47Soul
{{short description|Palestinian-Jordanian music band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = group_or_band
| name = 47Soul
| image = 47Soul-2018.png
| caption = The group performing in Germany in 2018
| origin = Jordan / Palestine
| genre = Mijwiz, Electronic, Shamstep
| years_active = 2013–present
| website = {{URL|http://47soul.com/}}
| current_members = * Tareq Abu Kwaik (vocals, darbuka)
- Ramzy Suleiman (vocals, synthesiser, keyboard)
- Walaa Sbeit (vocals, bass drum)
| past_members = * Hamza Arnaout (guitar,electronics,Producer)
}}
47Soul is a Palestinian Jordanian electronic music group who are one of the main forces behind the Shamstep electronic dance music movement in the Middle East. The band's first album, Shamstep, was released in 2015.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/how-jordanian-musicians-are-finding-success-with-new-genres-made-in-the-middle-east-1.731421|title=How Jordanian musicians are finding success with new genres made in the Middle East|work=The National|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/palestinian-supergroup-47soul-stay-true-to-their-roots-1.151053|title=Palestinian supergroup 47Soul stay true to their roots|work=The National|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en}}
Background
The group formed in Jordan in 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jan/25/47soul-balfran-promise-review-high-energy-shamstep-and-cheerful-protest-tunes|title=47Soul: Balfron Promise review – high-energy shamstep and cheerful protest tunes|last=Denselow|first=Robin|date=2018-01-25|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-05-20}} Their debut album Shamstep was released in 2015. In 2017, 47Soul released their second album Balfron Promise, which takes its name from the east London tower block Balfron Tower, where the record was created. It also refers to the Balfour Declaration of 1917 through which the British government committed itself to the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.{{Cite news|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/23986-live-report-47soul-jazz-cafe|title=The Quietus {{!}} News {{!}} LIVE REPORT: 47SOUL at Jazz Cafe|work=The Quietus|access-date=2018-05-20}} The group had been residents of Balfron Tower for two years while creating their album.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/f565d294-ff13-11e7-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5|title=47Soul: Balfron Promise — 'hip-hop/Arabic music fusion'|website=Financial Times|date=26 January 2018 |language=en-GB|access-date=2018-05-20|url-access=subscription}} The album received 4 out of 5 stars in a January 2018 review in The Guardian.
The band played at festivals in 2018 like Walthamstow Garden Party,{{Cite web|url=http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/16235476.Line_up_for_this_year_s_garden_party_announced_by_the_Barbican/|title=Line up for this year's garden party announced by the Barbican|website=East London and West Essex Guardian Series|language=en|access-date=2018-05-20}} Fusion festival and Festival Med.{{Cite web|url=https://www.songkick.com/artists/8401843-47soul|title=47Soul|website=Songkick|language=en|access-date=2018-05-20}} and NYU Abu Dhabi's Barzakh festival.{{Cite web|url=https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/events/2018/february/barzakh-festival-47soul.html |title=Barzakh Festival — 47SOUL and Pedro Coquenão / Batida |access-date=2019-10-08}}
On 26 August 2019, NPR released a YouTube video of 47Soul appearing on their "Tiny Desk Concerts" series.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/08/26/753733845/47soul-tiny-desk-concert|title=47SOUL: Tiny Desk Concert|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-08-27}}
In January 2020, electric guitar player and band member Hamza Arnaout announced his departure from 47Soul citing the need to focus on creating music without the pressure to constantly perform live.
Band members
- Tareq Abu Kwaik – vocals, darbuka, electronics – known independently as El Far3i
- Ramzy Suleiman – vocals, synthesiser, keyboard – known independently as Z the People
- Walaa Sbait – vocals, bass drum
Past member(s):
Musical style
47Soul's style, Shamstep, is based on mijwiz (a levantine folk musical style){{CN|date=June 2025|reason=mijwiz seems to refer to a particular woodwind instrument, rather than a musical style}} and electronic dance. "Shamstep" is a portmanteau: 'Sham' refers to the levant region, which is locally referred to as "Bilad al-Sham", and 'step' refers to the musical style dubstep. The band's music is also associated with the traditional dance called Dabke.