Amr Diab, the most-streamed Egyptian artist outside of Egypt

CAIRO - 24 May 2021: Music has always been at the core of African tradition, weaving a rich narrative that showcases the variety of cultures and influences across the continent.

Marking pivotal moments in Africa’s history, music has provided the backdrop to progress, evolving from songs of freedom to songs of expression. 

While the annual commemoration of Africa Day is an opportunity to embrace the strides that the continent has made, it is also a chance to address some of the challenges that it continues to face.

In a similar vein, the impact of African influence on the global music scene has also been a journey. 

With exciting collaborations taking place and access to a broader audience, Egyptian creators now have more opportunities than ever before to discover new audiences and have their unique voices heard. 

To mark Africa Day Spotify took a look at the top streamed artists globally from the African continent. 

With fans from London to Paris and Amsterdam to Sydney streaming their music via Spotify, it is not surprising that popular Nigerian singer and songwriter, Burna Boy is the most-streamed African artist globally, followed by Aya Nakamura, Seether, Wizkid, and Master KG.

In Egypt, the timeless icon Amr Diab, topped the most-streamed Egyptian artists outside of Egypt list. From “Nour El Ein'' to “Amaken El Sahar”, Diab’s continent-crossing sounds and relatable lyrics made him touch people from all around the world.

 “Spotify has allowed so many artists to connect with fans beyond borders and I am glad for that,” Diab tells For The Record, Spotify’s blog. 

Cairo-born producer and instrumentalist Ash takes the second spot with his soothing melodies that seamlessly blend influences from Middle East and the West, creating a unique sound that resonates with listeners from Turkey all the way to Mexico on Spotify. 

Meanwhile, superstar Sherine made it into the top ten, as she continues to move fans with her emotional voice and powerful hooks. Her songs “Hobbo Gana” and “El Wattar El Hassas,” are streamed the most by Spotify listeners outside of Egypt. 

“Africa is one of the most diverse music powerhouses in the world and today we are celebrating sounds from Egypt all the way to Nigeria. With over 356 million global listeners, Spotify will continue to leverage the power of its reach to connect fans and African artists in ways which were not possible before and enhance the discovery of their music outside of their home countries,” says Rami Mohsen, Spotify’s Head of Music for the Middle East and North Africa. 

As Spotify continues to give listeners across the continent streaming access to the best African and international audio continent, it will continue to drive education around Spotify for Artists, a powerful free tool that artists are encouraged to make use of to better understand and build their audience and gain insight on how to best promote themselves. This, together with the expertise of Spotify’s music team and all the platforms’ initiatives will ensure that Spotify remains an instrumental vehicle for African creators looking to feature on a global stage.

Additionally, kicking off on 24 May and running during the week of Africa Day, will be a takeover of Spotify’s Global Xplaylist. The playlist will spotlight Africa’s biggest artists across regions and on each day, the playlist cover will be dedicated to artists including Lady Du (South Africa), DaVido (Nigeria, Sarkodie (Ghana), Nadia Mukami(Kenya), ElGrandeToto (Morocco), Mohammed Ramadan(Egypt) and Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania). The Global Xplaylist is a key part of Spotify's Global Cultures Initiative that promotes culturally diverse music from around the world. 

Top streamed Egyptian artists outside of Egypt (March - May 2021):