The Death of Egyptian Musician Hani Shenouda, the Pioneer of Music Distribution
Egyptian musician, composer and distributor Hani Shenouda passed away at the age of 83 on Monday, July 20, after an artistic career that spanned nearly six decades, during which he left a prominent imprint in Egyptian and Arab music, and contributed to the development of modern music composition, distribution and song.
His business manager, Sameh Abdel Hamid, confirmed in statements to Egyptian media that Shenouda died this morning inside a Cairo hospital, following an emergency health crisis, after his health deteriorated in recent days.
Art critic Mustafa Hamdy was the first to announce the news of Hani Shenouda's death through a post on his Facebook account, in which he mourned the late musician, describing his departure as a loss for Egyptian music and culture, and recalling the artistic and humanitarian legacy he left behind.
Academic career and the launch of the "Egyptian Band"
Hani Shenouda was born in Tanta in 1943, and studied music academically after graduating from the Faculty of Music in 1966, then continued his studies at the Higher Institute of Music "Conservatoire", before starting his artistic career in cooperation with major singing stars, foremost among them Abdel Halim Hafez.
In 1977, he formed a pivotal milestone in his career, when he founded the "Egyptian Band", which transformed Egyptian song, performing popular songs such as "Mashiyat Siniora", "Banat Katir", and "Streets of Hawadeit", in addition to instrumental music pieces such as "Lunga 79" and "Lunga 85", in which he used the saxophone and guitar with oriental rhythms.
Discovering the stars and immortal melodies by Najat and Faiza
Shenouda played an important role in discovering and supporting a number of prominent artists, as he was the first supporter of Mohamed Mounir's career when he composed and distributed his first album "Teach Me My Eyes", and he also contributed to introducing Amr Diab in his artistic beginnings through the melody of the song "Ya Tariq" in his first album, in addition to his collaborations with great artists, including Najat Al-Saghira, for whom he presented masterpieces such as "Ana Bashq Al-Bahar" and "Behalem Maak", and the artist Faiza Ahmed.
Shenouda's efforts in modernization have reached its final years, as he continued to work on contemporary projects, the most recent of which was the re-introduction of the song "Dreaming with You" with the vision of rapper Ziad Zaza and singer Tina.
A timeless cinematic imprint in the memory of the screen
The late compositions of dozens of famous films and series, making his compositions an integral part of the memory of Egyptian cinema, as the music of the film "Shams Al-Zenati" was characterized by its allusive character, while the music of the film "The Suspect" reflected the atmosphere of conflict and chase.
He also presented the soundtrack of the film "Al-Harif" in a musical style that reflected the pulse of the street, along with other notable cinematic works such as "Gharib in My House", "Al-Ghoul", and "Hamada and Toto's Gang", leaving an artistic legacy that combined originality and renewal and remained present in the hearts of successive generations.