The viral Mahragan song “Bent El Giran” (The neighbor’s daughter), from famed Shaabi singer Hassan Shakosh, has hit number two on SoundCloud’s global chart, racking up some 4.4 million listens in just one week. The song, which has gotten 70 million views on YouTube since December and 44.6 million listens on SoundCloud, is popular during festive occasions like weddings in Egypt. Shakosh received an award from YouTube after his channel got over a million subscribers, according to an announcement from the singer on his instagram account. “Thank God the award has been released. Best surprise,” the post read. Shakosh, a well-known “shaabi” singer in Egypt, began his music career four years ago with his debut song “Esmak Eh” (What is your name). Shaabi is a genre of popular working-class music in Egypt, born and developed away from record companies and mainstream satellite TV channels. The genre brings back a ritual that disappeared with the spread of cassette culture — the neighborhood si…
