Habibi Funk label

Habibi Funk is dedicated to re-releasing a style of music that historically never existed as a musical genre. We use the term to describe a certain sound that we like from the countries of the Arab world.

Habibi Funk is more than happy to announce our 31st release which happens to be our 3rd various artists compilation. The album is dedicated to the cassette tape scene in Libya from the late 80s to early 2000s, from disco to reggae to pop. All songs previously unreleased outside of Libya and not available on any DSP platforms.

This compilation of songs is not meant as a historic reflection of popular music of the “Arab world.” It is a very personal selection of songs we grew to like at Habibi Funk.

Malek's music effortlessly switches between thematic jazz, funk, reggae and Algerian folk – creating indelible soundscapes that intersect the musical innovations made in African jazz by Mulatu Astatke, Bembeya Jazz National along with some of Europe's finest experimental composers like Piero Piccioni and Janko Nilovic.

Habibi Funk is excited to share Marzipan - their first full length contemporary release courtesy of Beirut's multi-instrumental phenom Charif Megarbane, also known as the man behind prolific Cosmic Analog Ensemble. 

Blisteringly groovy collection of completely off-the-radar songs by Libyan composer / producer Najib Alhoush’s group The Free Music, circa 1976.

Rogér Fakhr is a musician from Lebanon. He recorded these songs in the late 1970s in Beirut (and some during a brief exile in Paris).

Habibi Funk presents a selection of works by Algerian-born, Amazigh artist Majid Soula. Majid's music blends the best of Arab-disco, highlife and groovy funk into something wholly unique.

Habibi with their 13th release and it is from Sharhabil Ahmed, the actual King of Sudanese Jazz (he actually won that title in a competition in the early 1970s).

Taking inspiration from hawala, a system of informal money transfers made to certain countries impacted by a lack of currency or unstable contexts. Megarbane spins this concept on its head, reimagining it as an artistic exchange spanning cultures, generations, and geographies.

"I heard about Seif Abu Bakr and The Scorpions maybe 3-4 years ago. Their album "Jazz, Jazz Jazz" ended up on my radar because of an eBay auction with the bids eventually rising daily up to a staggering 1000$.

Libyan Reggae at its peak grooves courtesy of Benghazi-born Ahmed Ben Ali. After working with Ahmed in 2020 on the 12" hit "Subhana", Habibi Funk is back with a full length release focusing on Ahmed's releases from the mid 2000's.

Tirakat’ brings together Jakarta-based trio Ali and Lebanese composer and multi-instrumentalist Charif Megarbane in a collaboration rooted in long histories of cultural exchange between Indonesia and the Arab world.

Habibi Funk is digging deep to present the songs of Ibrahim Hesnawi, otherwise known as "The Father of Libyan Reggae." Kingston meets Tripoli in this incendiary collection of Arabized roots, dub, dancehall and more.