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7 Arab musicians invite you to warm up under their covers!

Published February 9th, 2016 - 08:03 GMT

Kill the winter chill with some decent music. Why sit and shiver when you can jump around to a beat? Turn up a tune to lift your mood. Better still, get on your feet and dance. Non-dancers can go the karaoke route - all the easier when then songs are remakes of ones we already know.

So take a scan of these Arab artists who are remaking pop favorites in their own image. From cringe-inducing to incredible, these covers are worth a listen.

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Mark Ronson

Comedy group 'Fooq alsada' released a parody of Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk", with lyrics that spoof the difficulty highly educated young Jordanians have finding decent jobs. The tightly produced video was a YouTube hit, racking up over 300,000 views. (link: https://youtu.be/vIeyLcW2clw)

Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams' "Happy" gets the all-male-revue treatment by Iranian-Saudi a cappella artist Alaa Wardi and a crew of friends. Wardi has produced over a hundred YouTube music videos. Expect to lose at least an hour if you start watching. (link: https://youtu.be/NHBrrEAWK9g)

In 2013, the same day a group of Saudi women defied their country's driving ban, a Bob Marley-inspired “No woman, No drive” satire went viral, now with over 13 million views! It's star, Riyadh-born artist and activist Hisham Fageeh, started in comedy a few years back while a student at Columbia University. (link: https://youtu.be/aZMbTFNp4wI)

In 2013, the same day a group of Saudi women defied their country's driving ban, a Bob Marley-inspired “No woman, No drive” satire went viral, now with over 13 million views! It's star, Riyadh-born artist and activist Hisham Fageeh, started in comedy a few years back while a student at Columbia University. (link: https://youtu.be/aZMbTFNp4wI)

Emirati singer of indeterminable age, Abdullah Bilkhair, has a string of YouTube music videos. He channels Bob Marley in this one warbling "Buffalo Soldier". Online reviews generally panned the performance, 226 likes to 935 dislikes! You can't help but stare. (link: https://youtu.be/JH4B_cZsBmY)

Emirati singer of indeterminable age, Abdullah Bilkhair, has a string of YouTube music videos. He channels Bob Marley in this one warbling "Buffalo Soldier". Online reviews generally panned the performance, 226 likes to 935 dislikes! You can't help but stare. (link: https://youtu.be/JH4B_cZsBmY)

Gangnam Style

Karim Metwaly, actor, director, performer, and YouTube maestro, took to New York's Times Square to riff on PSY's Gangnam Style. His YouTube channel AreWeFamousNow has had over 5 million views. Check out his honest chat with a homeless man to see there's more to this musician than just a nice voice. (link: https://youtu.be/3zr2gzdPl3M)

The Weekend

Critics loved "Can't Feel My Face" by Canadian R&B singer The Weekend when it hit the airwaves. Rolling Stone named it the best song of 2015, noting a touch of Michael Jackson in the lyrics. Jordan-trained sound engineer Alaa Wardi drops the comedy and tackles this straight one, with gorgeous results. (Link: https://youtu.be/0XiKefB0bhQ)

all

Comedian Remy Munasifi sings about his love for hummus in his video parody of Megan Trainor's "All About That Bass"." His take, titled "All About That Paste", costars his dancing Lebanese mother. Another of his clips, a ghetto rap about his yuppie hometown Arlington, earned him 300,000 views in less than a day. (link: https://youtu.be/cLGUFaizAHs)

sons of yusuf

Brothers Ya'koob & Humble Abdul are "Sons of Yusuf", rising YouTube stars with dozens of rap parodies including an Arabized version of Kanye West's "Ni**as in Paris". Fans are urging them to drop the jokey copies and focus instead on original content. (link:https://youtu.be/1RV0K93lXaw)

Mark Ronson
Pharrell Williams
In 2013, the same day a group of Saudi women defied their country's driving ban, a Bob Marley-inspired “No woman, No drive” satire went viral, now with over 13 million views! It's star, Riyadh-born artist and activist Hisham Fageeh, started in comedy a few years back while a student at Columbia University. (link: https://youtu.be/aZMbTFNp4wI)
Emirati singer of indeterminable age, Abdullah Bilkhair, has a string of YouTube music videos. He channels Bob Marley in this one warbling "Buffalo Soldier". Online reviews generally panned the performance, 226 likes to 935 dislikes! You can't help but stare. (link: https://youtu.be/JH4B_cZsBmY)
Gangnam Style
The Weekend
all
sons of yusuf
Mark Ronson
Comedy group 'Fooq alsada' released a parody of Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk", with lyrics that spoof the difficulty highly educated young Jordanians have finding decent jobs. The tightly produced video was a YouTube hit, racking up over 300,000 views. (link: https://youtu.be/vIeyLcW2clw)
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams' "Happy" gets the all-male-revue treatment by Iranian-Saudi a cappella artist Alaa Wardi and a crew of friends. Wardi has produced over a hundred YouTube music videos. Expect to lose at least an hour if you start watching. (link: https://youtu.be/NHBrrEAWK9g)
In 2013, the same day a group of Saudi women defied their country's driving ban, a Bob Marley-inspired “No woman, No drive” satire went viral, now with over 13 million views! It's star, Riyadh-born artist and activist Hisham Fageeh, started in comedy a few years back while a student at Columbia University. (link: https://youtu.be/aZMbTFNp4wI)
In 2013, the same day a group of Saudi women defied their country's driving ban, a Bob Marley-inspired “No woman, No drive” satire went viral, now with over 13 million views! It's star, Riyadh-born artist and activist Hisham Fageeh, started in comedy a few years back while a student at Columbia University. (link: https://youtu.be/aZMbTFNp4wI)
Emirati singer of indeterminable age, Abdullah Bilkhair, has a string of YouTube music videos. He channels Bob Marley in this one warbling "Buffalo Soldier". Online reviews generally panned the performance, 226 likes to 935 dislikes! You can't help but stare. (link: https://youtu.be/JH4B_cZsBmY)
Emirati singer of indeterminable age, Abdullah Bilkhair, has a string of YouTube music videos. He channels Bob Marley in this one warbling "Buffalo Soldier". Online reviews generally panned the performance, 226 likes to 935 dislikes! You can't help but stare. (link: https://youtu.be/JH4B_cZsBmY)
Gangnam Style
Karim Metwaly, actor, director, performer, and YouTube maestro, took to New York's Times Square to riff on PSY's Gangnam Style. His YouTube channel AreWeFamousNow has had over 5 million views. Check out his honest chat with a homeless man to see there's more to this musician than just a nice voice. (link: https://youtu.be/3zr2gzdPl3M)
The Weekend
Critics loved "Can't Feel My Face" by Canadian R&B singer The Weekend when it hit the airwaves. Rolling Stone named it the best song of 2015, noting a touch of Michael Jackson in the lyrics. Jordan-trained sound engineer Alaa Wardi drops the comedy and tackles this straight one, with gorgeous results. (Link: https://youtu.be/0XiKefB0bhQ)
all
Comedian Remy Munasifi sings about his love for hummus in his video parody of Megan Trainor's "All About That Bass"." His take, titled "All About That Paste", costars his dancing Lebanese mother. Another of his clips, a ghetto rap about his yuppie hometown Arlington, earned him 300,000 views in less than a day. (link: https://youtu.be/cLGUFaizAHs)
sons of yusuf
Brothers Ya'koob & Humble Abdul are "Sons of Yusuf", rising YouTube stars with dozens of rap parodies including an Arabized version of Kanye West's "Ni**as in Paris". Fans are urging them to drop the jokey copies and focus instead on original content. (link:https://youtu.be/1RV0K93lXaw)

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