is indicative of Awakening’s global vision with regional focus. We are delighted to sign a multi-talented artist like Ali and look forward to working with him and helping him share his talent and inspiring songs with the whole world.”

For interview requests with Ali Magrebi please contact: press@awakening.org

Ali Magrebi’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/AliMagrebiMusic

Awakening Music is pleased to announce that Humood Alkhudher’s new album Māthā Ba’d (What’s Next?)  will be released starting the 20th of February. Featuring 7 tracks, Humood’s new album will bring forth a new sound for Arabic music using international pop styles. A new single from Humood’s album will be released every month for the next six months. The first single and music video to be released is Dandin Ma’i (Sing With Me), scheduled for release on Thursday the 20th of February on YouTube & Anghami music streaming app.

After the huge success of his debut studio album Aseer Ahsan which featured the worldwide viral hit Kun Anta, Humood is back with his highly anticipated sophomore album which will be available for digital download, on YouTube and on all international streaming services worldwide. Humood’s new album embraces a diverse range of themes and styles. The new album was recorded and produced in different cities around the world including London, Istanbul, Stockholm, Dubai and Kuwait.

“I’m delighted that I’m finally able to release my second studio album. It’s been a long wait but I hope it was well worth the wait. So much has happened over the past few years and I’ve been blessed to tour the world and meet wonderful people and visit fascinating places. I hope my new album inspires people to keep trying and innovating, and motivates them to strive to become the best possible versions of themselves,” commented Humood AlKhudher.

“We are extremely excited about the release of Humood’s second studio album with Awakening Music. Humood has become synonymous with inspirational, motivational songs, full of life, energy and positivity. We are happy to be working on the delivery of this exciting new project with our digital marketing partner, the leading Kuwaiti digital agency Prismic Media, and have no doubt that this album will inspire millions across the world,” commented Bara Kherigi, Director of Awakening Music.

Notes:

1. Awakening Music is headquartered in London and is an award-winning record label promoting the finest of modern Muslim talent from all over the world. It has artists from Kuwait, the USA, Sweden, Macedonia, and Germany amongst others.
2. Humood Alkhduher is an Awakening artist with a pioneering sound who is setting new standards for Arabic music. He is a Kuwaiti singer, songwriter and music producer. His songs have topped charts around the world with hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. He is known for his unique integration of Arabic music and modern pop styles with positive, uplifting, inspirational lyrics.

More information about the new album can be found on: www.awakening.org

For press enquiries please email: press@awakening.org

For any other enquiries please contact: info@awakening.org

Awakening Music is pleased to announce the worldwide release of Maher Zain’s new music video Live It Up. The highly anticipated music video is finally out and available for digital download, streaming, on YouTube and in music stores worldwide. Multi-platinum winning artist Maher Zain has become a household name following the release of his first three multi-platinum chart-topping albums Thank You Allah, Forgive Me and One.

The music video features Cuban artist Lenny Martinez and produced by Waqas Qadri, both from Danish band Outlandish. The music video was shot in Havana, Cuba.

“I’m delighted that my new music video is being released today. I am so excited for everyone to hear this beautiful new song” said Maher Zain.

“Awakening Music is proud to present to the world Maher Zain’s new music video. This music video is beautiful and we have no doubt that it will inspire millions across the world” commented Bara Kherigi, Managing Director of Awakening Music.

Notes:

1. Awakening Music is headquartered in London and is an award-winning record label promoting the finest of modern Muslim talent from all over the world. It has artists from USA, Sweden, Macedonia, Germany and Kuwait amongst others.
2. Maher Zain is an Awakening artist and is the most popular Muslim on Facebook with 26 million likes and is the most watched Muslim on Youtube with over 5.8 billion views for his music videos.

For press enquiries please email: press@awakening.org
For any other enquiries please contact: info@awakening.org

Awakening Music is pleased to announce the worldwide release of Muslim American singer-songwriter Raef’s sophomore album: Mercy. Featuring 14 tracks, Raef’s new album brings forth a new sound for Western Muslim art using country rock music.

Unlike previous releases , Mercy was recorded and produced in the Country Music capital of the world: Nashville, Tennessee, with additional production being done in Bandung, Indonesia.

“This album is an invitation to welcome mercy into your own life. An invitation to passionately seek mercy, and to be a source of mercy for yourself and those around you. Every song on this album is a fruit from a tree rooted in the soil of ra’fah (clemency),” writes Raef.

“With the release of Raef’s second album, Awakening Music is proud to mark a new milestone in our company’s journey. Naming it Mercy is a reflection of what we try to bring about and to embody every day through the work we do at Awakening. This album marks a fresh direction for contemporary Muslim Music and we hope it will contribute to the flourishing Western Muslim cultural identity,” commented Bara Kherigi, Director of Awakening Music.

Notes:

1. Awakening Music is headquartered in London and is an award-winning record label promoting the finest of modern Muslim talent from all over the world. It has artists from USA, Sweden, Macedonia, Germany and Kuwait amongst others.
2. Raef is an Awakening artist with a pioneering sound who is setting new standards for contemporary Muslim Music and Muslim Rock Music.

More information about the new album can be found on: www.awakening.org

For press enquiries please email: press@awakening.org

For any other enquiries please contact: info@awakening.org