10 Arabic Singers To Help You Learn Arabic (All Dialects)

One of the best ways to enhance Arabic comprehension (and make it pleasurable) is listening to Arabic singers.

Listening to songs, repeating them, and engaging with their lyrics activates the language in your conscious as well as subconscious mind. According to research, incorporating music into your learning is an efficient technique to improve Arabic vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

Arabic song lyrics demonstrate the usage of old and modern Arabic words and idioms.

When it comes to studying Arabic, one of the most challenging aspects for many students to grasp is pronunciation.

As a result, learning the Arabic language through songs aids in enhancing word pronunciation. Also, when learning Arabic songs, you may find yourself repeating them again and over which helps with memorization.

Best Arab singers from the Middle East and North Africa

See the following list of 10 incredible Arab singers by country.

Muhammad Abdo

Country: Saudi Arabia

Muhammad Abdo aka “Abu Nora” is one of the greatest and most well-known singers in the Arab world. He is also named “فنان العرب” (The artist of the Arab), a title given to him by the Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba when he held a concert in Tunisia in the sixties of the last century. Born in the Darb governate, Jizan in the south of Saudi kingdom, he started his artistic career in the sixties with the release of his very first song titled “خاصمت عيني من سنين”. Other albums such as “Ala Albal” (على البال) and “Lailet Khames” (ليلة خميس) have also gained a lot of praise and love from the fans. His song Majmoo’et ensan مجموعة انسان – is another famous creation he is adorned upon.

Fairuz

Country: Lebanon

Born Nehad Haddad and later known as Fairuz has to be one of the most historical and important singers of the Arab pop music wave. Born to a middle-class family in Beirut, Fairuz started singing as a young child. Unlike famous singers in the Arab world, whose songs were characterized by length and long musical pieces, her songs were short and simple with a deep meaning. She sang for love, childhood, sadness and joy - she also presented a number of her songs through plays. Her lovers and loved ones have reached millions from all corners of the earth, as she is the owner of a voice that crosses borders, sects and races. She released many albums most notable among them were "Kifak Enta” (كيفك انتا) and "Konna Netlaka” (كنا نتلاقى). A famous song "Kifak Enta" - كيفك انتis worth giving a watch.

Reem Bana

Country: Palestine

One of the notable voices of resistance from Palestine includes Reem Bana who was born in 1966 in al-Nasira (النَّاصِرَة). Her music is filled with words derived from the conscience, heritage, culture and suffering of the Palestinian people. And melodies vibrant with sense and rhythm that go from Palestine to the wide world. She beautifully succeeded in integrating Palestinian cheers and chants with modern music. She covered a variety of traditional Palestinian children’s songs and lullabies. Most of her songs are in the shami (Levantine) dialect and a great number is in MSA (العامية) as well (check “revelation of ecstasy and rebellion” album). In 2019 and after a long fight with cancer, reem passed away leaving behind a legacy of patriotism and resilience. Her song ‘Supply me with an excess of love زدني بفرط الحب** **will be remembered forever by her followers.

Ahlam

Country: United Arab Emirates

Ahlam Al Shamsi (February 13, 1968) Also known as “The Queen” by her fans. She was nicknamed as “The Artist of the Gulf.” by Saudi singer Muhammad Abdo. She is considered one of the highest paid singers in reviving concerts and festivals in the Arab world. And is the first Gulf artist to sing in Tunisia at the Carthage International Festival.Her beginning was in reviving wedding parties in the Gulf countries in the late eighties of the twentieth century but that was for a short period, and her real breakout was in 1995 when she released her first album titled “Ahebak Moot" (أحبك موت) with which she started her artistic career. Ahlam was among the judging panel of the very first deduct of Arab idol, which is an Arabic version of the American idol show. On 22nd august 2015 she performed a concert at Olympia Theater in Paris making her the third Arab artist to sing there after Umm Kulthum and Fairuz. **Hazeen - حزينis the song which should be checked out by new listeners.

Kathem Al Saher

Country: Iraq

Kathem Jabbar al-Samarai, also known as Kathem al-Saher, was born in Mosul, Iraq, on September 12, 1957. He is a singer, composer, and songwriter. He's been nicknamed "Iraq's Ambassador to the World" and the "Caesar of Arabic Song."Since the beginning of his career, Saher has established himself as one of the most successful vocalists in Arab history. His tunes spanned from large romantic ballads to pop and Arab classical music, with political overtones thrown in here and there.

Kazem El-Saher has long been known for his powerful voice and his passion for singing heartfelt lyrics. He sung a lot for Nizar Al-Qabbani, the renowned poet. Because of his stage presence and originality, he became Iraq's first vocalist and one of the Arab world's most popular singers. He did not limit himself to singing; he authored and composed many of his songs, as well as songs for other singers such as Magda El Roumi and Latifa. Some of his most famous songs include: مدرسة الحب ,لا تحرموني منه and the song أنا و ليلى which ranked sixth in the world in a poll conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC. The masterpiece Zidini Eashqan - زيديني عشقاis worth giving a listen.

Cheb Khalid

Country: Algerian

The Ambassador of the Arabic Song to France and the King of Algerian Rai, Cheb Khalid was born on 29th of February 1960. He is the most well-known Algerian rai singer, and “Cheb” شاب is a term given to professional rai singers after they were formerly known as (shiyokh) الشيوخ. The history of Algerian rai music (derived from the word رأي) has seen numerous twists and turns. It is a distinct musical form that is similar to rap in terms of directly dealing with societal concerns, and the city of Oran is considered as Rai's capital. This music genre distinguished by the use of synthesizers that gained prominence in the coastal city of Oran in the 1920s that has been popularized by a number of artists, the most well-known of whom is Cheb Khaled.

Between 1985 and 2012, Cheb Khaled recorded 10 albums, the majority of which were co-produced by Universal Productions. The singer’s albums have sold extremely well in the United States, France, and South America throughout the years. The song يا راي (Ya Ray), in addition to the song (C'Est La Vie), which is a separate tune from his renowned song, is a dancing song par excellence among his most well-known songs. Cheb Khaled is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the transfer of Maghreb musical culture to Arab listeners and enthralled audiences all over the world, overcoming language barriers and dialect differences to proclaim music a universal language.

Um Kalthoum

Country: Egypt

Egyptian singer and actress Um Kalthoum renowned as "The star of the East"( كوكب الشرق) and "The Lady of Arab Singing." She performed about 320 songs, and her song "Al Atlal" was ranked among the 100 best songs produced in the twentieth century. Umm Kalthoum performed songs based on the melodies and words of famous composers and authors, and she excelled in praise of the Prophet and religious singing, particularly in the performance of long poems and ancient poetry such as “ Nahj al-Burda . (نهج البردة) . She also excelled at emotional singing, as seen by the songs " You are my life " "أنت عمري" and " Al Atlal," الأطلال.

Issam Harris

Country: Morocco

Next, we have Issam, a Moroccan trap music phenomenon who was born in Casablanca, Morocco, on May 22nd, 1993. His particular approach is a brilliant blend of Auto-tuned trap and traditional Moroccan melodies that finds harmony in rap and his heritage. His tunes are influenced by Moroccan dialect Darija and Rai music. He started his music career in 2014 however, he rose to prominence in 2018 after the release of his smash hit " Trap Beldi." The song, as well as the original music video, which he made, helped him acquire prominence, and the video was one of the first Moroccan trap songs to surpass 10 million views on YouTube. Issam has garnered popularity over the years for blending rai, pop, rock, trap, and electronic music into a unique style that appeals to everyone, not just Moroccans.

Issam Al Najjar

Country: Jordan

Issam Al Najjar, an 18-year-old singer, is a rising star. He came into the spotlight when his Arabic song "Hadal Ahbek," (I’ll continue to love you.”) which went popular on social media site TikTok. The song a pop tune featuring an upward strummed acoustic guitar on the upswing. Hadal Ahbek's song video has received more than 17 million views on YouTube and has spawned over 91,000 videos on TikTok, which were viewed by 45 million people.

Hammoud Al-Khidr

Country: Kuwait

Hammoud Al-Khidr is a Kuwaiti singer. He began his creative career at a young age, working with poets and composers, and his formal debut was in 2002. Hammoud rose to worldwide prominence in 2015, with the release of his album "Asir Ahsan," "أصير أحسن" which featured his most renowned song “ كن أنت “ " Be You ".

Improve your Arabic by listening to Arab singers

Listening to songs repetitively is a fantastic way to improve your Arabic.

Music gets stuck in our heads this way and it's more effective than rote memorizing.

When trying to acquire new vocabulary, choose a song that you enjoy which contains new words, and listen on repeat.